Motor Racing
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview
Following another dramatic weekend on the F1 calendar which saw Charles Leclerc pick up his second win of the season in Italy – and his first win there since 2019 – the drivers pack their bags and head to Azerbaijan.
It’s fair to say that, for Formula 1 fans around the world, this season has been a true joy to watch and be a part of, as Max Verstappen only sits 60 points clear in the Drivers’ Standings, having failed to reach the top of the podium in the last six races.
Similarly, the Constructors’ Standings see a 39-point gap between Red Bull in first and Ferrari in third, with McLaren just eight points shy in second.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix usually takes place earlier in the season but returns here as one of the most crucial junctures of the year.
Bet on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with William Hill
Baku City Circuit overview
The Baku circuit is a bit unusual as the first section of the track features multiple 90-degree corners followed by the famous castle section, and then after that, the corners start to come in thick and fast before a long straight to finish.
McLaren and Ferrari have looked stronger around the slower corners which could see them with the advantage ahead of Red Bull. Due to this, we can expect a bit more downforce put into the setups than we did last week in Italy.
Main teams to look out for
Mercedes
Mercedes were faster than Red Bull last week but trailed behind both McLaren and Ferrari. George Russell had an unfortunate start to the race when damaging his front wing following a tyre lock at the first corner.
It’s unlikely they’ll find the podium here as their car is more suited to higher-speed circuits, but they should still be able to maintain the gap ahead of the Red Bulls. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are 11/4 and 7/2 respectively to finish on the podium, but we’re happy to leave them.
McLaren
It was another frustrating week for McLaren as they threw another race win away when stopping Oscar Piastri from taking the lead for a second time. On top of that, teammate Lando Norris was in pole position and he failed to capitalise on that.
That said, they look a strong pairing around Baku and the car looks to be in very good shape, so that explains their very short prices. Norris is the market leader to win the race at 6/5 with Piastri a slightly more attractive 9/2-shot to replicate his Hungarian Grand Prix win.
Ferrari
As one can imagine, Ferrari were overjoyed with their performance in Italy which saw Charles Leclerc top the podium yet again this season making the one-stop strategy work out for him and his team. Not only will he be full of confidence for that last race, but also, he knows this Baku track well and it’s certainly one of his stronger circuits.
We fancy Leclerc to win twice on the bounce so that’s why we’d opt for the #YourOdds Charles Leclerc Race Winner, Oscar Piastri Top 6 Finish & George Russell Points Finish.
Red Bull
Finally, Red Bull. At best, Italy was a rather mediocre showing from them despite Max Verstappen losing minimal points against Lando Norris in their race for the Drivers’ Championship. They do still lead the Constructors’ Championship after a very strong start to the season, but they need to kick into another gear to maintain their advantage.
This might be the turning point, though, as their car this year doesn’t seem the right fit for Baku and even a podium finish for Verstappen at 11/10 seems a stretch.
