MoneyGram Haas F1 Team's 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship tilt will continue with Round 17, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, at the Baku City Circuit.

Azerbaijan joined Formula 1's calendar in 2016 - the same year in which MoneyGram Haas F1 Team first entered the World Championship - with a circuit laid out around the streets of capital city, Baku, a location that blends tradition with modernity. The Baku City Circuit winds its way around 6km of the city's diverse streets.

That includes long straights punctuated by 90-degree turns, a tricky sequence of corners around the wall-lined Old City, and a full-throttle sector with high-speed kinks along a wide boulevard, adjacent to the low-lying Caspian Sea, which encompasses almost a third of the entire lap. The Baku City Circuit is also home to the narrowest stretch of Formula 1 circuit encountered all season, with the left-hand flick at Turn 8 just 7.6 metres wide at its most slender point, leaving little margin for error.

Esteban Ocon has contested six grands prix around the Baku City Circuit, logging a best result of sixth in 2017, while Oliver Bearman made his MoneyGram Haas F1 Team race debut in the 2024 event, scoring a top 10 finish on his first start for the operation. Bearman also scooped a rare double victory in FIA Formula 2 in 2023, triumphing in both the Sprint Race and Feature Race from pole position.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team enters the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in ninth position in the Constructors' Championship, on 44 points.

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: "We're excited to come back to the streets of Baku, it's a very challenging street course with many low-speed corners and a very long straight. We have the three softest tire compounds there, so as ever, getting those tires to work will be crucial. In Monza, despite not having a 'race-specific' car, we only narrowly missed out on points due to some incidents, so we're keen to get back to scoring points. With such a competitive midfield, we have to be at our very best to have a chance of finishing in the top 10, and that's our aim."

Ollie Bearman: "It's a really nice feeling coming back to a track I've already raced at with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, subbing in last year. That weekend - finishing P10 - will stay with me for a long time, and getting to know the team and working with everyone really helped prepare me for this year. I've won here in junior categories, and love the tight, fast nature of the Baku City Circuit. It's an intense lap to master, but when you get it right, there's no better feeling."

Esteban Ocon: "After a difficult race in Monza, we're looking forward to getting back on track in Baku this weekend. This circuit is an exciting one to drive with its duality of narrow twisty corners and very long straights. It really keeps you on your toes as you're always so close to the wall throughout, especially at the tight castle section. We've seen many chaotic moments at this track in previous years, so you can benefit by keeping it clean and taking your chances when they present themselves. You always need to find the right compromise on car set-up between the slow corners, the bumpy surface, and the two very long straights, so it will be important for us to hit the ground running on Friday to put ourselves in the best position to fight for points."