Azerbaijan Grand Prix Prediction: Prancing Horse to gallop to victory in Baku
After two years of complete and utter domination, a sixth-place finish around Monza saw Max Verstappen’s winless streak extended to six races a fortnight ago, and his lead in the World Drivers’ Championship has been cut to 62 points.
This is the longest the Dutchman has been without a Grand Prix win since the truncated 2020 season, although Lando Norris’ third-place finish reduced the damage to his championship hopes.
However, with Norris and now Charles Leclerc within 90 points of Verstappen and eight races remaining, the defending champions find themselves on the back foot and in desperate need of a positive weekend in Baku.
Red Bull have won the last three trips to Azerbaijan, although Sergio Perez has taken the chequered flag in two of those and could be a factor this weekend after a dreadful season so far.
Charles Leclerc to win @ 5/1
Charles Leclerc picked up his third Grand Prix win of the season for Ferrari in front of an elated home crowd at Monza and the Monegasque can build on that emphatic victory around a circuit he has performed well at in Azerbaijan.
Leclerc has now finished on the top step of the podium in both his and his team’s home races this season, and a surprise challenge for both championships is not out of the question with eight Grands Prix remaining.
Ferrari are only 39 points off the lead in the World Constructors’ Championship and their lead driver is 86 points behind Max Verstappen, but the Scuderia are a team in the ascendancy.
They have been on the podium in each of the last three races, and Leclerc has shown fantastic pace around the Baku City Circuit in recent years, taking pole position in the previous three seasons.
Ferrari’s lack of race pace in years gone by has stopped Leclerc from claiming victory in Baku, but there is no denying that he has the measure of this circuit and the new upgrades to the Prancing Horse have clearly given it race-winning potential.
As shown in his impeccable Monza drive, if anybody can take advantage of that, it is Charles Leclerc.
Baku is a circuit that would have been a tough test for Red Bull even early in the year, and now their rivals have leapfrogged the Milton Keynes side they are unlikely to be in the mix for the win.
Oscar Piastri to beat Lando Norris @ 31/20
Once again, Lando Norris was beaten to the punch on the opening lap of the Grand Prix in Monza, with teammate Oscar Piastri taking the lead in the first few corners and being closely followed by eventual-winner Charles Leclerc.
This continued a running theme of Norris losing the lead on the opening lap, and Piastri is proving every bit as capable as the Briton.
Despite his tender age and inexperience, the Australian is only 44 points adrift of Norris and has grown into this season, taking four podiums in his last six races, including his maiden victory in Hungary.
Piastri has beaten his teammate in four of these six Grands Prix and looks a big price to do so again in Baku, just like he did in last year’s Azerbaijan Sprint.
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