Analysis

Esteban Ocon finished sixth at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on his first visit. Eight of the nine points he has ever scored at Baku came that afternoon, and he has not finished higher than tenth since.

Oscar Piastri has three Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and three completely different results: eleventh, a win from second on the grid, and a retirement.

Pierre Gasly took a podium and a fifth place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021 and 2022. Those two afternoons are every point he has ever scored at Baku across seven starts.

Carlos Sainz scored in his first three Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts, then lost two Ferrari races from the front row, and finally took a Baku podium in 2025 with Williams.

Nico Hulkenberg has six Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and no championship points from any of them. His best finish at Baku is eleventh, one place short of scoring, and his first two visits both ended in accidents.

Lance Stroll took a podium at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix aged 18, on his first visit to Baku. Eight starts and 27 points later, that afternoon is still comfortably the best result of his Azerbaijan career.

Valtteri Bottas has seven Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and 43 points, every one of them collected on two afternoons in 2017 and 2019. He won at Baku from pole in 2019 and has not scored at the circuit since.

George Russell has six Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and 53 points, and all three of his Baku podiums have come since he joined Mercedes. He has started fifth at the circuit three times and finished on the podium on every one of them.

The Indian Racing League requires a female driver in every team line-up, making it one of very few genuinely mixed grids in world motorsport.

Fernando Alonso has finished all seven of his Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and scored in six, without ever finishing higher than fourth. A masterclass in taking what the car allows at Baku.