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2023 Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix: Betting Preview
Updated: | First published:
Written by Mac Douglass, Senior Editor
Following an interminable four week break, Formula 1 returns this weekend for the fourth round of the 2023 season with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. While Baku is an ancient, medieval city, Baku City Circuit is a relative newcomer to F1: 2023 will represent just the sixth running of the Azerbaijan GP, which debuted in 2017 with a Daniel Riccardo Red Bull victory. Joining Monaco, Singapore, and Melbourne, Baku is one of just four Formula 1 street circuits, and is utterly unique in the track’s juxtaposition of razor sharp hairpins combined with a singular, endless straight, which facilitates some of the highest speeds F1 fans will see all season. Like Monaco, Baku is unforgiving in the extreme, and would promise a thrilling weekend of racing even without the addition of Saturday’s sprint race to add yet another layer of intrigue.
Dimers.com F1 expert Mac Douglass takes a look at the best bets for the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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2023 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Betting Preview
When?
Qualifier: Friday, April 28th, 9:00 am E.T.
Sprint Race: Saturday, April 29th, 9:30 am E.T.
Race: Sunday, April 30th, 7:00 am E.T.
Where?
Baku City Circuit—Baku, Azerbaijan
What’s at stake?
While Red Bull still appear a shoe-in to dominate all season, there will be no shortage of drama in Baku, particularly with all ten teams having had a full month to roll out upgrades. Mercedes and Alpine in particular are expected to debut significantly improved race cars in Azerbaijan, and though there’s less documented cause for optimism surrounding Ferrari, many fans are speculating that the Scuderia are simply playing things close to the chest, as there’s no doubt the Italian automaker will pull out all the stops to convince an increasingly discontent Charles Leclerc that he belongs in red and white. Toss a potential Red Bull vs. Red Bull first place battle into the mix, what with Sergio Perez’s well documented mastery of Baku City Circuit, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is poised to be one of the most dynamic races of 2023.
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Azerbaijan Grand Prix Best Bets
Lewis Hamilton Podium Finish. It’s been five years since Lewis Hamilton won the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The seven-time Drivers’ Cup Champion is unlikely to collect his second Baku victory against the massively quicker Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez; however, +175 remain great odds for a Hamilton podium, particularly given his second place finish in Australia, and, perhaps more pertinently, the upgrades expected to Hamilton’s Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton Podium Finish (+175 with Bet365)
Sergio Perez Fastest Lap. Make no mistake, Sergio Perez has a real chance of winning on Sunday. Four of Perez’s five Formula 1 victories have come on road tracks, including one at Baku in 2021. With that said, Max Verstappen remains the clear favorite, which is why the smart money will land on Perez to take the fastest lap, likely in the race’s final moments, in which Perez will do all in his power not just to gobble up the point awarded for fastest lap, but to keep that point off the scoreboard of his Red Bull teammate Max Vertappen.
Sergio Perez to have the Fastest Lap (+250 with Bet365)
Pierre Gasly Top Six Finish. After a devastating crash with teammate Esteban Ocon knocked Pierre Gasly out of the Australian Grand Prix with just three laps to go, the Frenchman will be heavily motivated to race his upgraded Alpine to some serious points in Azerbaijan. While the exact same could be said about Ocon, Gasly’s track record cements him as the better bet for a top six finish this weekend: just last year, in a much inferior Alpha Tauri, Gasly managed a stellar fifth place finish in Baku.
Mac Douglass specializes in NFL previews for the NFC South and NFC East, MLB best bets, Formula 1 race previews, and professional tennis insights. Combining predictive simulations and data-driven sports analysis, Mac provides in-depth content to elevate the betting experience for sports fans.
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