Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Course: Baku City Circuit
Course Length: 6.00km
Laps: 51
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race Preview
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen returned to the top step of the podium with a seemingly comfortable victory from pole position at Monza. The win wasn't without drama as Verstappen was forced to give up the lead after going off track in the first corner. However, the setback didn't last long as Verstappen re-passed Lando Norris just a few laps later. As the McLaren duo fought to catch up, a slow stop for Norris late in the race caused an inadvertent change of position, which the team then asked Oscar Piastri to cede back to Norris. However, after the swap of positions was completed, the McLaren pair were still unable to reel in the streaking Verstappen as he cruised to his third race win of the season. Despite the victory, Verstappen remains nearly 100 points behind championship leader Piastri with Norris just 31 points behind his teammate in second, and time is running out to close the gap. Up next is a trip to Azerbaijan and the streets of Baku where Piastri won last season. Only eight races remain to decide the 2025 Formula 1 championship and McLaren continues to be the team to beat despite Red Bull's Monza triumph.
Key Stats at the Baku City Circuit
- Races: 8
- Winners from pole: 2
- Winners from top-5 starters: 6
- Winners from top-10 starters: 8
- Fastest Race: 199.921 kph
Previous Baku Winners
2024 - Oscar Piastri
2023 - Sergio Perez
2022 - Max Verstappen
2021 - Sergio Perez
2019 - Valtteri Bottas
2018 - Lewis Hamilton
2017 - Daniel Ricciardo
2016 - Nico Rosberg
The Baku City Circuit is a temporary street course complete with a tight and twisty section coupled with a few long straights where drag becomes a liability. The track's different sectors require teams to run with less downforce than they would prefer for the tight sections in order to not lose too much ground on the long straights. There are two DRS zones along those straights where passing opportunities open up with the help of a draft from cars ahead and heavy braking into the next turns. Teams must compromise setups to maximize lap times and keep enough top speed in reserve to avoid getting passed on the straights. Baku is also no stranger to contact. There is little runoff room and tight racing into passing zones has led to crashes in the past. Yellow flags and safety cars can jumble pit strategy if they crop up during the race. However, track position is still a big determinant of success. Six of eight races at the track have been won by someone starting third or better and no one has won starting outside of the top 10.
RotoWire Formula 1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Oscar Piastri - $13,600
Lando Norris - $13,000
Max Verstappen - $11,600
Charles Leclerc - $10,600
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
George Russell - $10,000
Lewis Hamilton - $8,600
Fernando Alonso - $6,600
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kimi Antonelli - $6,000
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $5,600
Isack Hadjar - $5,000
DraftKings Constructor Values
McLaren - $16,500
Ferrari - $9,700
Red Bull Racing - $8,700
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Captain - Isack Hadjar - $7,500
Lewis Hamilton - $8,600
Fernando Alonso - $6,600
Kimi Antonelli - $6,000
Gabriel Bortoleto - $4,600
Constructor - McLaren - $16,500
The two-horse race for the 2025 championship still means choosing between Oscar Piastri and teammate Lando Norris any given week is a difficult choice for fantasy players to make. Fantasy prices for Azerbaijan also make it impossible to choose both, which is why fantasy players may be better off going a different direction altogether by choosing someone like Isack Hadjar as team captain. The Racing Bulls driver has impressed this rookie season and even grabbed his first podium finish two races ago at Zandvoort. Additionally, he was quick at Monza with a 10th-place finish, which puts him ninth in the championship standings. One item of note is Hadjar's concern about tire graining this weekend and how the team can cope with it. If he can overcome that challenge, there should be no reason to expect his recent run of good form not to continue this week.
Ferrari has been very competitive at Azerbaijan despite having never won at the track. The team put a driver on the podium in the last two races there and have led laps, too. Since Lewis Hamilton, who won this race in 2018, returned to form at Monza, this week could be a good time to choose him. He will be confident of his current direction with the Ferrari at a place the team has been consistently competitive at. This weekend is shaping up to be a good one for him. Fernando Alonso could also be in store for more points. From seven Azerbaijan starts, he finished in the top 10 six times. His best finish at the track was fourth in 2023 and he finished sixth last season. Another driver scoring frequent top-10s is Kimi Antonelli. This is another rookie that is finding his footing in the series, and after a few challenging races, he found his way back to the top 10 with a ninth-place finish at Monza. Azerbaijan's long straights could suit the powerful Mercedes well, as it did at Monza, putting another points-paying opportunity in front of him. Similarly, Gabriel Bortoleto has momentum on his side entering the weekend. The Sauber driver scored his best series finish of sixth at Hungary and backed it up two races later with a seventh-place run at Monza. That result was his fourth top-10 from the last six races, making him one to keep an eye on again this week at Azerbaijan.
Bypassing choosing either of McLaren's individual drivers and instead opting for the lineup above, fantasy players leave salary space to have McLaren as constructor. This appears to be the safe route considering how close the teammates continue to be from week to week. As the championship approaches its conclusion and McLaren start showing preference to one of their drivers over the other, it may be best to select the team as a whole and enjoy the production of both. That tipping point may come shortly, but for this weekend's race, the safer route is to choose McLaren as constructor versus trying to guess which of their drivers may come out on top on Sunday.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner – Oscar Piastri +180
Double-Podium Finish - McLaren -225
Podium Finish - Lewis Hamilton +500
Winning Constructor – Ferrari +400
When choosing the Azerbaijan race winner, odds are that it will be a McLaren driver. Given there isn't much to choose from between the pair, odds for both drivers are virtually even. My perspective is that Oscar Piastri should be the choice, though. He won this race last season and is coming off of a race a Monza where he was asked to cede position on track to Norris in the closing stages. That has to sting, and he will want to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that he is the top McLaren driver this week. That drive plus his confidence from winning this race last season give him the edge in my opinion. Another good option, albeit with lower odds, is to select McLaren for a double-podium finish. The odds here pay better than McLaren as winning constructor, but putting both drivers on the podium any given week is becoming the expectation from this organization. Add to that the fact that having both drivers on the podium this weekend would guarantee them the constructor's championship and you have a great scenario with a lot of motivation from the team to deliver on Sunday.
Ferrari should not be ignored at Azerbaijan. The team has been excellent at the track, fielding potentially race-winning cars nearly every visit despite not having a win at the track. Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen took a step forward last race at Monza, but the Baku City Circuit poses challenges that may stifle their success once again. Ferrari is second in the constructor's championship and needs to find a way to stop McLaren from winning this week, which is extra motivation to help push them forward. With the team's past speed at Azerbaijan and Lewis Hamilton's step forward in form, two longer-shot options wagerers should consider this week are Hamilton for a podium finish or Ferrari for the win. These wagers' odds make them the bargain plays this week.
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