Azerbaijan's capital Baku to host Formula One

A deal for Baku to stage a Formula One race has been officially signed as the Azerbaijani capital continues to establish itself on the world sporting stage. 

The race - which is likely to be called the Grand Prix of Europe - is set to take place in 2016, the year after the city hosts the inaugural European Games.

It will be the second country in the former Soviet Union to hold a grand prix following Sochi, which is due to make its debut later this year on October 12.

The race in Baku is set to take place on a circuit around the streets of the city, a concept becoming increasingly popular with organisers around the world.

The most famous, of course, is Monte Carlo but other cities which hold races on street circuits are Melbourne and Singapore.

New Jersey and Bangkok are also being proposed as venues for 2015 and plan to use street circuits.

Baku already has experience of hosting an event on the streets of its city.

For the last two years it has staged The City Challenge Baku, an event for GT3-cars, which takes place on a 4.4 kilometre circuit around Crystal Hall, the venue built to host the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, and the National Flag Square.

Last year's race was won by the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT driven by Pole Stéphane Ortelli and Belgian Laurens Vanthoor before a crowd estimated at more than 50,000.

Bakudaily.az