Baku City Circuit announces Formula 1 Grand Prix Ambassadors

/By Azernews/

By Nazrin Gadimova

Baku City Circuit (BCC) has announced three of the most recognizable figures in Azerbaijan as Official Ambassadors for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe.

With 129 days left until Azerbaijan’s inaugural Formula 1 race, Tunzala Aghayeva, the famous composer, singer and Ambassador for the Baku 2015 European Games; Rahim Aliyev, well known as the “F1 voice” in Azerbaijan, and Gulhuseyn Abdullayev, Azerbaijan’s promising young Formula 3 driver, are lending their support to the biggest motorsport event to be held in Azerbaijan this summer.

The goal of the Ambassadors’ Programme is to reach a broader audience in Azerbaijan through their popularity and recognition. The role of each ambassador will include involvement in special BCC events, supporting various promotional campaigns related to the F1 race weekend and reaching out to their millions of social media followers to help enhance general awareness of and support for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe.

BCC’s Head of Marketing and Communications Nigar Arpadarai said that the announcement of the Ambassadors Programme is the next step in delivering a spectacular sporting event.

“I am sure that our Ambassadors will help to generate great excitement amongst the people of Azerbaijan and encourage more people to get involved with the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe,” she stressed.

Arpadarai also added that BCC intends to expand the Ambassadors’ Programme in the coming months by presenting new names who will contribute to the promotion of the inaugural race in both Azerbaijan and across Europe.

Speaking about her new nomination as an ambassador for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe, Tunzala Aghayeva said she is delighted to act as an Ambassador for such a major sporting event.

“It is an honor for me to help create history for our country,” she said. “I am excited to start encouraging young people to engage with the biggest global motorsport event ever held in Azerbaijan.”

Tunzala Aghayeva displayed incredible dedication while she was a celebrity ambassador of the inaugural Baku 2015 European Games, where she was tasked with a special mission to support and promote its Volunteer Programme.

Rahim Aliyev, in turn, has been commented Idman-Azerbaijan’s F1 programming since 2010. He is also the founder of popular F1 news portal - www.f-1.az - which has been educating Azerbaijan’s public on all things Formula 1 since 2005.

The youngest Ambassador, Gulhuseyn Abdullayev, has represented Azerbaijan in numerous international motorsport competitions and is now a Formula 3 driver. He recently won the “Formula Gulf 1000” race held in Dubai.

Ambassadors will participate in race awareness and marketing campaigns around the country and on social media to promote the inaugural 2016 Formula 1 race, which Baku will host on June 17-19. The specially constructed Baku City Circuit will see Formula 1 cars race around the picturesque streets of downtown Baku, incorporating the city’s UNESCO-protected old town – Icheri Sheher - as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea vista in front of a global audience of millions.

With a length measuring at slightly over six kilometres, the 20-corner track will be lapped 51 times, with cars reaching potential speeds of up to 340km per hour, marking the circuit out as the fastest street circuit on the existing F1 calendar.

The circuit offers a number of challenges for drivers, including an extremely narrow uphill section along the old town walls that will require pinpoint accuracy, and it has an acceleration section of almost 2.2 kilometres along the seaside promenade, which will see the cars running flat out at very high speed - something that will create an incredible show for race fans.