The Portuguese Grand Prix returns to the Formula One calendar this season as the 12th race of a truncated Formula One World Championship. This race was a fixture in Formula One during the 50s, 80s, and 90s, the last being in 1996. The race has been previously held on three different tracks-Boavista, Monsanto, and Estoril. This year, it will be held at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao.
The Portimao track was built in 2008 and was completed in seven months with a cost of €195 million. Portimao has not hosted a Formula One race before. However, the track was used for pre-season testing during the winter of the 2008-09 season. Several drivers in the current field, like Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, and Valtteri Bottas have raced at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve during their junior careers
The race will cover a distance of 306.86 KM or 66 laps around the Portimao track. Here is the official schedule for the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix:
Formula One’s return to the Nurburgring couldn’t have been more historic as Lewis Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher’s “unbreakable” record of 91 races won. Hamilton took the lead from teammate and polesitter Valtteri Bottas early in the race and dominated the rest of the way. Bottas could not finish the race as his Mercedes suffered engine trouble. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crossed the finish line second while Daniel Ricciardo of Renault completed the podium.
Hamilton’s seventh race win of the season puts him 69 points clear of Bottas in the drivers standings. It also puts him on course to win his 4th straight world title and tie Schumacher’s record with 7 Formula One world titles won.
These are the current leaders in the 2020 Formula One World Championship
Here are the odds to win the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. These odds were taken from MyBookie as of 10/20/20:
Lewis Hamilton is the betting favorite to win the Portuguese Grand Prix. The defending F-1 champion has won seven out of the 11 races this season and has been dominant as he has been in the previous three seasons. Hamilton is coming off a win at the Eifel Grand Prix where he tied Michael Schumacher’s record with 91 race wins. This weekend, Hamilton attempts to break what was once called the “unbreakable record” in Formula One. With six races to go, Hamilton looks to extend his lead in the drivers standings as he chases another Schumacher record in seven world titles won. With how he’s dominated the season, Hamilton is the clear choice to win the race.
There are only two drivers who are considered legit threats to Hamilton monopolizing the F-1 circuit. One of them is Valtteri Bottas who is Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes. Bottas has won two races this season and is second to Hamilton in the drivers standings. The 31-year old Finn is coming off his best season ever in Formula One. He finished second behind Hamilton in last year’s drivers championship and looks to finish second as well this season. Bottas has experience racing at Portimao during his junior years. He dropped out of the last race after suffering engine trouble. Bottas started the Eifel Grand Prix from pole position.
Max Verstappen is the only other driver who has been able to challenge the Mercedes drivers this season. The 23-year old son of former driver Jos Verstappen won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix earlier this season. Verstappen has finished in the Top 3 in all of the races he’s completed this season. He heads to Portimao after back-to-back runner-up finishes in Russia and Germany. Verstappen is currently third in the drivers standings and he is coming off a 2nd place finish the last time out at Nurburgring.
Sergio Perez is currently fifth in the drivers standings. The 30-year old from Guadalajara, Mexico has never won a Formula One race before. This season, Perez has finished in the Top 10 in all 10 races he’s started. He has four Top 5 finishes in his last six races and is coming off back to back 4th place finishes in Russia and the Nurburgring.
Daniel Ricciardo is 4th in the current Formula One championship standings. The 31-year old from Australia has eight Top 8 finishes in his last 10 starts. Ricciardo is coming off a third-place finish at the Nurburgring, his best finish since winning the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. He’s finished inside the Top 6 in his last five starts including four Top 4 finishes during that period.
At this stage of the race, there is no reason to doubt Lewis Hamilton as the favorite. He will be attempting to break Schumy’s record with his 92nd race win. And he’s also trying to break away from the pack and clinch a 7th world title which would put him in a tie with another Schumacher record. Aside from chasing records, Hamilton has been dominant in the race tracks this season. Most of the races he’s lost have been due to penalties more than anything else. So no question here, Lewis Hamilton is my pick to win the race. Prediction:
Lewis Hamilton -250
If you want a little more value on a Hamilton bet, go with Lewis Hamilton to be the fastest qualifier. While Bottas won pole position the last time out, Hamilton was the pole sitter in five consecutive races before that. This has been Hamilton’s season, really. Take away the penalties and he’s almost unbeatable this season.
Prediction: Lewis Hamilton as fastest qualifier -250
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are having a disappointing season. There’s no question about that. However, the Monegasque driver is doing a little better in the last three races, with an average finish of 7. I think Leclerc will finish the season strong. This may sound like a leap of faith but I trust Leclerc.
Prediction: Charles Leclerc to finish in the Top 6 +225
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