Formula 2 is set to shake up the streets of Baku with a revolutionary race weekend format. The championship's 12th round, taking place from September 24-26, will feature two feature races and a sprint race—a rare treat that makes the Azerbaijan weekend far more action-packed than usual.
A Packed Schedule with Double the Action
Thursday will kick off with a 45-minute practice session, followed by two separate 20-minute qualifying runs later in the day. The sprint race will be held on Friday morning, with the first feature race that afternoon. The second feature race will close out the weekend on Saturday morning, ahead of the Formula 1 race.
Results from the first qualifying session will set the grid for both Friday races, with the sprint applying the usual reverse-grid procedure. Saturday's grid will be determined by the second qualifying session. Notably, each pole position will be worth two championship points, and the regular feature-race scoring system will apply to both longer contests.
The Reasoning Behind the Unique Format
F2 CEO Bruno Michel explained that the extra sessions were made possible because F2 is the sole support category at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "As Formula 2 is the only support event at the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix, together with the promoters, we have opted for a supersized F2 race weekend: one free practice, two qualifying sessions, one sprint race, and two feature races," he said.
Michel added that this is the only weekend where the timetable allows additional sessions, which will further increase entertainment for the attending crowd and fans worldwide. "The Baku City Circuit always provides us with amazing racing, so we're very pleased to make the 12th Round of our season pretty unique," he added.
Calendar Context and Uncertainty
The format change aligns with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule, which runs from Thursday to Saturday because September 27 is Remembrance Day in the country. Consequently, F1 practice is on Thursday, qualifying on Friday, and the race on Saturday.
After Baku, F2 is scheduled to finish its season alongside F1 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, where the familiar structure of practice, one qualifying session, a sprint, and a feature race will return. However, the Baku expansion is likely to attract attention amid ongoing uncertainty over F1's end-of-season calendar due to the situation in the Middle East. There is no indication that the extra Baku race is a contingency measure, and F2's announcement specifically sets out the conventional program planned for Lusail and Yas Marina.
Even so, those two F2 rounds are attached to F1 weekends that remain under scrutiny, with F1 yet to announce any change to its current Qatar and Abu Dhabi plans. Qatar organisers have maintained that their November event is proceeding. In July, Stefano Domenicali said F1 would not make its final assessment before the middle of September. The uncertainty comes after both championships were forced to alter their schedules earlier this year. F2 inserted Miami and Montreal into its calendar after losing the planned Bahrain round.
With the supersized format in Baku, fans can look forward to three races in three days, testing not only speed but also strategy and team endurance. This is a rare opportunity to see F2's rising stars in action even more at one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar.
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