Baku Circuit Map: Track Layout, Grandstands and Gates

The Baku City Circuit is a 6.003km street circuit that winds through the Azerbaijani capital, hosting the Azerbaijan Grand Prix since its debut as the European Grand Prix in 2016. It combines one of the longest straights on the calendar with a narrow, walled section through Baku’s Old City. This article covers all about the Baku circuit map, from track layout and grandstand numbering to which gate to use for your seat.

Baku’s grandstands run along the seafront boulevard for most of the lap, with a separate cluster around the Old City where the circuit narrows through the castle section.

Baku Circuit Track Detail You Should Know

The Baku City Circuit runs 6.003km per lap over 20 turns, making it the second-longest circuit on the calendar by distance. It combines a very long, high-speed straight with one of the narrowest, most technical sections in Formula 1.

Detail	Figure
Circuit length	6.003km
Turns	20
Race distance	306.049km (51 laps)
Lap record (F1)	1:43.009 – Charles Leclerc, 2019
DRS zones	At least one confirmed – detection near Turn 16, activation near Turn 17, running through to Turn 1
First Grand Prix	2016 (as the European Grand Prix)

Baku’s Castle Section: Where Each Grandstand Sits on the Track

Baku’s defining feature is the castle section, a narrow, walled stretch through the Old City (Icheri Sheher) where the track squeezes to its tightest point anywhere on the calendar. Getting through it cleanly matters far more than outright speed, and it’s the section every driver talks about after the race.

Section	Turns	What happens there	Nearby grandstands
Main straight	1	The start/finish straight and the main braking zone into Turn 1, one of the longer straights on the calendar	Absheron Grandstands, Suites and Premium Suites, GS12 Champions, GS13 Marina
Early corners	2 – 3	A tighter loop back toward the waterfront before the run along the boulevard	GS9 Bulvar, GS10 Khazar
Waterfront run	4 – 7	A flowing stretch along the seafront before the circuit turns inland toward the Old City	GS8 Sahil, GS7 Mugham
Castle section	8 – 12	The circuit’s signature: a narrow, walled sequence through the Old City, tight enough that a single mistake can block the track	GS4 Icherisheher, GS6 Qiz Qalasi
Top loop	13 – 14	The circuit opens out again on the far side of the lap	GS5B Filarmoniya
Back section	15 – 17	A fast, downhill run where the circuit’s DRS zone begins	GS5 Azneft, GS11 Zafar
Run to the line	18 – 20	The final corners leading back onto the main straight	GS9 Bulvar, GS11 Zafar

Turn-to-grandstand groupings above are PoleToPit’s own reading of the circuit map, not an organiser-published lookup – treat them as a guide to general location rather than an exact boundary. For where PoleToPit currently ranks these stands, see our Best Grandstands guide.

Baku Grandstand Numbers Explained

Baku’s grandstands are identified by name and number rather than a simple letter-and-row system – GS4 Icherisheher, GS5 Azneft, GS5B Filarmoniya, GS5C, GS6 Qiz Qalasi, GS7 Mugham, GS8 Sahil, GS9 Bulvar, GS10 Khazar, GS11 Zafar, GS12 Champions and GS13 Marina, plus the Absheron Grandstands, Suites and Premium Suites on the main straight. Some grandstands are also split into lettered sections internally, so it’s worth checking your ticket for the exact section as well as the grandstand name.

Which Gate for Your Baku Grandstand

Baku City Circuit has seven gates, lettered A through G, positioned around the lap from the Old City to the main straight.

Gate	General area	Nearby grandstands
Gate G	Icherisheher (Old City, NW)	GS4 Icherisheher
Gate F	Filarmoniya area	GS5B Filarmoniya, GS5C
Gate D	Giz Galasi / Mugham area	GS6 Qiz Qalasi, GS7 Mugham
Gate E	Azneft area	GS5 Azneft
Gate C	Sahil / Bulvar area	GS8 Sahil, GS9 Bulvar
Gate B	Khazar / Zafar / Absheron corporate area	GS10 Khazar, GS11 Zafar
Gate A	Absheron main straight (east end, near the paddock club)	Absheron Grandstands, Suites, Premium Suites, GS12 Champions, GS13 Marina

We recommend checking the gate printed on your ticket before you travel. The gate layout above reflects the most recent official race map available – worth a quick recheck closer to the 2026 event in case anything shifts.

Baku Accessibility: Terrain and Step-Free Routes

The Baku City Circuit’s official map marks accessible restrooms at several points around the lap, along with bridges and pedestrian tunnels connecting areas split by the track. Beyond the circuit itself, some crossings use underpasses with steps as well as ramps, so it’s worth allowing extra time if mobility is a concern.

For accessible seating locations, accreditation, and booking, see our Visitor Information guide.

Baku Circuit FAQs