Baku City Circuit

The Baku City Circuit is a fast-paced street raceway running near the Caspian Sea shore in the Baku Boulevard on a 3.73-mile (6-km) trajectory in Baku, Azerbaijan. The circuit features the longest straightaway in Formula 1, a 2.2-km (1.36-mile) stretch along Neftchilar Avenue in downtown Baku. The German race track architect Hermann Tilke chose the circuit's layout to capture the stunning scenery around the track while obtaining the fastest speed of any street circuit in the world. The dry subtropical climate of Baku means long, hot summers and cold, freezing winters, with a well-balanced distribution of rainfall throughout the year. 

The Baku City Circuit starts/finishes close to the end of its front straight on Neftchilar Avenue. Turns one, two, three, and four are 90-degree corners alternating with short straights ideal for overtaking opponents right in front of the crowds watching the action from the buildings around the track. The road course gets more challenging and highly technical as racers advance into the "Castle Section," a 12-turn stretch featuring elevation changes and hard-to-maneuver turn combinations that circle the millenary Baku Fortress Wall and pass beside the old city. The last segment from turn sixteen onwards is the fastest on any urban circuit, with top velocities around 370 km/h (229 mph).