2025 Azerbaijan GP Preview and Betting Pick

Last Updated on September 18, 2025 4:16 pm by Erwin Noguera

The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place at the Baku City Circuit, serving as Round 17 of the Formula 1 24-race Season.

McLaren arrives with the chance to clinch the Constructors’ Championship this weekend, holding a massive 337-point lead over Ferrari with 346 points still up for grabs.

For the Driver’s Championship, Piatri’s lead gives him some buffer, but a mistake or DNF may open the door for Norris or Vestarppen.

Baku is a classic Wildcard weekend: Big straights, narrow twisty bits, and risk levels are high. If McLaren executes cleanly, they might wrap up the title early, but Ferrari, Red Bull, and mid-field squads have enough variables to upset predictions.

2025 Azerbaijan GP Betting Odds and Info

2025 Azerbaijan GP Circuit Breakdown

The Baku City Circuit is a street circuit that combines ultra-long straights with tight technical sections, including the “Old City” castle sector. Being a street circuit in nature, the tight walls and narrow sectors have a high risk of incidents where mistakes get punished hard. At 6.003 Km per lap and with 51 tours of the circuit ahead, drivers face a mix of full-throttle blasts and precision-demanding corners. The track’s long main straight creates massive slipstreaming opportunities, but balancing low drag for speed with enough downforce for the narrow, twisty sectors will be the decisive challenge.

Pirelli is bringing its three softest compounds for this round. C6 as the soft, C5 as the medium, and C4 as the hard. This softer allocation opens up the possibility of more aggressive strategies, and while Baku’s surface is not particularly abrasive, the compounds will require careful management to avoid excessive wear.

Weather forecasts are generally consistent: warm and mostly dry conditions are expected over the weekend, with daytime highs in the mid-20s °C. Rain is unlikely on race day, but wind and local microclimate effects, such as sun versus shadow and tall buildings, may impact tire performance and grip.

2025 Azerbaijan GP Betting Picks

Leading the Formula 1 championship, Oscar Piastri is in strong form and won here in Baku last year. With McLaren on the brink of securing the constructors’ title, he’ll be pushing hard not only for points but to cement the team’s dominance. Qualifying well will be crucial given how much time is lost in the narrow sectors and the importance of track position.

As Piastri’s teammate and closest rival, Lando Norris will be aiming for maximum points. If Piastri stumbles, Norris has to seize the opportunity. His ability to manage tyres, avoid mistakes, and make overtakes or strategic gains in tricky sections will be very important.

Now, fresh off a win at Monza, Max Verstappen carries momentum. Baku is a track where Red Bull has had mixed results, but his car’s straight-line performance and race craft could make him a threat—especially if McLaren or Ferrari falter.

Leclerc has a strong qualifying record in Baku: multiple poles historically. He hasn’t converted all of them into wins, but with Ferrari’s concerns over tyre cooling and race-pace consistency, his weekend could be pivotal. If he nails qualifying and maintains tyre temperature under control, he could be among the frontrunners.

2025 Azerbaijan Podium Pick