Baku is like a little Dubai, says former F1 pilot

By AzerNews

Holding a stage of the Formula One Grand Prix in Baku will be a great success for the city, Former Renault F1 principal Flavio Briatore said.

"I have had a lot of friends there (in Baku) for many, many years and we hope it happens in 2015," Briatore said, speaking to Reuters outside Ecclestone's motorhome in the Monaco Grand Prix paddock on May 24-25.

"It's very close to Europe, the city is amazing - it's like a little Dubai. And more importantly, everything is new," added Briatore. "The heart of the town is renovated completely so you have the flavor of the old days and of the oil money. The hotels are amazing, the facilities for your guys is super. It's very nice."

It was previously assumed that these races would be held in Baku in 2016, but Azerbaijan's Youth and Sports Ministry reported that Formula One race will be held in Azerbaijan in autumn 2015.

Azerbaijan will become the second country in the former Soviet Union -after Russia- that will host the Formula One Grand Prix.

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single-seat auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

The F1 season consists of a series of races known as Grands Prix held throughout the world on purpose-built circuits and public roads. The results of each race are evaluated by a points-system to determine two annual World Championships, one for the drivers and the other one for the constructors.

The championship calendar consists of 19 stages at present, but the number of stages is expected to reach 22 in the future.

Thailand, South Africa, Greece, Argentina, and Mexico are claiming to be a part of the grandiose motor show, while Turkey, China, UAE, Bahrain, and Malaysia are among the countries recently added to the list of traditional venues.