F1 2019: 5 early predictions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

#2 Double First Time Podium

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Baku in 2017 and 2018 saw the only time in the season that a car other than Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull made it onto the podium. Lance Stroll grabbed his first and only surprise podium in 2017, and Perez sneaked in his eighth podium in a chaotic race.

This time around, I believe that we will see not one, but two unexpected drivers on the podium.

Maybe this is a far-fetched prediction, but I'll even go further to suggest that both of the surprise podiums will be first timers. So no Perez, nor the likes of Ricciardo, Stroll, Grosjean, Magnussen, Kvyat, Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica.

I see a surprise podiums coming from either of the McLarens, Hulkenberg, Gasly, George Russell, Alexander Albon or Antonio Giovinazzi.

Gasly ending up there seems the most likely, with Hulkenberg and the McLaren's probably next. Under the most extreme of circumstances, it may even be George Russell in the Williams.

It may seem unlikely, but this is Baku!