Red Bull favourites in Azerbaijan: "That's what we need" for the Championship duel

After Max Verstappen's victory in Monaco and a dramatic weekend for Mercedes, Red Bull is now top of the championship. Can this form continue in Azerbaijan, or will Mercedes strike back?

The favourite in Azerbaijan

The 2021 Formula One championship will be a duel between two teams for the first time in years. Red Bull Racing has made a strong start to the season, and with two wins for Verstappen in the opening five races the team is truly back in contention for the title. And in Baku, Red Bull will once again find a track that suits them.

''From what I heard Red Bull go in as slight favourites. However much you analyse, you always come away without clarity about who is in front," said Natalie Pinkham in the F1 Nation Podcast. Red Bull and Mercedes are very close on a weekly basis. On the normal circuits, Mercedes had the upper hand, but on the street it seems Red Bull has the advantage.

Red Bull must win

"It will be fascinating to see how Mercedes bounce back. It was just a really messy weekend for them in Monaco and they never got it going. One of their strengths of their car on a track like Barcelona is that it doesn't use its tyres that hard. But on a smooth street circuit like Baku, that could penalise them again. I think I'm with you, it might be Red Bull," said Tom Clarkson.

"It's a huge weekend for Sergio Perez. He has always gone really well in Baku. He'll be looking at this weekend knowing he is really fast here and hopefully that will give him the confidence to get the most out of the car here. Can you imagine a Red Bull front-row lockout and extend that lead in the championship? I actually think that's what we need because Mercedes will come back at the more conventional race track. Actually, for the 23 race war, we need Red Bull to open a gap," he added.