00:00We regularly host cultural festivals, exhibitions, concerts and public events
00:05so the Old City is 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
00:22for arguably the most famous racing competition in the world
00:25and the Old City is within walking distance of the circuit.
00:30You hear the sound of Formula One cars and just a few metres away
00:35you enter narrow streets that have existed for centuries.
00:40It's a unique dialogue between antiquity and modern world
00:45and very few Formula One destinations can 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
01:07and their spending expands into 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,
01:28in 2025, in September, we have welcomed nearly 230,000 visitors.
01:36Out of that, there was 90,000 spectators of Formula One in that one week in 2025
01:42and total tourist bills was summed up nearly 300 million monat.
01:47Hospitality is one of the sectors to feel the effects of Formula One.
01:51Talking with the direct job creation, in 2025,
01:542,000 people was involved in the building procedure of the circuit
01:58and 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
02:14and for some businesses, it means fully booked rooms
02:16and a greater number of international clientele.
02:20People book a year in advance and then later comes the staff, the workers,
02:26then comes the actual fans, three weeks out, two weeks out.
02:30This year in particular, we have some last-minute bookers as well.
02:33The visually 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
02:44and then when you add 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
02:55over the course of 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
03:07and people here certainly look like they're enjoying 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 the track,
03:33the entertainment, the drivers.
03:36It's just an amazing experience and to be here is such a privilege.
03:40Since I was a kid, I was watching Formula One on the TV and I thought like,
03:45wow, Formula One 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
04:00to ensure the fans and competitors were catered for.
04:05Each year, more than 1,000 people are involved in event operations and delivering the paddock and
04:12also temporary grandstands they are building around the track. And in the last three years,
04:16we can see four new grandstands built and now the capacity of the grandstands is 21,000. And each year,
04:26we can see more and more tourists coming to Baku and I would say it is more than the race
04:31for Azerbaijan.
04:32It is a very good platform for the tourism, for human capital and the promotion of the country.
04:41The 10th edition of the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan attracted thousands of fans and tourists,
04:45but as a permanent fixture in the racing calendar, one can assume that preparations for the 11th edition
04:51will be well underway soon.
