2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP: Race Predictions

The 2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying saw Charles Leclerc secure pole position for Sunday. With that being said, the grid for the race is now set. The race in Baku is often an experience in itself. It's hard to make definitive calls of how the cars would behave, as we do have a longer DRS zone this time around.

On the other hand, overtaking has been a major issue with cars this season. Tire degradation and race management are some of the things that are crucial in Baku, and to add to this, the track yields driver errors that can lead to disruptions like safety cars, which have the potential to throw a spanner in the works.

Charles Leclerc will start the F1 Azerbaijan GP from the front row, with Oscar Piastri alongside him. Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez will be on the second row, trying to make up places as well. With that being said, what can we expect from the F1 Azerbaijan GP? Let's take a look.

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#5 It is highly likely that the race could be processional

Baku has delivered some all-time great races in the past, but this time around we might not have anything close to those blockbusters. Why? Well, tire degradation might not be a big factor, which means we're heading more towards a single stopper than a bigger strategic variance. To add to that, cars have become much harder to follow and hence overtake.

The F1 Azerbaijan GP last time around was also quite processional and hence not that action-packed either. If there are a few incidents here and there, things could get interesting, but otherwise, with overtaking being a serious issue, we might not get much in terms of action on track this Sunday.

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#4 Lando Norris doesn't make it to the top 5

One of the bigger issues for Lando Norris is going to be the fact that overtaking has become nigh impossible this season and that has been evident on tracks like Spa and Monza.

When on-track overtakes are not going to be easy, it's just a bit too hard to make progress through the field unless there is a scenario where there are multiple safety car stoppages. Starting outside of the top 15, a top-5 result looks highly unlikely for Lando Norris at the F1 Azerbaijan GP.

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#3 Mercedes finishes off the podium

The qualifying in the F1 Azerbaijan GP was another proof that Mercedes just appears to be a step behind the top three teams here. The car is just a bit slower and that has hurt its prospects. With Red Bull looking more competitive here, it's going to be a tough task to secure a podium for either of the Mercedes drivers.

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#2 Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull are all in contention for the win

Red Bull is still a bit of a wildcard by the looks of it as it is not clear how much performance there is in the car. With that being said, McLaren had a good long-run pace, so did Ferrari and Red Bull on Friday.

With drivers from these teams occupying the top six, things could get interesting, especially with the long DRS trains that could potentially form at this track.

It's going to be close between the top three teams at the F1 Azerbaijan GP this weekend and it could potentially come down to strategy to determine who picks up the win.

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#1 Charles Leclerc wins the F1 Azerbaijan GP

Well, for the win, we're sticking with Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver arguably has the best possible chance in years to secure a win here and it's more than likely that he'll try to secure it in the best possible way.

The pace is there without a doubt and there is this level of maturity that is unflappable now. We're going with Charles Leclerc making it two wins in as many races and taking the chequered flag at the F1 Azerbaijan GP.