Baku City Circuit Initiative:Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov Meets Ferrari Drivers Across the Chessboard
On the eve of the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025, Baku City Circuit Operations Company launched a unique project uniting sport and culture. Azerbaijan’s world-renowned chess master, FIDE World Cup champion and grandmaster Teimour Radjabov, played a friendly match with Ferrari’s star drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
This exclusive encounter took place in the Paddock area of the Baku City Circuit ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025. The project highlighted the shared values of two very different disciplines by bringing together the strategic depth and intellectual strength of chess with the speed and technology-driven world of Formula1 emphasizing precision, focus, and tactics.
At the conclusion of the game, Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov presented the drivers with specially crafted carpets that combined the artistry of Azerbaijani carpet weaving with the cultural heritage of chess. This symbolic gift served as a vivid expression of both ancient traditions and modern creativity, shared with a global audience.
A video of the meeting has already been posted on Scuderia Ferrari’s official Instagram page, where it has reached millions of fans and attracted significant international attention.
