Formula 1 heads out to the city of Baku this weekend for the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Drivers Championship leader Max Verstappen looks to stretch his lead in the standings ahead of Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc. It was a solid weekend for him and the rest of the Red Bull racing team with two podium finishes. Sergio Perez won his first Monaco Grand Prix title, while Verstappen settled with a P3 finish with Carlos Sainz Jr. splitting the two Red Bulls.

Azerbaijan provided racing and betting fans memorable races throughout its existence on the Grand Prix calendar. It takes the competition up a notch as it arrives at a crucial point of the 2022 Formula 1 season where the championship leader constantly jumps from one driver to another. Fans are loving the Ferrari vs. Red Bull battle, however, Nitrobetting sheds light on the rest of the grid this time, highlighting some of the overlooked drivers and potential dark horses in this list of Azerbaijan Grand Prix sleeper picks.

2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sleeper Picks

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Last year's Baku winner leads the way as Checo takes P1 ????

As the @AlphaTauriF1 duo both record the most laps of anyone in that session ????#AzerbaijanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/RZPtq0ZTBH

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 10, 2022

READ MORE: 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Top Storylines

Lewis Hamilton

• 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Odds: +2800

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is a long way from the top of the Drivers’ Standings in 2022, trailing Max Verstappen by 75 points. The numbers might steer you away from this pick, but Mercedes only continues to improve. The pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are still to watch this weekend.

Hamilton’s car logged better numbers recently, and his pace suggests that the trend continues in Baku. It will be great to see the two British drivers challenge the front-runners for a three-way battle.

A worrying sign for Hamilton is the fact that he only beat Russell once this season. That came in the opening race in Bahrain where the 37-year-old finished P3 after Verstappen encountered mechanical issues. Nevertheless, a handful of improvements allowed Mercedes to shine and deliver great speed against Ferrari and Red Bull. Hamilton will try to bounce back from last season’s race in Azerbaijan where he missed out on winning the race following a late restart.

It’s strange to find the world champion on the sleeper picks list, but we expect an improving Hamilton to record better results come this weekend.

Valtteri Bottas

• 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Odds: +15000

The ex-Mercedes driver enjoyed success in Baku, previously winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2019 and edging Lance Stroll to a P2 finish in 2017. After signing a contract with Alfa Romeo, there are multiple uncertainties stacking up, including the potential to stay in front and fight for the lead. However, Bottas delivered consistent results despite not having a car of the same caliber as his previous Silver Arrow. His Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo also ran consistently since the start of the season and Bottas anticipates a smoother run to the top of the 2022 Azerbaijan GP.

Teammate Zhou Guanyu, the lone rookie driver in the 2022 Formula 1 lineup, failed to finish points since his debut race in Bahrain. While he suffered from multiple issues that saw him DNF at Imola and Miami, Alfa Romeo hoped for a stronger showing from Zhou to help Valtteri rack up the points. A solid start to the 2022 season has seen Alfa Romeo in the points in all but one Grand Prix, bringing the team fifth in the Constructors’ Standings. Furthermore, Bottas packs plenty of experience at Baku City Circuit which makes him one of the better sleeper picks this time.

Sebastian Vettel

• 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Odds: +50000

Sebastian Vettel might have fallen off the radar since leaving the Scuderia, but the German driver looks forward to the race weekend after scoring a podium finish at the Baku City Circuit last season. It was his best drive of the season and the only podium finish for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 team. While a repeat of his second-place demands 100% from both the car and the driver, Azerbaijan delivers when it comes to handing out shockers.

It’s only been a few months since the new cars registered metrics on the tracks, and Vettel says he cannot wait to see how the updated machines perform on the Baku street circuit. More than that, the 34-year-old driver for Aston Martin will think of emulating his previous performance this time. Although it might prove difficult given Red Bull and Ferrari’s form in front, the man in the British Racing Green Aston is likely to utilize his upgraded AMR22 and utilize its new-found performance this season.

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