Whiting says Baku F1 circuit will be ready

Whiting visited the Azerbaijan venue along with F1 track architect Hermann Tilke his week to get an update on the progress that has been made in preparing the new venue.

And after checking over the paddock, pitlane, flat-out dual carriageway section and the 7.6-metre wide city section, he was happy with the rate of work being done.

"The Circuit will be ready," said Whiting. "You can see the quality of all the installations wherever you look. My next trip to Baku will be at the beginning of June and I'm expecting to be able to say it will be ready then.

"It will be a fascinating F1 race. Turns 8 to 12 will probably be the most interesting but so will the run from Turn 12 to 15, where the approach to Turn 15 in particular will be quite spectacular.

"The very long run from Turn 16 to 20, which is going to be flat out, will also be amazing to watch! If I had to compare one circuit to this one, it would be Singapore, but the speed here will be much higher!"

Baku race promoter Arif Rahimov added: "We were confident that FIA would be impressed by the progress we have made so far and to have this confirmed today is a source of great pride for all of our team.

"Now it is up to us to ensure that we see this job through to the finish line and guarantee that upon his next visit in early June, he will be able to declare the Baku City Circuit fully ready to host a Formula 1 race.

"We know this will be the case and we will continue to work hard to make this a truly unforgettable and spectacular event for all fans watching from our grandstands and on television at home."

Baku holds its first grand prix on June 19.