Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
"Paddock cat" steals the show at Azerbaijan GP as F1 teams and fans go wild in viral weekend moment
A stray cat has become the viral mascot of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Alex Harrington
Edited: Sep 18, 2025, 4:00 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Paddock atmosphere
Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images
Stray cats have taken the paddock of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by storm as they have become the unexpected stars of the race weekend. With video clips and photos of these cats drawing huge amounts of focus across social media platforms, fans, drivers and teams have all gone mad for the animals.
Footage posted across social media has shown cats wandering across the paddock, collecting tens of thousands of likes and comments as the cats become the event's most unlikely celebrities.
While one cat has received significant coverage, there are a number of cats around the paddock absorbing the love from fans. Circuit staff attempted to remove the famous animal from the area for safety reasons twice, but each time it returned to mingle with the championship's elite. As you'd expect, the puns have been brilliant. Or purr-fect, if you're so inclined.
The frenzy reached Williams driver Alex Albon's mum, who posted a plea on Instagram for her son to bring the cat home to her and her daughters.
"Hi. If you go and find Alex at @williamsracing, you can ask if he can give you a lift. Plz tell him that Mummy & the big sisters say you can come and live with us at home," she posted on the Instagram account, @albon_pets.
While there is yet to be any racing on track today, during the 2023 sprint race at Baku, the safety car had to brake heavily and swerve to avoid a cat running across the track. Charles Leclerc radioed his garage that there was “a cat in the middle of the road." Fortunately for lovers of these furry Formula 1 fans, it wasn't hurt.
The Baku track is a temporary street circuit that threads its way through the tight roads of the Caspian waterfront. With the track being in the centre of the capital, it's no surprise that the paddock is rich with strays.
Now, the hunt is on for the perfect name for this lovely little animal. My personal favourite so far is Sebastian Vet-tail. But I'll let you make up your mind in the comments below.
Photos from Azerbaijan GP - Thursday
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Azerbaijan GP - Thursday, in photos
Formula 1
69
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article F1 fans rally behind Carlos Sainz's full-time stewards push: "Genuinely insane"
Next article F1 Azerbaijan GP: Full schedule, where to watch live, weather forecast, what you need to know
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Alex Harrington
Fans can't get enough of Max Verstappen's floral race boots after Singapore win
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
3 d
Fans can't get enough of Max Verstappen's floral race boots after Singapore win
Lando Norris casts doubt on Singapore GP sprint excitement: "I don't think it is"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
6 d
Lando Norris casts doubt on Singapore GP sprint excitement: "I don't think it is"
Nike could return to Formula 1 for first time since Michael Schumacher era
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
7 d
Nike could return to Formula 1 for first time since Michael Schumacher era
Latest news
Christian Horner admits that F1 rivalry with Toto Wolff became "theatre"
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 22 min
Christian Horner admits that F1 rivalry with Toto Wolff became "theatre"
Spire, Chris Gabehart reject Joe Gibbs Racing premise on deleted texts
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
6 h
Spire, Chris Gabehart reject Joe Gibbs Racing premise on deleted texts
Ricky Stenhouse explains his side of Michael McDowell conflict
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
10 h
Ricky Stenhouse explains his side of Michael McDowell conflict
Barnes: Why IndyCar’s updated licensing system fails its own integrity test
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 11 h
Barnes: Why IndyCar’s updated licensing system fails its own integrity test
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe