Azerbaijan Grand Prix Predictions: Formula 1 Odds
Precipitated by the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, the extended break came at a good time for several teams after a collision-filled race last time out at the Australian Grand Prix, in which just 12 of 20 drivers managed to reach the finish line.
Max Verstappen stayed well ahead of the chaos in Melbourne while powering to his second victory of the season, and arrives in Baku perched as a strong -265 favourite on the Formula 1 to claim the checkered flag at this event for a second straight year. The winner in Azerbaijan two years ago, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez follows as a +423 bet while Lewis Hamilton’s strong second-place finish in Melbourne has boosted his odds to win this weekend to +800.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race Time, Weather Forecast
This weekend’s event features the first sprint race of the season, which is scheduled for 9:30am ET on Saturday morning at Baku City Circuit. However, unlike past years, the sprint will no longer determine the grid for Sunday’s race. Instead, qualifying for the race has been moved to Friday to address widespread concerns among F1 teams, and it will be strictly points that will be on the line in the 100-kilometre sprint.
Lights out at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for 7:00am ET on Sunday morning. Weather is not expected to be an issue, with mostly clear skies and temperatures hovering in high-70s Fahrenheit at race time.
Red Bull Duel Heating Up
Max Verstappen claimed the upper hand in his latest clash with teammate and chief rival Sergio Perez four weeks ago in Melbourne. The duo claimed the top of the podium in the first two races of the season, with each claiming a victory. But after driving to a fifth place after being forced to start from the pit lane in the Australian Grand Prix, Perez now lags the defending two-time champion by 15 points in the F1 Drivers Standings.
However, Perez’s ability to bounce back in Baku should not be underestimated. The talented Mexican has reached the podium in three of his past four appearances in Azerbaijan, and recorded the fastest lap in last year’s edition of the race. Despite his setback in Australia, Checo has impressed while earning a spot on the front row in the first two races of the season including the pole position in Saudi Arabia, and offers enormous value as a +900 bet to claim both the fastest lap and checkered flag this weekend.
Hamilton Powering Mercedes Renaissance
Lewis Hamilton endured a brutal campaign in 2022 after seeing his run of four straight F1 championship wins snapped by Verstappen in 2021. The 38-year-old Englishman failed to reach the podium while tumbling to a sixth-place finish last season, but after he turned in solid performances in each of the first three races of the season, there is renewed hope for fans of the Silver Arrows. A return to the top of the F1 Drivers Standings is likely still out of reach for Hamilton. However, with Mercedes clearly outpacing a struggling Ferrari squad, both Hamilton and his teammate George Russell has re-emerged as legitimate podium threats.
Hamilton sports a respectable track record in Baku, where he has recorded one win, two podium finishes and five top-five finishes in five career appearances while Russell stormed to third place at this race a year ago.
Further boosting hopes at Mercedes is the recent return of James Allison as technical director, the role he held during Hamilton’s recent four-year reign as world champion. Allison’s return coincides with Mercedes’ expected plans for major upgrades ahead of Sunday’s race. The combination of those factors makes Mercedes a solid -139 bet to produce a double top-six finish, and both Hamilton and Russell are worthy of consideration of value wagers to reach the podium, sporting +163 and +275 odds, respectively.
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Predictions
Sergio Perez to win and record fastest lap (+800); Mercedes double top-six finish (-139)
