“I think that will still bring all the spectators in”: Azerbaijan GP Executive rules out clash with Le Mans 24 Hours


“I think that will still bring all the spectators in”: Azerbaijan GP Executive rules out clash with Le Mans 24 Hours

Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the Baku City Circuit

The world of Motorsports is always bubbling with lots of new events, and there are a few dates on which some of these events clash. This becomes a concern for the motorsports enthusiasts as well as the event organisers because the audience count and the fanfare get divided between the two clashing events, and that means less ticket sales, less funds, etc.

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The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying Session and the Le Mans 24 Hours have been scheduled for the same date. While fans believe this is the cause of great concern, Baku F1’s Chief has assured everyone that the clash is nothing but just a minor setback.

The Baku Grand Prix timings have been set at a later-than-standard time, and the 6 pm slot of Saturday’s Qualifying Session for the Azerbaijan GP will clash with the 4 pm French start to the Le Mans 24 Hours race. This will lead to the motorsports enthusiasts choosing between watching the Qualis for the Azerbaijan GP and watching the Le Mans 24–one of the most famous races in the sportscars’ world.

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Azerbaijan GP Head insists Baku Grand Prix’s clash with Le Mans 24 Hours is not a big deal

Max Verstappen kicking his car
Max Verstappen was left frustrated in last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Arif Rahimov, the executive director who has been assigned the charge of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, has mentioned that the clash between the Baku Qualifiers and the Le Mans 24 Hours is not a cause of some major concern. He also said that the Baku timetable has been set after discussions amongst an array of racing personnel, and there has not been any direct talks among the higher-ups about this clash.

When asked about this by Motorsport.com, Azerbaijan GP Director Arif Rahimov said: “The most important part of Le Mans is the start of the race. But then the most important part of the qualifying is the end of the qualifying.”

He also said, “So I think with that, we can have the TV audience watch both: the start of Le Mans and the end of the qualifying. The schedule is designed based on a lot of factors. 

So there is not usually as much choice with how to move things around time wise. But like I mentioned, I’d be disappointed if the start of Le Mans was clashing with the end of the qualifying. Since it’s clashing with the start, I think that will still bring all the spectators in.”

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