Azerbaijan GP: what time is the race? And why is qualifying on Friday?

It’s unusual for F1 to have such a long break so early on in the season, but a month on from the dramatic and controversial Australian Grand Prix, racing is back. And there’s an all-new format making its debut in Baku.

Yup, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the first of six ‘sprint weekends’ taking place in 2023, and this week F1 has confirmed plans to revamp the format to encourage more risk-taking from the drivers. Sounds fun. And expensive.

As before qualifying is shifted to Friday after a single practice session, but this now sets the grid for Sunday’s grand prix just like it does on a normal weekend. Saturday then becomes an event in its own right, with a ‘Sprint Shootout’ quali setting the grid sprint race. With us?

The hope is the drivers will take more risks in the sprint, safe in the knowledge that a late move won’t ruin their chances of a good result on Sunday.

Oh, and it means F1 can ditch the Saturday practice session that even Haas team boss Guenther Steiner admitted was "boring" in an interview with TG.

Whether or not it works, brave of F1 to try it out for the first time in Baku… which must surely hold the record for the most carbon-fibre hungry race on the calendar. Don’t quote us on that.

So as Red Bull seek a fourth straight win in 2023 and Max Verstappen looks to extend his lead over teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Azerbaijan GP.

What time is the Azerbaijan GP? And what time is qualifying?

UK viewers will need to tune in at 12pm on Sunday 30 April to catch the start of the grand prix, while qualifying begins at 2pm on Friday 28 April. The new Sprint Shootout starts at 9.30am sharp on Saturday 29 April, and the sprint race will follow at 2.30pm.

What’s the weather going to be like?

It’s expected to be partly cloudy throughout the weekend but the forecast is dry, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 27 degrees Celsius. Annoyingly, rain is due on Monday when everyone’s gone home… now that would have made for an interesting spectacle.

Where is the Azerbaijan GP taking place?

The Azerbaijan GP is being held in Baku on a street circuit that winds its way through the city before blasting down a main road in what is one of the longest stretches spent at full throttle all season. Six grands prix have been held in Baku since the first in 2016 (they called it the European Grand Prix to start with) and - fun fact alert - we’re yet to see a driver win it more than once.

How many laps is the Azerbaijan GP?

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is 51 laps long, and the circuit itself is 6.003km (3.730mi) in length. All being well the race will last about an hour and a half, but this is Baku, and all is rarely well. We’re yet to see an edition of the race that hasn’t seen the safety car (virtual or otherwise) introduced at some point, such is the difficulty of avoiding the track’s tight and unforgiving barriers at such high speed.

Who’s going to win the Azerbaijan GP?

Virtually everyone is expecting Red Bull to win this race, not least because of the advantage the RB19 seems to have over the rest of the field right now. And even if Verstappen and Perez end up behind their rivals, the car’s staggering top speed will make the team virtually impossible to stop down the main straight.

Verstappen heads into the race as the favourite, but Perez is a certified demon on street tracks so the Mexican shouldn’t be written off.

How can I watch the Azerbaijan GP?

Easy: subscribe to Sky Sports for its F1 coverage, or get a Now TV membership so you can access Sky’s feed that way. If you’d rather just watch the highlights, Channel 4 is broadcasting free-to-air highlights of Saturday’s action at 8.50pm and of Sunday’s race from 6.30pm. There is no Friday show to catch up on qualifying, so you’ll have to wait until Saturday’s broadcast to watch that. Grr.

If radio commentary will suffice, BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra will have coverage throughout the weekend.

What’s the Top Gear view on the Azerbaijan GP?

When Baku was added to the F1 calendar seven years ago people doubted it would be any good. But the race has earned some respect since then, with the thrilling, high-speed sections and technical, slow-speed zones posing a challenge for the teams and drivers. And let’s be entirely honest, there’s also something to be said for the chaos that tends to ensue when bits of carbon fibre go flying. Which happens a lot here. Let’s hope everyone stays safe throughout.