By Kyle Cumbers

So we move on to round eight of the 2017 Formula 1 season and a trip back to Baku. Last year’s European Grand Prix, held in the Azerbaijani capital, was not the greatest but we shouldn’t judge a new track from one race.

It didn’t help that Lewis Hamilton hit the wall in qualifying, leaving Nico Rosberg with a comfortable Mercedes win. Hopefully Ferrari and the silver arrows will be closely matched – and if anybody watched the GP2 races from last year, this Baku track can really produce some exciting racing. So keep those fingers crossed.

Here are my bets for this weekend…

---

1: Apologies to Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas fans but this championship is between Lewis and Sebastian Vettel – and therefore, they are also the first two drivers to look at for race wins. I was surprised to see Hamilton’s odds were quite a bit shorter than Vettel’s for the race win. Although they were strong last weekend, we have seen the Mercedes cars struggle at times and the Ferrari is the more consistent car. Therefore I’m going for a Vettel victory.

Sebastian Vettel to win the race: 2/1 (William Hill, Ladbrokes & Coral)

---

2: Although Red Bull were happier with their pace in Canada, I’m not sure that is going to continue in Baku with the long flat-out parts of the track. Therefore unless Ferrari and Mercedes have issues, those two should dominate the podium. Looking at the odds, Kimi Raikkonen has the highest for a podium finish out of the leading two teams and therefore, I’m going for Kimi to finish in the top three.

Kimi Raikkonen to finish on the podium: 11/8 (Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes & Coral)

---

MORE: Get involved in The NR F1 Podcast Prediction League 

---

3: Felipe Massa started the season quite well and surprised me with some strong performances, but unfortunately Williams have gone backwards in recent weeks. However, the Baku track should suit the Williams and hopefully Felipe will bounce back this weekend, and finish in the top six.

Felipe Massa to finish in the top 6: 11/8 (Ladbrokes & Coral)

---

As always, good luck to us all and please remember to bet responsibly.

♦ Kyle Cumbers is a member of the NRF1 Podcast crew. Follow Kyle on Twitter @kcumbers