Arif Rahimov: The race in Baku gets even more interesting

Baku City Circuit Executive Director Arif Rahimov is delighted that this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held with spectators in the stands…

Q: In the past two years, the pandemic has hit the sports world hard. How important is the return of the fans this year to you?
Arif Rahimov: In 2020 we did not run the race and in 2021 it was run without spectators. Now all events, especially sports, are becoming popular again. People are tired of sitting at home, they want a real spectacle.

All over the world, tickets are sold out in a few days, a record number of spectators gather at the races, countries return to normal life. In Baku, we will take all necessary precautions to keep everyone safe and we look forward to welcoming the fans in June. This year we do not expect any problems due to Covid-19.

Q: What is the share of local and international sales by stage in Baku?
Arif Rahimov: Now 60% of the turnover comes from foreign fans. But in recent years, it has always been the case that local sales are at the last minute. At the same time, we sold many more tickets in our own country this year than in 2019.

It is not surprising that international fans are more likely to buy tickets – they have to buy plane tickets, book a hotel. It is great that tourists return to Azerbaijan, to Baku. This year the Grand Prix will take place in June when we have perfect weather, warm and sunny. The trend is very good, we are sure that we will be able to sell all tickets before the start of the race weekend.

Q: Why has the Azerbaijan Grand Prix become one of the most popular races on the calendar in recent years?
Arif Rahimov: One of the reasons is the optimal balance between slow and fast sections. Changeable terrain and different turns complicate the search for settings. That’s one of the reasons we’ve had five different winners in the five races we’ve had. And I’m sure we’ll see a new winner again this year.

The Grand Prix of Azerbaijan surprises every year. Think of the famous clash between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in 2017 or the Red Bull clash a year later.

Don’t forget the drama of last season, when Max Verstappen retired with a flat tire and the podium places were decided in the final laps. Fans know that this race is not to be missed, that anything can happen in it. This is the most unpredictable race of the season!

Q: Do you think the battle will be even more interesting with the new generation of machines?
Arif Rahimov: Doubtless. I’m sure this year’s Grand Prix will be an amazing sight. Already in the first phases it was noticeable that the effect of DRS was noticeably increased. Given the long exit from the last corner, we will see a lot of overtaking in the first corner, as well as in the third, after the second DRS zone. We’ve seen that you can overtake on our track, so I imagine this year’s race will be even more interesting.

Source: F1 News

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