The F1 calendar has Azerbaijan next weekend (April 29). The six kilometer, anti-clockwise layout of the circuit was designed by circuit architect Hermann Tilke, who has managed to make quite a name for himself for designing circuits were it is difficult to pass. (What between ‘dirty air’ and Tilke, it’s a wonder the cars can get out of the garages.) The circuit was planned to start adjacent to Azadliq Square, then loop around Government House before heading west along a 1 km straight to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower. Here, the track was planned to have a narrow 7.6 m uphill traversal and then circle the Old City before opening up onto a 2.2 km stretch along Neftchilar Avenue back to the start line. The circuit was projected to be the fastest street circuit in the world, with a top speed close to 360 km/h and the second longest circuit on the current F1 calendar behind the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium which currently is the longest circuit on calendar. The fastest lap was set by Vettel in the Ferrari last year.
