One of the most memorable faces at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is not a driver. It is Furrari, the orange and white cat that caught George Russell’s attention in 2025 and has since become a fixture at Baku City Circuit.
Furrari is still here for the 2026 race, but he is no longer roaming the paddock without a home. The circuit crew has adopted him, and he now lives in the track office. That was the delightful discovery on a media day that also brought news about the 2027 driver market, uncertainty over future races and plenty of smaller moments around the paddock.
Furrari has made himself at home
Furrari is a 3-year-old male cat, and the Baku track office is very much his territory. Around 100 staff work there. The crew feeds him, he has toys, and it is fair to say the office has collectively taken ownership of his care.
He is friendly, although being picked up is not his favorite activity. One member of the crew also mentioned that he likes to mark his territory. That means a bit of cleaning up, but it has not put anyone off keeping him around.
Ocon’s 2027 plans and the Haas seat
Esteban Ocon was told he will not be with Haas next year, leaving him a free agent for 2027. At 30, with 10 years in Formula 1, he is determined to continue. His 1 victory and handful of podium appearances have not satisfied his ambitions.
Several names are being discussed for the seat, including Ryo Hirakawa, Rafael Câmara and Jack Doohan. Doohan tested an older Haas recently and told me he felt comfortable straight away, despite having been out of an F1 car for roughly 18 months. He seemed upbeat about his chances in Baku.
Câmara, though, appears to be the favorite. He is part of Ferrari’s junior program, as is Ollie Bearman. Putting the 2 of them together at Haas would raise an interesting question about Ferrari’s influence at another team, particularly given Ferrari’s past complaints about Red Bull operating 2 teams. There is also talk of financial backing for Câmara, but Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has said he wants the better driver, not the money. A decision may be about a month away.
Uncertainty around the Middle East races
There is still no clear answer on the final 2 Middle East races. Imola is the only alternative circuit I heard mentioned in the paddock, and even that presents a timing problem: morning fog and darkness around 4:00 p.m. could require an unusually early race start. Others remain convinced the events will go ahead in the Middle East.
Insurance may be the bigger obstacle. Teams, media, fans and other personnel may struggle to obtain cover, especially where their home country’s travel advice warns against visiting the relevant destinations. Formula 1 has a major decision to make in circumstances that can change quickly, so I expect it to wait as long as possible for reliable information.
Tyres are another part of the calculation. My understanding is that Pirelli is preparing tyres for Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Imola so it can respond to whichever plan is chosen. Missing the window for sea freight could make delivery more expensive, but not necessarily impossible.
The uncertainty could extend into early 2027. If the situation still prevents testing and racing in Bahrain, one idea raised in the paddock is to conduct testing in Kuala Lumpur and stage the opening race there under the Bahrain Grand Prix name. With China and Australia potentially following, the resulting run of races would be difficult to arrange for everyone booking travel and moving equipment. For now, it is a contingency being discussed, not a settled calendar.
Hadjar prepares to return, while Hamilton keeps a low profile
Isack Hadjar was in good spirits ahead of his return to the Red Bull car. He says his injured left wrist is good enough to drive and has tried it in the simulator, although he has not done much work with that arm while recovering. The real test will come in the first 2 practice sessions. In the paddock, the only obvious sign of the injury was a simple wrist brace.
Lewis Hamilton made a quieter arrival, walking behind the hospitality suites. His movements are kept discreet for security, sometimes to the point that even members of his crew do not know exactly when he will arrive. I spotted him at the far end and hurried to get a photograph, only to fall and break the polarizer on my 15 to 35 mm lens. A Ferrari crew member captured the rather convincing evidence of my tumble.
Fashion details and a serious issue for Gasly
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll arrived in coordinated clothing, while Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad also dressed up for the day. Alex Albon’s footwear stood out at the press conference for a different reason: dress shoes are unusual when drivers typically wear team-supplied footwear. Williams does not have a footwear supplier, leaving its drivers free to choose. Carlos Sainz made his own choice later in the day.
The more troubling paddock discussion concerned Pierre Gasly. After he held up Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto in Madrid, with Colapinto complaining on the radio, Gasly received social media abuse and threats. His family and girlfriend were targeted too. That is completely inappropriate, regardless of what happened on track.
Flavio Briatore warned that Alpine could stop giving interviews to Argentinian media outlets if the behavior continues. I hope it does not reach that point. The people responsible are a minority, even if they are a loud one.
What has changed around Baku City Circuit?
The media center at the Hilton Baku is about half the size it was last year, suggesting fewer media are here for this race. Getting to Baku can be tricky, but this remains an interesting Grand Prix, so it is a shame if the smaller turnout means less coverage.
Conditions have been hot, with strong winds providing some relief. Warm weather is expected through the race weekend, although the forecast is not as hot as the conditions anticipated in Kuala Lumpur the following week.
There are welcome improvements in the paddock itself. The hospitality suites have new facades, and a bridge gives paddock guests access to upstairs toilets with excellent air conditioning. New facilities have also been added at ground level. They are a considerable improvement on the hot container toilets used previously.
This is the 10th running of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Baku has marked it on a grand scale. An enormous F1 display covers roughly 10 to 12 stories of the Marriott Hotel overlooking the paddock. Curiously, the championship leader is not among the 3 drivers pictured.
A few more paddock moments
Franco Colapinto provided a lighthearted moment at the Alpine hospitality suite, while Valtteri Bottas shared plans for a gift from his girlfriend, Tiffany Cromwell. After the Singapore Grand Prix, he is due to take an outback pub tour, starting in South Australia and travelling by light plane to pubs farther afield. Bottas’s affection for Australia is well known, and that trip sounds right up his alley.
Between a famous cat settling into office life, a consequential Haas decision approaching and an unsettled race calendar, Baku’s media day offered rather more than the usual arrivals and press conferences. Practice will show how Hadjar’s wrist holds up. Furrari, meanwhile, looks perfectly content with his place at the circuit.
