00:00We regularly host cultural festivals, exhibitions, concerts and public events, so the Old City
00:06is already a vibrant meeting place for residents and visitors.
00:11Formula One, however, creates something unique.
00:17Cars, cameras, action.
00:19For the past 10 years, Baku has transformed into a racetrack for arguably the most famous
00:24racing competition in the world, and the Old City is within walking distance of the circuit.
00:29You hear the sound of Formula One cars, and just a few meters away you enter narrow streets
00:38that have existed for centuries.
00:40It's a unique dialogue between antiquity and modern world, and very few Formula One destinations
00:48can offer that experience.
00:58It's Formula One's 10th anniversary, and it is celebrating in style.
01:04The event draws international fans and tourists to the capital, and their spending expands
01:09into hospitality, retail and tourism.
01:12For most businesses, race weekend is quite different from the rest of the year.
01:24Actually, if we can discuss from the tourism perspective, in 2025, in September, we have
01:33welcomed nearly 230,000 visitors.
01:36Out of that, there were 90,000 spectators of Formula One in that one week in 2025, and total tourist
01:44bills were summed up nearly 300 million manat.
01:47Hospitality is one of the sectors to feel the effects of Formula One.
01:51Talking with the direct job creation, in 2025, 2,000 people were involved in the building
01:57procedure of the circuit, and in the race week, we had 1,500 staff members, nearly 2,000 volunteers,
02:05and 1,400 marshals, which were directly involved on that day.
02:11Demand starts well before the cars take to the track, and for some businesses, it means
02:15fully booked rooms and a greater number of international clientele.
02:20People book a year in advance.
02:22And then later, there comes the staff, the workers, then it comes the actual fans, three
02:28weeks out, two weeks out.
02:30This year in particular, we have some last minute bookers as well.
02:33Visually, you can see the excitement and the vibe, the ambiance, and the city changes.
02:39We're always proud to say Baku is clean, Baku is safe, Baku is green, and then when you
02:45add this kind of ambiance and energy, Baku becomes irresistible.
02:50The boulevard is home to the fans, and it is one of the busiest areas over the course
02:55of the weekend, and business is booming.
02:58A Grand Prix is not simply just about watching the race anymore for many people.
03:04It's about being part of that F1 experience, and people here certainly look like they're
03:10enjoying every second.
03:21This is our first time on the Fun Zone, actually, so yeah, it's really great.
03:26It was cool to see the cars.
03:27The experience of just being here, the people, the food, and everything that goes on on the
03:33track, the entertainment, the drivers, it's just an amazing experience, and to be here
03:39is such a privilege.
03:40Since I was a kid, I was watching Formula 1 on the TV, and I thought like, wow, Formula
03:461 must be insane.
03:47And then it came to Baku, and I was like, oh my god, it came to Baku!
03:55For this edition of F1, every effort was made by Baku City Circuit organizers to ensure the
04:01fans and competitors were catered for.
04:06Each year, more than 1,000 people are involved in event operations and delivering the paddock
04:11and also temporary grandstands they are building around the track.
04:15And in the last three years, we can see four new grandstands built, and now the capacity of
04:21the grandstands is 21,000.
04:25And each year, we can see more and more tourists coming to Baku, and I would say it is more
04:30than
04:30the race for Azerbaijan, it is a very good platform for the tourism, for human capital,
04:37and the promotion of the country.
04:41The tenth edition of the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan attracted thousands of fans and tourists, but
04:46as a permanent fixture in the racing calendar, one can assume that preparations for the eleventh
04:50edition will be well underway soon.
