Street Fighting: Exploring the Baku City Circuit on Google Maps

If you were to open Google Maps and search for the streets surrounding Baku’s famous Flame Towers, you wouldn’t immediately think, "This is a place for 200 mph race cars." Yet, once a year, the broad boulevards and narrow ancient alleyways of Azerbaijan’s capital transform into one of the most formidable tracks in Formula 1.

If you look at the circuit on Google Maps, you’ll see the track is roughly divided into two distinct personalities:

Baku City Circuit is a fascinating "urban rollercoaster" that transforms the capital of Azerbaijan into a high-speed racing arena once a year. On Google Maps, you can trace its unique 6.003-kilometer path that winds through both the ultra-modern skyline and the 12th-century stone walls of the Icherisheher (Old City). A Tale of Two Speeds The circuit's story is defined by two extreme contrasts:

Historic sites the track loops around as it enters the narrow Sector 2 Flame Towers:

1. The Stealth Altitude Change

Most people think Baku is flat. Wrong. Activate Terrain View or use the "Layers > Terrain" option. You will see that from Turn 1 to Turn 6, the track drops roughly 12 meters (40 feet) downhill, then immediately climbs uphill leaving the castle. This elevation change is invisible on TV but causes cars to bottom out.