10 quiz questions on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

1. In which year did the Baku City Circuit host its first Formula 1 race, and what was the name of the event?

2. Who won the first race ever held at the Baku City Circuit?

3. Which driver was the inaugural winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017?

4. Name the only driver to have won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix twice.

5. The lap record at the Baku City Circuit was set in 2019. Who set it, and what was the time?

6. What makes the Baku City Circuit’s main straight unique compared to other F1 tracks?

7. In 2023, which new race format feature debuted at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

8. What infamous incident occurred between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in Baku 2017?

9. Who became the youngest podium finisher at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and at what age?

10. The 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw which title contender crash out late due to a tyre failure?

Scroll down for the answers and see how many you aced!

Baku’s Grand Prix: Unpredictable, Unmissable, and Full of F1 Curveballs

Baku hasn’t been on the Formula 1 calendar for long, but it’s already built a reputation for wild races, unpredictable crashes, and remarkable storylines. Tucked into Azerbaijan’s medieval-meets-modern capital, the Baku City Circuit features the tightest castle section in racing and the longest full-throttle straight in F1. Here’s a ride through the event’s best moments and strangest facts—with all the answers for quiz-lovers built right in.

The Baku City Circuit made its F1 debut in 2016, but not as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. That first race was called the European Grand Prix, and Nico Rosberg dominated: pole, fastest lap, and the win, making him the first name etched into Baku’s F1 history. It wasn’t until 2017 that the race officially became the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo climbing from tenth on the grid to claim a stunning win—an overtaking masterclass that’s still replayed by racing fans.

Multiple drivers have tasted glory beside the Caspian Sea, but Sergio Pérez stands alone as the only two-time winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix so far, taking victory for Red Bull in both 2021 and 2023. The Baku event’s lap record belongs to Charles Leclerc, who ripped off a 1:43.009 for Ferrari in 2019, cementing this circuit’s reputation as brutally fast when a driver gets it right.

If the lap record is all about speed, the Baku main straight puts the “drag” in drag race: at 2.2 kilometers, it’s the longest straight in Formula 1. Slipstreaming here is more like a game of high-speed chess, and overtakes are never off the menu, even in the closing laps.

Baku’s race weekends are fertile ground for format shake-ups, too. The 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first to feature F1’s new Sprint Shootout qualifying, a flat-out dash that set the grid for Saturday’s sprint and left drivers and fans gasping in the heat of competition.

Of course, the history books here aren’t just written in tenths and tactics—they’re written by drivers’ tempers, too. In 2017, Sebastian Vettel lost his cool under the Safety Car, bumping into title rival Lewis Hamilton in an incident as bizarre as it was infamous. The stewards handed Vettel a stop/go penalty, but Baku’s image for chaotic drama was already cemented.

Some drivers found new stardom in Azerbaijan. Lance Stroll, at 18 years and 239 days, became the youngest podium finisher in Baku and, at the time, the second youngest to reach the podium in F1. That chaotic 2017 race also featured a high-speed virtual photo finish, with Valtteri Bottas overtaking Stroll right at the line.

Not every story has a happy ending. In 2021, Max Verstappen crashed out with a tyre failure late in the race while leading, handing Sergio Pérez a shock win and flipping the championship plot yet again. That was just one more reminder: expect the unexpected in Baku.

From the European Grand Prix era to modern street-fighting classics, Azerbaijan’s capital city keeps serving up drama, speed, and plenty of talking points. Quiz finished—mark yourself and see if you can outsmart one of the most unpredictable races in modern Formula 1.