Red Bull Racing has become the dominant force in Formula 1 and after winning the first three races of the 2023 F1 season, the team has set its sights on the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday in Baku. The Baku City Circuit is a 20-turn, 3.73-mile track that winds through the nation's capital. It began hosting Formula 1 in 2016 with the European Grand Prix and has hosted the Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2017 (except in 2020 because of COVID). There have been six different winners in the six races run in Baku, so does that mean you should expect the unexpected in 2023?
The green flag is scheduled to drop at 7 a.m. ET and two-time defending F1 champion Max Verstappen is the -275 favorite (risk $275 to win $100) in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Verstappen has won two of three races this season as well as 17 of the last 25 F1 events, and he's the defending Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner. Before analyzing the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix starting grid and making any Formula 1 picks, be sure to check out the latest 2023 Azerbaijan GP predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven projection model.
Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary Formula 1 prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results. It's had a strong history of success in motorsports, correctly predicting nine NASCAR winners since the 2021 season and its projected leaderboards have forecasted winners across multiple racing formats.
The model has been scorching hot when it comes to picking Formula 1 race events dating back to 2021. It nailed both of Leclerc's wins in 2022, and at the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix, the model was strongly backing Verstappen as its top pick. The result: Verstappen dominated the field and ran away with a surprise victory.
The model followed that up by calling Verstappen's win at the Rolex Emilia Romagna GP in April and then nailed his wins again in Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Abu Dhabi. It's also nailed Verstappen's wins in Bahrain and Australia this season. Anyone who followed the model's lead on those plays has seen huge returns
Now, the model has dialed in on the 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and just released its coveted picks and leaderboard projections. You can head to SportsLine now to see the complete 2023 Azerbaijan GP leaderboard projection.
Top 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP predictions
One massive shocker: The model is fading Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion and the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner. Hamilton is unquestionably one of the greatest F1 drivers ever but he and Mercedes have hit a rough patch over the last two seasons. After losing the 2021 world championship to Verstappen in the final lap of the season, Hamilton hasn't won a race since.
He's gone 26 consecutive starts now without a victory, by far the longest drought in his career. Even worse, he's failed to even make the podium in 15 of those starts and Mercedes is now battling with Ferrari and even Aston Martin to play second fiddle to Red Bull. Hamilton doesn't have the speed and he's struggled of late in Baku, finishing fourth last season and finishing 15th in 2021 -- a result that ultimately contributed to him losing the championship. See who the model is backing right here.
How to make 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix picks
The model is also targeting one longshot getting over 25-1 Azerbaijan GP odds to make a surprising surge up the leaderboard. Anyone who backs him could hit it big. You can find out who he is, and see all of the model's F1 picks and predictions at SportsLine.
So who wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023? And which under-the-radar drivers makes a stunning charge towards the front? Check out the latest 2023 F1 odds below, then visit SportsLine now to see the full projected 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix leaderboard, all from the model with a proven history of auto racing success, and find out.
2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix odds, field, top contenders
See Azerbaijan Grand Prix picks at SportsLine
Max Verstappen -275
Sergio Perez +450
Fernando Alonso +1200
Lewis Hamilton +1400
George Russell +2500
Charles Leclerc +2800
Carlos Sainz +4000
Lance Stroll +10000
Esteban Ocon +30000
Pierre Gasly +30000
Lando Norris +40000
Oscar Piastri +50000
Alexander Albon +50000
Nico Hulkenberg +75000
Kevin Magnussen +75000
Yuki Tsunoda +100000
Valtteri Bottas +100000
Logan Sargeant +150000
Guanyu Zhou +150000
Nyck De Vries +150000
