The best Azerbaijan Grand Prix stats you should know as McLaren target impressive championship record

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Formula 1 is headed to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Round 17 of the 2025 season, with all eyes on whether McLaren can break an impressive championship record.

McLaren could secure the 2025 constructors’ championship title in Baku this weekend, taking the achievement for the second consecutive season.

The Woking-based team will achieve the feat if they are able to outscore their closest championship rival, Ferrari, by nine points and not be outscored by Mercedes by 12, or Red Bull by 33.

If either Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton takes the victory around the Baku City Circuit this weekend, then McLaren have to wait until Singapore, a fortnight later.

Read More: 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race predictions: F1 experts share their opinions on Baku race weekend

Azerbaijan Grand Prix joins the 2017 calendar after Baku hosted European race

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix officially joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2017 after hosting the European Grand Prix the year before. Despite the majority of the country being in Western Asia, Azerbaijan also borders a small part of Eastern Europe and is a member of the Council of Europe.

The race has seen some dramatic races over the last seven years, and has seen six different drivers stand on the top step of the podium. Only one driver has seen multiple successes at the Baku City Circuit, with Sergio Perez claiming victories in 2021 and 2023.

In 2023, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first race to implement the new ‘Sprint Shootout’ qualifying format, which saw the Sprint race grid determined with its own session.

Baku City Circuit stats and history

The Baku City Circuit is one of the longest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, being beaten by only Spa Francorchamps (7.007km), the Las Vegas Street Circuit (6.201km) and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit (6.174km).

The track is 6.003km (3.730mi) long and features 20 turns, eight right and 12 left. Baku has the second-highest number of corners on the F1 calendar, matching the Circuit of the Americas and being beaten by Jeddah which has 27 turns.

The Baku City Circuit features a unique combination of wide straights, mixed with narrow, winding sections, which make it an impressive high-speed and technical track. The race is known for being highly unpredictable and is no stranger to a safety car due to the minimal margin for error.

Baku is a street track, and when racing through the Old City section of the circuit, drivers are faced with challenging, narrow sections which involve the ultimate precision.

The run from pole position to the first braking zone is just 89.5m, making it the shortest on the 2025 calendar. However, the long straight between the exit from Turn 16 to the braking zone for Turn 1 is the longest full-throttle section at around 200m long, beating the distance between Turns 1-5 at Spa.

According to Mercedes, a lap around the Baku City Circuit sees drivers change gears an impressive 71 times, which is more than any other track on this year’s calendar.

What have the drivers said about Baku heading into the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend?

Oscar Piastri: “I’ve got extremely fond memories of Baku last year. I regard that as one of my favourite races ever and it’s always an advantage coming back to a track where you’ve had a big result. 

“My only focus is achieving more of the same this weekend. I am leading the Drivers’ Championship and I am very happy with where my driving is.”

Oliver Bearman: “It’s a really nice feeling coming back to a track I’ve already raced at with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, subbing in last year. That weekend – finishing P10 – will stay with me for a long time, and getting to know the team and working with everyone really helped prepare me for this year.

“I’ve won here in junior categories, and love the tight, fast nature of the Baku City Circuit. It’s an intense lap to master, but when you get it right, there’s no better feeling.”

Pierre Gasly: “I’m looking forward to getting back on track this weekend as we start the next run of flyaway races in Baku. It’s a circuit – and a city – that I really love visiting and somewhere I’ve had previous success at with a podium finish in 2021 and also a podium in GP2 in 2016.

“I achieved that by driving cleanly and smartly, which is needed at such a challenging track like Baku. The long straights and tight, narrow castle section combined with the high speeds and close walls everywhere mean that there’s a high risk of some chaotic moments.

“We need to make sure we’re in the best position to capitalise on those when the time comes. The car setup will be complex with a compromise needed between the track characteristics and we’ll aim to hit the ground running on Friday but, honestly, it’s Baku – anything can happen.”

Franco Colapinto: “I am ready to go back to Baku, the place I scored my first points in Formula One last year. I am feeling good in the car at the moment, despite Monza being challenging for us as a team.

“We took time to debrief and I visited Enstone last week to prepare for Azerbaijan this weekend. Baku is one of the most beautiful circuits we visit in the season. Driving with views of both the Old Town and the famous Flame Towers as well as the tight nature of the circuit makes it one of the most enjoyable tracks to drive.

“As I said, some happy memories for me last year as I finished in eighth place for my first ever points in Formula One so that is always a nice thing to have in my mind.”

Records that could be broken at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

McLaren could break the record for taking the constructors’ championship title with the most remaining races left this weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. If the Woking-based team can secure the constructors’ title this weekend, then they will have achieved the feat with seven races remaining on the calendar for 2025.

Red Bull currently holds the record with the 2023 title at the Japanese Grand Prix in September, with six races remaining that season.

Valtteri Bottas holds the Formula 1 speed record, which he broke at the 2016 European Grand Prix in Baku. The Finn was driving the FW38 Williams, with the team capturing his top speed of 366.1km/h (227.48mph) in the speed track before the braking zone.

Williams engineers later confirmed that their data showed Bottas had hit 378 km/h (234.88mph) before he lifted off the throttle into Turn 1.

With the current Formula 1 cars, the fastest they have ever been, we could see this record broken in Baku this weekend.

Charles Leclerc also has the opportunity to match Michael Schumacher’s achievement of five consecutive pole positions at a single grand prix. Leclerc currently has four consecutive pole positions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix between 2021 and 2024, with the Monegasque hoping to once again start from front spot.

Schumacher is currently third with two runs of five consecutive pole positions in Japan (1998 – 2002) and Spain (2000 – 2004). The German is behind Lewis Hamilton, who has six consecutive poles in Australia between 2014 and 2019, and Ayrton Senna, who holds the record with 7 in San Marino between 1985 and 1991.