Formula 1 returns to Baku.
The battle between Ferrari and Red Bull is set to continue.
Will Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen fight it out or will someone else rise to the occasion?
Winner
Charles Leclerc
You do not have to be dead to be stiff.
This has been the story for Ferrari’s number-one driver Charles Leclerc in 2022 as we enter race weekend at Baku.
Red Bull pinched the win at Monaco a fortnight ago after massive stuff up from Scuderia in the pits gifted Sergio Perez first place.
Max Verstappen heads the drivers’ championship with a margin of nine points over Leclerc, while Red Bull is 36 points behind the better Ferrari in the constructors’ rankings.
In what was an eventful and drama-laden 2021 Azerbaijan GP, Perez found himself on the good side of luck following a spectacular tyre failure for his teammate Verstappen – who was leading the race comfortably.
This track will favour Red Bull in the long straights, but Ferrari’s downforce and speed through sharp corners are where they make up significant ground.
It will be the ultimate test for which the team can fully utilise its DRS in the fast zones.
If Ferrari can find some solid straight-line speed to mitigate the gap Red Bull puts up, Leclerc will be winning this grand Prix.
Ferrari’s strategists owe Leclerc big time, and he is due some good fortune.
Suggested Bet: Charles Leclerc win at $2.60
