When did F1 first race at Baku? Which driver won the inaugural Azerbaijan GP?

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2 years ago

Image Credits - BR

The 2022 Azerbaijan GP takes place this weekend but when did Formula 1 first have a race on the streets of Baku?

Formula 1 action returns this weekend for the eighth round of 2022. It will be another street circuit as the cars will race around the streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan GP.

The Baku street circuit has the longest straight of any F1 race on the calendar and there is bound to be plenty of action to savour this weekend. But here, we look at the first time an F1 race was held in Baku as well as which driver won it.

Image Credits – Motor Sport Magazine

When did F1 hold its first race at Baku?

The first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in Azerbaijan was the 2016 European Grand Prix, which took place at the Baku City Circuit on 19th June 2016.

However, the first time F1 held a race in Baku, which was then called the Azerbaijan GP, was on June 25th, 2017, just under 5 years ago. Since then, Baku has held F1 races every year except in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who won the inaugural Azerbaijan GP?

When the race in Azerbaijan was called the European GP in 2016, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg came out victorious. However, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo won the first Azerbaijan GP in 2017. At the time, Ricciardo was driving for Red Bull and he made several overtakes during the race to take victory on the streets of Baku.

Lewis Hamilton won the Azerbaijan GP in 2018 while his then Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas tasted success in Baku the following year. Last year, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez won the race in Azerbaijan.