2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint race, start time, where to watch, and more explored

For the first time in F1, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit on Saturday will be a sprint weekend. It will be the first of six sprint weekends in 2023.

F1 had announced that it will introduce a format for the weekend. Previously, sprint races were used to set up for the main race, but this season, it will be a standalone event and will have no effect on the main race.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which is known for its chaotic races, will host the first 'Sprint Shootout' to set up the grid for the race later in the day. Below is the list of timings for the Sprint race:

GMT- 10:30 am

IST- 07:00 pm

AEDT- 00:30 am

ET- 9:30 am

Sky Sports and F1 will live stream the first Sprint race on their streaming platforms. In India, fans can enjoy the action on F1TV, with no official broadcaster for the sport in the country.

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"It feels good; the whole team needed it" - Charles Leclerc after his pole at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has said that he's happy and surprised by his pole position at the Azerbaijan GP. He added that the team needed this performance after a dismal start to the season, telling F1.com:

"It feels good. I think the whole team needed it because we arrive here where … it’s a part of our job, I think any team in Formula 1, you need to deal with rumours and pressure, and it’s obviously a bit more difficult to perform under those circumstances, and we did really well, so I think it’s good for the whole team.

"(It feels) really good, especially considering the beginning of season I’ve had. Obviously, we haven’t had the greatest of beginnings, but it’s great to be back on pole. I didn’t expect it, and I think we came into the weekend thinking it would already be a great result if we were in front of the Astons and Mercedes, and now we find ourselves on pole.

Leclerc added:

"Really really happy with that, but we need to see obviously tomorrow with the Sprint race and for Sunday’s race, and I think we are a little bit more on the back foot there – but anyway, it’s a really good surprise and extremely happy with my lap.

It will be interesting to see if Leclerc can convert his first pole of the season into a win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday.