F1 Expert Picks for The Azerbaijan Grand Prix: 10th Anniversary of Baku, Who Brings it Home?

We are back! This week the Formula One grid heads to the country of Azerbaijan to race at Baku City Circuit.

This year is the 10th edition of grand prix and it is being held on Saturday, Septemeber 26th, 2026 instead of the usual Sunday in ovservance of Azerbaijan's National Rememberance Day.

But nonetheless racing will be done and we are here to talk about it.

Odds are from Lucky Rebel, where new players can get a 125% bonus up to $1250 to bet on everything from Formula 1 odds to MLB odds to soccer odds for all of the top competitions in the world. Also, first-time depositors can receive 50 casino free spins to use on select online slots.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Breakdown and Analysis

Baku City Circuit is a tricky track to handle and it takes a special combination of driver and machinery to conquer this race.

A tight and technical track that blends the narrow roads of Monaco with the speeds of Monza there is a lot going on here. Driver have described it as two tracks on one course, a high speed sector that leads into the the old city sector that is tight and requires immense technicality to navigate.

To win at Baku both driver, team, and car must all work together to win. First off drivers must learn how to take advantage of the drafting opportunities that Baku gives to overtake opponents, as well as hitting their braking zones correctly and always keeping an eye on how close to the wall they get in the narrow parts of the circuit.

For the team mechanics they must work hand in hand with the driver to make sure the car is perfectly tuned to take advantage of the high speeds but still be able the sharp turns of this track.

But to me most impartantly is making sure the tires are looked after. The long straights of Baku cool off the tires fast and that leaves them cold for twists and turns of the track where grip is most important.

Free Practice & Qualifying Breakdown

In the free practices we have seen George Russell look fantastic all week. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli also looked good but seemed a pace slower than his partner.

Max Vertsappen and the Red Bull have been very competitve all week as well, along with the Ferrari's that look extremely good in the city circuit part of the track.

In qualifying though things got off to a rocky start. As we had Kimi Antonelli crash into a wall in Q1 and end up only qualifying for P16 in tomorrows race. Max Verstappen also struggled a bit as he was only able to place P8 after a bunch of good practice sessions.

On the other hand his teammate Isack Hadjar managed to place P4 in his comeback from injury. Pierre Gasly continued to perform in qualifyings as he managed to secure a P7 qualifying for the Alpine team.

To the surpise of no one George Russell took pole position for the race with a gap of .800 of a second to P2.

Qualifying Results

1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Oscar Piasrti (McLaren)
4. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull0
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
10. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Predictions & Best Bets

Race Winner: Kimi Antonelli +500/Top 2 Qualification +165 on Lucky Rebel

A reach? yes. But within reason. Just a few weeks ago Kimi Antonelli managed to win the Italian Grand Prix from P19 on a much more difficult track to overtake on.

This kid seems to be on a mission of destiny this year and him winning after crashing in qualifying would only add to the lore this year.

At the odds and chance of magic I will definitely take a flier on Kimi here to win in Baku.

Both Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car – Yes -110 on Lucky Rebel

We saw it a lot this week, but with the high speeds and tight streets of this circuit it can cause a lot of driver errors and leave room for crashes to happen.

I also want to say again that tire management is must at this track and I can also see lots of drivers losing grip coming off the long straights of Baku in to the tight corners.

Driver To Be Classified: Lance Stroll – No +110 on Lucky Rebel

I took this bet the last time we talked about Formula One but the same things apply here. A difficult track to navigate that recquires a lot of skill that I think Stroll lacks. The Nepo baby will fail to finish the race once again.

Lance Stroll has finished 17th in Australia, suffered consecutive retirements in China and Japan, placed 17th in Miami and 15th in Canada, endured four straight retirements in Monaco, Spain, Austria, and Belgium after placing 19th Great Britain, achieved a season-high 13th in Hungary, and retired from the most recent races in the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Want More Betting Content?

Here at Betting News we offer Free Expert Picks on all major sports. Daily streams on Twitch with our best bets for that days sporting events. Also be sure to check out our other social media pages like Youtube, TikTok, and X pages to keep up with everything we have going on at Betting News.

Follow me on X @phamxo for all of my daily picks as well!

More Free Betting Picks from Betting News