Street circuits have always been part of Formula 1’s DNA and three of the eight remaining rounds this year take place in city centres.

The first stop is Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where F1’s fastest street track can produce one of the most dramatic events of the season. Following this weekend, F1 will head to Singapore next before visiting Las Vegas in November.

There’s nowhere quite like Baku.

Its layout features the longest flat-out section of the year and also one of the narrowest pieces of track on the calendar. It’s a place where precision meets bravery and races are often full of drama.

Safety Cars are almost part of the furniture here: before last year, they had been deployed in five consecutive races, often more than once. In 2021, a late red flag turned the Azerbaijan Grand Prix into a two-lap shoot-out, and last year the race finished behind a Virtual Safety Car.

Since joining the calendar in 2017, Baku has been notoriously unpredictable - producing six different winners in seven races. It’s also a happy hunting ground for Pierre Gasly, who stood on the Baku podium in 2021, his final rostrum before joining BWT Alpine Formula One Team.

Street circuits feature their own unique demands.

With 90-degree corners, unforgiving walls and minimal run-off, they are the ultimate test of concentration. Drivers must deal with bumps, off camber bends, the crown of the road and obstacles such as drain covers. Early in the weekend the track is ‘green,’ dusty and slippery from regular traffic meaning track evolution and grip are key factors as the sessions progress.

Situated on the Caspian Sea and weaving through medieval streets the 6.003km Baku layout is the fourth longest on the calendar. And the stretch from Turn 16 to Turn 1 is the longest full-throttle section of the year - 200m longer than T1 to T5 at Spa - as drivers keep their foot pinned to the floor for the 2.2km run. Factor in the DRS and this section offers a great overtaking opportunity into Turn 1.

At the start, the run from pole position to the braking point at Turn 1 is just under 90 metres - the shortest on the calendar. While a single lap of Baku features around 70 gear changes - more than any other circuit. From its long, flat-out straights to the technical ‘castle’ section, precision is key. At its tightest point, between Turns 8 and 9, the track is just 7.6 metres wide. Its dual nature leaves engineers with a dilemma: set the car up for low drag and straight line speed, or add downforce for the 20 tricky corners.

And here’s one final quirk of Baku (that comes from the Persian Bad-kuye - which translates as ‘wind city’). It is the lowest-lying capital in the world, sitting 28 metres below sea level - quite the contrast to Mexico City, which F1 will visit soon, perched 2.2km above sea level.