Azerbaijan Grand Prix predictions: Russell can step up for Mercedes

- George Russell finished third in Azerbaijan last year 
- Alpine were comfortably on target for a second consecutive double points finish prior to the chaotic ending in Australia last time 
- Lance Stroll was in the top six in both races he has finished this season 
- Recommended bets: 
- George Russell podium finish 
- Alpine double points finish 
- Lance Stroll top-six finish

Formula 1 is back after a four-week gap and the big question is whether any of Red Bull's rivals have made inroads into the Milton Keynes team's huge advantage.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up his second win of the season in Australia despite a chaotic finish that saw the race stopped twice in the final three laps and the cars eventually cross the finish line under safety car conditions.

Verstappen leads the standings by 15 points ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez going into this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, for which the Dutchman is 4/11 favourite.

Last year in Baku the Red Bull pair recorded a one-two finish, while Verstappen was on course for a comfortable victory in 2021 before a burst tyre pitched him into the wall in the closing laps.

Azerbaijan will stage the first of six sprint race weekends this season. It has yet to be confirmed whether the result of Saturday's one-third race distance sprint will decide the starting order for Sunday's Grand Prix, as has been the case for the last two years, or whether a separate qualifying session will take place.

However, either way George Russell could be poised for a strong weekend.

Mercedes have improved perhaps the most of any team since the start of the season, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second in Australia last time.

However, Russell has out-qualified the seven-time world champion in all three races so far, and was holding an impressive lead in Melbourne before a safety car and red flag shuffled the order.

Russell won the most recent sprint race, in Brazil last year, and finished third in Baku last season.

The Renault-owned Alpine team have not lived up to their pre-season promise, but they should be able to bring home both cars in the top ten in Baku.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished eighth and ninth in Saudi Arabia and were on course to better that result in Melbourne last time, but they crashed into each other during the mayhem at the last restart.

Gasly has a superb record at Baku, where he finished third and fifth for AlphaTauri the last two years.

Lance Stroll has not benefited from Aston Martin's strong start to the season as much as his new team-mate Fernando Alonso has, but the Canadian missed pre-season testing after a cycling accident that left him with several broken bones, so he should not be judged too harshly.

Those injuries should be on their way to healing now and Stroll, who finished sixth in Bahrain and fourth in Australia can pick up a similar result in Baku.