Oscar Piastri returns to the streets of Baku \u2014 one year on from a terrific victory \u2014 holding a 31-point lead in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.<\/p>\n
F1 enters the final third of the season with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race that has produced memorable moments since the street circuit was first used in 2016.<\/p>\n
Piastri leads his teammate Lando Norris by 31 points in the fight for the drivers’ championship, while McLaren can secure a second consecutive constructors’ championship this weekend.<\/p>\n
Here is what you need to know ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
When does the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix begin?<\/p>\n
The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, September 21.<\/p>\n
Here is when the race will begin in each of Australia’s states and territories.<\/p>\n
AEST 9pm: NSW, Vic, Qld, Tas, ACTACST 8:30pm: South Australia and Northern TerritoryAWST 7pm: Western Australia.How can I watch the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?<\/p>\n
Fox Sports and its streaming platform Kayo will be broadcasting the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
Those watching on Foxtel can watch the race on Fox Sports, channel 506.<\/p>\n
You can also follow all the action with the ABC Sport live blog, from pre-race drama to the post-race synopsis.<\/p>\n
ABC Sport will have a live blog of the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 7pm AEST on Sunday.<\/p>\n
How can McLaren win the F1 constructors’ championship this weekend?Loading…<\/p>\n
McLaren has dominated the 2025 season and is on the cusp of winning the constructors’ championship.<\/p>\n
The question is not if McLaren can win back-to-back titles; it is when.<\/p>\n
Heading into this weekend, McLaren has a gargantuan 337-point lead over Ferrari.<\/p>\n
By the end of this weekend, there will be a maximum of 346 points left to achieve for a team.<\/p>\n
McLaren will wrap up the constructors’ championship this weekend if they:<\/p>\n
Outscore Ferrari by nine pointsAre not outscored by 12 or more points by MercedesAre not outscored by 33 or more points by Red Bull<\/p>\n
Only once this season has McLaren failed to do those three things. That one weekend was in Canada when Norris crashed into the back of Piastri.<\/p>\n
Norris scored zero points while Piastri finished fourth.<\/p>\n
What do I need to know about the track?<\/p>\n
The Baku City Circuit has just about everything.<\/p>\n
It has one of the longest sections of track taken at full speed, with drivers applying full throttle from turn 19 through turn 20, past the start-finish line, and into the first turn.<\/p>\n
After that, the circuit winds its way through the old town of Baku, with a mixture of 90-degree turns and medium-speed corners.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix circuit, around the streets of Baku. (F1)<\/p>\n
It is a street circuit, and parts of the track are only wide enough for one F1 car.<\/p>\n
The slightest mistake in the narrow sections can end your race in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n
A rapid five-corner sequence from turns eight to 12, through the castle section, has caught out many drivers since the first grand prix in 2016.<\/p>\n
The main straight, into turn one at the end of the DRS zone, is the best overtaking opportunity, followed by the 90-degree left-hander of turn three, at the end of the other DRS zone.<\/p>\n