To begin the 2019 season, Lewis Hamilton (-225) and Valtteri Bottas (+275) (both representing Mercedes) are on top of the odds. And similar to last season’s end, Ferrari is right on their tail with both Sebastian Vettel (+1800) and Charles Leclerc (+1800), according to the top Formula 1 betting sites.
Even though they have been the best in both practice and qualifying, the Mercedes cars have been great on race day, while Ferrari continues to try to work out the kinks from inconsistency.
Next on the slate is the Spanish Grand Prix in Spain this weekend, and this year’s race brings along a new sponsor: Emirates Gran Premio de Espana
The Spanish Grand Prix is held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, and it carries a heavy level of prestige with it due to being one of the oldest races in the world — it turned 100 years old in 2013, and it could have been earlier than that if it weren’t for the interruption of World War I. It would also be interrupted by the Spanish Civil War after being promoted to the European Championship. After it was finally revived in 1967, it was made a regular race of the Formula 1 World Championship a year later in 1968. And it’s also been carried at multiple tracks all over Spain.
Ferrari has won the Spanish Grand Prix more than any other constructor with a total of 12 — that’s four more than the second place tie at eight between McLaren and Williams. But here’s the bad news for Ferrari: Mercedes has won the last two Spanish Grand Prix’s, and the last four out of five. Lewis Hamilton won in both 2017 and 2018 under Mercedes, and is going for three in a row here in 2019.
Now that we’ve gone over the next race on the slate in the Spanish Grand Prix, let’s now go over the odds to win the Formula 1 Drivers Championship, and as you would expect (and it’s already been mentioned), Mercedes leads in this department as well.
The Germans have certainly stepped up their game.
The defending champion is sitting pretty to win a third straight championship, he currently sits 2nd in Formula 1, and out of four races this season, it’s been nothing but top 2 finishes and two wins are also included on his resume. Wow. Beginning with Australia, a pole position would still turn into an elite finish at 2nd place, but then the very next week at Bahrain, Hamilton would come out to take the victory. The very next week, he would follow up with that win with a repeat first-place finish in China. He would nearly win three in a row, finishing 2nd at Azerbaijan.
The only driver in the way of Lewis Hamilton is this guy: Valtteri Bottas. The Finnish racer is sitting 1st in the Formula 1 points standings to begin the season, but it’s not by much — he’s only one point above Hamilton. It’ll be a battle between those two all season. Valterri would win the first race of the season in Australia after a 2nd place start. He would then go on to finish 2nd in back-to-back races in both Bahrain and China — he’d start at the pole in China. And then came Azerbaijan. There, Bottas would dominate from start to finish, turning a pole into a victory.
The only drivers to win races (in four total) this season are just Lewis Hamilton and Valterri Bottas. If it weren’t for them, Sebastian Vettel might have himself two wins on his resume for 2019 — I’m sure he’ll get his eventually. And this season hasn’t been bad, it’s been nothing but top 5 finishes to begin things. In Australia, he would tally up a 4th place finish, and then after that, he would take a 5th place finish in Bahrain. The next race in China, he would start from the 3rd position and end in the 3rd position. The same exact result would happen in Azerbaijan.
Like the previous three drivers in the odds, Leclerc has also been having a magnificent season to start out the 2019 campaign — he has nothing but top 5 finishes under his name. When things began in China, he would both qualify in the 5th position and that’s also the finish that he would take when the smoke cleared. After a pole victory in Beharin, he would then take an elite 3rd place finish in the race. In China, he would have another solid top 5 finish, this time in 5th. And after starting out 9th in Azerbaijan, Leclerc would fight his way to another top 5 finish. (5th)
I would bring Verstappen a little lower than +5000, those odds are high. The reason I say that is because of the season that he’s had. Like Charles Leclerc, it’s nothing but top 5 finishes on Verstappen’s 2019 resume — somebody’s obviously not getting their respect, this would be a solid long shot to bet on. Beginning in Australia, Verstappen would get an elite top 3 finish at No. 3. He would follow that up with three straight 4th place finishes each in Bahrain, China, and Azerbaijan. With the lack of respect, Verstappen will have something to prove.
And now we arrive to our first true thoroughbred longshot with Pierre Gasley coming in at a whopping +50000 odds — and he’s not even the worst of it. He deserves the +50000 figure though. He’s had a decent season with two top 10 finishes, but nothing special. In Australia, he would climb his way from a 17th place start to 11th, and then in the next race, he would finally strike the top 10 — finishing 8th after starting 13th. In China, he would have his best race, both starting, and finishing in the 6th position. In Azerbaijan, it would be a dismal day with a RET.
We have a sizable list of drivers with insane +100000 odds, and we start with Nico Hulkenberg. And it’s been for good reason: His car has barely been able to hold up. Starting out in Australia after an 11th place start, he would finish with a solid top 10 finish in 7th place. But then things would go to hell in Bahrain and China: He would be forced to retire in both races. In his most recent performance at Azerbaijan, he would be able to finish the race in this one, but it was nothing spectacular. After a 16th place start, he would come in the 14th position at the end.
How can you expect to win the Formula 1 championship when you can barely finish a race? That’s the question that I have for Daniel Ricciardo and his +100000 odds. When you look at his performance throughout the 2019 campaign, Ricciardo has only been able to finish one race — three out of four have been retirements. It would start out right away too in his first two races in Australia and Bahrain. He would have the RET mark beside his name in both. In China, he would have a decent day with a 7th finish. But in Azerbaijan, right back to that dreaded RET.
I’m telling you right now, if I were you, I would totally take Kimi Raikkonen as your long shot at +100000. You can win some serious cash with Raikkonen if he wins, and it could realistically happen. He’s been great this year with nothing but top 10 finishes. Starting out in Australia, he would take an 8th place finish to begin the season on a nice note. Next up in Bahrain, it would be a nice follow-up performance (and improvement) with a 7th tally. In China, it would be business as usual at 9th, and last but not least, the 10th place in Azerbaijan in April.
Another one who finds it hard to finish races, Carlos Sainz out of Spain also comes in with hefty +200000 odds — but as I mentioned, he’s been struggling this year being forced to retire half of his races. Needless to say, this isn’t a Kimi Raikkonen — stay away from Sainz. His struggles would start off right at the beginning in both Australia and Bahrain, retiring in both of those races. In China, he would be able to finish his first race of the season, but it wouldn’t be anything elite — he’d take 14th. However, he would finish solid at Azerbaijan in 7th place.
Like the previously mentioned Kimi Raikkonen, this would be another solid long shot bet to make at +300000 odds. He’s had a solid season in 2019. With that being said, however, I would still take Raikkonen as your long shot. In his first race in Australia, Perez would start out solid in 10th, but wouldn’t be the greatest with a 13th place finish — then he would start to impress. In the next race at Bahrain, he would start in 14th, but would finish with a top 10 10th place finish. In China, it would be an improvement at 8th, and then even more improvement at Azerbaijan in 6th.
I’d go ahead and stay away from Lando Norris as a long shot pick. He’s had a decent season up until this point, but a retirement under his name concerns me for a winning bet. Starting out in Australia, he would start in a solid 8th, but the declined finish I’m not a fan of either as far as betting on him — it would be below the top 10 in 12th. In Bahrain, he would be solid, securing a 6th place finish after starting 9th. But then would come to China: A 15th place start would turn into a horrible day, being forced to retire. He would rebound at Azerbaijan though tallying 8th place.
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