F1 fans (Twitter)
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled to take place from April 28 to April 30 at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan – is alcohol allowed there?
If you are travelling to Azerbaijan for the first time ever, there are certain rules and regulations that you must be aware of.
As a fan, it is understandable that you want to enjoy the F1 experience to the fullest but Azerbaijan is a conservative Muslim country and there are certain restrictions.
While it’s pretty normal for fans to enjoy wine, alcohol and other beverages at most circuits around the world, it is illegal to do so at the Baku City circuit.
As per Islamic laws, drinking alcohol is banned and the same rule applies for foreign visitors who will be attending the Azerbaijan GP this weekend.
Besides the ban on carrying or drinking alcohol, other prohibited items inside the circuit include: beverage containers, food (except baby food), photo cameras, seating chairs, flags with sticks and any offensive texts or symbols. There are restrictions in place which apply to clothing and public appearance.
F1 fans are advised to dress modestly – men should not wear shorts and women should cover their knees/shoulders but unlike most other Muslim-majority countries, it’s not “mandatory” for women to wear a hijab. Tourists should not take pictures of others without permission and should be respectful while prayers are offered – which is five times each day.
The forecast for the weekend in Baku looks bright with hardly any chances of rainfall. The temperature will be ideal for racing, hovering around 22-23 degrees Celsius throughout the weekend, so that’s not much of a worry. However, cloudy conditions are expected on both the Sprint Race day (April 29) and the main Race (April 30).
Friday is expected to be sunny, warm and bright and we should be having a smooth practice session. The Sprint qualifying session and the Sprint race on Saturday will take place under cloudy conditions but chances of rainfall are less.
The main race on Sunday will experience partly cloudy conditions but the temperature is expected to be ideal for racing. Although the rain is not much of a threat on race day, conditions might change quickly – fans and teams will have their fingers crossed that rain doesn’t play spoilsport.
Follow our dedicated Formula One page for instant Formula One news and updates