2018 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Winner Odds & Prediction

Hamilton to deliver a response in Baku

Vettel - Hamilton
caricatures: Vettel (GER) - Hamilton (GBR) © GEPA pictures

The F1 season moves on to Baku, Azerbaijan this weekend. Daniel Ricciardo took the win in the race last season for Red Bull and after his success in China recently, he will fancy his chances of pulling himself into the title race this weekend. Ricciardo goes into the event on 37 points, seventeen behind leader Sebastian Vettel. He produced some stunning driving in China a fortnight ago, taking advantage of fresh tyres to hunt down the field at the end.

Dubbed as the European Grand Prix in 2016 it produced a dull race in which Nico Rosberg won from the front of the grid. However for its renewal as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last year it produces a cracker of a race. There were crashes and it produced the Vettel v Hamilton coming together when the German driver took a deliberate side swipe on Hamilton.

The street race was one of the most memorable in recent history and while Ricciardo took the title Canada’s Lance Stroll managed to get himself on the podium in third place, totally out of the blue. There was plenty of thrills and spills a couple of weeks ago in China and so hopefully it all translated into another exciting battle on the streets of Baku.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Pole Position Odds*

Lewis Hamilton 6/5, Sebastian Vettel 7/4, Valtteri Bottas 5/1, Kimi Räikkönen 6/1, Daniel Ricciardo 25/1, Max Verstappen 25/1, bar 200/1* (betting odds taken at 11:59 p.m. on April 26th, 2018)

Lewis Hamilton has produced a three-race winless start to the season but doesn’t seem to be too worried about it yet. With good reason too as he is only trailing Vettel by the nine points in the Driver’s World Championship standings. So there’s no reason to panic, but Mercedes will want to see him break his duck for the season sooner rather than later.

Misfiring tactics and penalties have hindered his progress so far this season and in China, there was just no real pace there from the Mercedes. Hamilton took pole position in last year’s race with his teammate Valtteri Bottas taking second so that should be a good sign for things this year. Hamilton would enjoy that situation again, giving him a chance to open a race lead with Bottas holding up everyone behind.

In the bigger picture there does appear to be a genuine three-way race between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this season and that only adds to the excitement of what could come. While Mercedes dominate the front of the grid last season during the race in Baku, both the Red Bulls and the Ferrari’s were quick. Whoever gets to the front will hold the aces in this one in a race which, if it is half as exciting as last season’s, we are going to be on the edge of our seat.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Winner Odds*

Lewis Hamilton 11/10, Sebastian Vettel 7/4, Daniel Ricciardo 9/1, Valtteri Bottas 9/1, Max Verstappen 9/1, Kimi Raikkonen 10/1, bar 250/1* (betting odds taken at 11:59 p.m. on April 26th, 2018)

Prediction

This is a wide-open affair and frankly, any of the top six really can produce enough on the day to get the win. The grid positioning at the start is going to be all important on the streets of Baku though and when it comes to qualifying, it is hard to look past Hamilton at 11/10 odds* (betting odds taken at 11:59 p.m. on April 26th, 2018) to get to the front and command the race. He delivered the goods last season and is worth having a look to do the same here. He needs to get his season going and Baku could be the place.