The Azerbaijani time zone means that the F1 classification (at 6:00 p.m. local time, 4:00 p.m. in Spain/France) coincides with the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race (at 4:00 p.m. in Spain/ France).
But while that means motorsports fans will have to choose between watching F1 or the start of the most famous sports car race, Arif Rahimov , the Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s chief executive, thinks there is no cause for concern.
Asked about the coincidence by Motorsport.com, Rahimov said: “The most important part of Le Mans is the start of the race. But the most important part of qualifying is the end of qualifying.”
“So I think with that, we can make the TV audience see both the start of Le Mans and the end of qualifying.
Rahimov said there was not much discussion with F1 and the FIA about the coincidence, as the timing of the Azerbaijan GP was decided by various conditions.
“The program is designed based on many factors,” he explained. “There are our internal factors here and all the other things we have to do on Saturday, like the F2 race.
“So there are usually not that many options on how to change times. But as I mentioned, I would be disappointed if the start of Le Mans coincides with the end of qualifying. Since it only coincides with the start of both, I think all the spectators will be able to enjoy both”.
Baku wants to keep its F1 race on its current June date
Baku is on its way to a full house this weekend after a 2021 edition behind closed doors, and the number of sales is already higher than before the pandemic.
The position of the Azerbaijan GP on the F1 calendar is assured until at least 2024, after being renewed last year.
However, what could change in the future is its date, because F1 seeks to group races geographically to help improve the logistics and sustainability of travel.
That means a repeat of this year’s Baku/Canada double is unlikely.
Rahimov admitted, however, that Baku wanted to keep his race in June, as doing it earlier would lead to problems due to the weather.
“We really suffered in the past when we had the race in April,” he recalled. “We have to start setting up the circuit almost three months before the start of the race, so if we go back to April, that leads us to start setting it up in the winter. Then it would be extremely difficult to do the set-up.
“Also, for example this year, in April the weather here was quite bad: it was windy, cold and rainy. And I don’t think we can risk having something like that during the race because we want to have the stands full.”
“We want to have viewers, us and everyone, that’s part of the big picture. So we’re very happy with the June date and I want to stick with it.”
