Formula 1 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Odds & Picks

• Mercedes has dominated the podium this season, with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Bottas finishing first and second in each of the three races to date
• Hamilton returns to Baku as the defending Azerbaijan Grand Prix champion, and will be aiming for a third straight victory
• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has produced steady results this year, but failed to finish in two previous appearances in Baku

Lewis Hamilton will be looking to extend his lead atop the Formula 1 Drivers Standings when he hits the circuit for next weekend’s 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a +150 favorites on the Formula 1 odds.

2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Odds

*Odds taken 04/20/19

Hamilton Already in Championship Form

The two-time defending Formula 1 champion maintained the torrid pace that earned him last year’s F1 Drivers crown with a decisive victory  earlier this month at the Chinese Grand Prix, outpacing Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by over 6.5 seconds, taking the checkered flag as a +250 bet.

The win marked Hamilton’s second straight victory, and third trip to the podium in as many races this season. Hamilton is perched atop the F1 Drivers Standings with 68 points, vaulting the Englishman to the top of the Formula 1 futures, sporting short -164 odds of claiming a sixth career Formula 1 title.

Lewis Hamilton takes pole in China to celebrate 1000th championship race💪🏼💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/E5boA5tAel

— MKIVA (@MkivaU) April 14, 2019

Hamilton has also enjoyed success on the Baku City Circuit. The 34-year-old earned fifth-place finishes at both the 2016 European Grand Prix and a year later at the inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and benefited from the misfortune of several drivers in last year’s collision-plagued race to earn his first victory of the 2018 campaign.

Bottas Aims to Build on Three Straight Podium Appearances

Bottas is also enjoying the strongest start to his F1 career. In addition to his season-opening win in Melbourne, he finished second to Hamilton in both Bahrain and China, extending Mercedes’ dominance of the podium that has lifted the team to a huge -110 favorite to repeat as Formula 1 Constructors champions.

The 29-year-old Finn has also been rewarded for his strong start on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix odds, where he is pegged at +250, closely trailing Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who sits at +225. Teammate Charles Leclerc lags at +350.

🇦🇺Win in Australia
🇧🇭Second in Bahrain
🇨🇳Pole in China

What a start to the season for Valtteri Bottas#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/8vMfqvYCxz

— bwin (@bwin) April 13, 2019

Ferrari Look to Rebound from Early-Season Disappointment

Its has been anything but a successful F1 season so far for Ferrari. Following an impressive performance in preseason testing, Ferrari’s new SF90 has failed to fulfill the promise on race day.

Following an impressive performance in preseason testing, Ferrari’s new SF90 has failed to fulfill the promise on race day

Tire trouble doomed Vettel to a fourth-place finish at Melbourne, and a front wing failure suffered during a duel with Hamilton contributed to his fifth-place performance at Bahrain. However, the four-time F1 champion rebounded two weeks later to earn a third-place finish in China.

https://twitter.com/LucaPivirotto/status/1112471282388475907

A combination of technical problems and team orders have frustrated Leclerc in what has been otherwise a solid start to the 2019 season. Following a steady performance in Australia, where he qualified fifth and followed up with a fifth-place performance, the 21-year-old looked poised to claim his first win in Bahrain.

Leclerc’s Emergence Hampered by Technical Issues, Team Orders

Leclerc edged out Vettel to capture the pole position in Bahrain, and enjoyed a comfortable lead before a cylinder failure late in the race allowed both Hamilton and Bottas to move past him, dooming him to a third-place finish.

https://twitter.com/JuanAP95X/status/1118072850152415232

Despite his misfortune in Bahrain, Leclerc has made steady gains on the Formula 1 odds, climbing to a +600 bet to win the F1 Drivers Championship. However, Leclerc continues to play second fiddle to Vettel, with Ferrari directing Leclerc to allow his veteran teammate to pass him in each of this season’s three races, a strategy that could continue in Baku.

Verstappen on the Rise, Must Overcome Shaky Track Record in Baku

Further down the Azerbaijan Grand Prix odds, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen trails as an intriguing +2000 bet.

The 21-year-old has produced steady results since the middle of last season, and opened 2019 with a third-place finish in Melbourne before powering to fourth-place in both Bahrain and China. The Belgian rising star has now reached the podium in eight of 11 races, and has qualified in the top five in all three races this season to move past Vettel and Bottas into third place on the F1 Drivers Standings.

https://twitter.com/518mc/status/990598863722459136

But while it appears that it is only a matter of time before Verstappen returns to the podium to celebrate his fifth career Formula 1 win, he will have to overcome a shaky track record at Baku to take the checkered flag in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he has failed to finish in his two previous appearances.

Pick: Hamilton (+150)