PREVIEW: A supersized weekend in Baku for Round 12

It’s back to Baku for Round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 season and we have an extra Qualifying and Feature Race to contend with.

The weekend will include two Qualifyings, one Sprint Race, two Feature Races and of course, plenty of wheel-to-wheel F2 action.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the race weekend.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Action kicks off on Thursday morning this weekend, with the three-day event moved one day forward in comparison to usual.

One 45-minute Free Practice session precedes two consecutive 20-minute Qualifying sessions in the afternoon. FP gets underway at 10:00 local time before Qualifying kicks off at 14:00, with Q2 beginning at 14:30.

Friday morning’s Sprint Race gets underway at 08:15 local time, with the order determined by the results of the first Qualifying session.

The first Feature Race of the weekend follows later in the day using results of the first Qualifying session for the grid. Lights out is scheduled for 14:15 local time.

Saturday morning will be the final day of action in Baku, with the second Feature Race grid determined by the results of the second Qualifying session. The start of the second Feature is set to be 11:00 local time.

STAT PACK

• Baku has been present on the F2 calendar every single season apart from the 2020 campaign.
• Dino Beganovic joined Rafael Camara and Kush Maini as a repeat pole sitter in 2026 with P1 on Friday in Madrid
• Joshua Duerksen and Beganovic are the only F2 drivers on the grid to have won in Baku previously
• The last time a driver won in Baku and went on to win the Drivers’ title in F2 was George Russell (2018)

FROM THE GRID – Dino Beganovic, DAMS Lucas Oil

“It’s a very cool track because it’s a street track. You don’t get to come here before F2, so it’s a new track for the rookies and very different. You run with low downforce, which makes things very tricky in certain sections, but the very long straights bring a lot of opportunities to overtake.

“Turn 1 is probably the best place to overtake with DRS and very hard braking into Turn 1. The hardest part of the track is the castle section, its’ the tightest of the year and brings a lot of challenge.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 2 Technical Director

“Baku is another street circuit however it offers a fairly unique challenge in that the speeds are so high around the lap. The run from Turn 16 to Turn 1 is the longest ‘straight’ on the calendar, where drivers will reach around 330Km/h.

“The track surface is relatively smooth so tyre degradation, while still an important factor across the races, won’t be as excessive as other venues, with traction the most impactful element.

“The additional Qualifying and Feature Race this weekend means there are plenty of points on offer. Ensuring the setup is optimized heading into back-to-back Qualifying sessions will be pivotal on Thursday.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The compounds available for the Azerbaijan weekend are Soft and Supersoft. The latter is expected to be the preferred choice for the start of the Feature Race, with most drivers likely to use it during the opening stint before switching to the Soft tyre around lap six. The characteristics of the Baku street circuit could place greater stress on the rear axle, particularly when running the Supersoft. Traction management will therefore become increasingly important as the race progresses and could prove decisive in the closing stages, rewarding those who have managed to preserve their tyres most effectively. Strategic analysis must also take into account the high likelihood of a safety car intervention, which has long been a recurring factor in Baku. A neutralisation during the middle phase of the race could significantly alter the strategic picture and reduce the advantage of what appears on paper to be the most effective strategy.