Russian Grand Prix
Mercedes have dominated the Russian Grand Prix since the first race in 2014, so sports betting fans expect Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to keep the Sochi circuit their stronghold when the race starts this Sunday.
Betting odds are already stacked in favour of the Mercedes drivers, particularly Hamilton (2.00), to dominate the cold Russian track; and with how things are shaping up, betting tips on a Mercedes one-two finish might not be farfetched at all.
There’s a reason why last year’s best constructor made Sochi their fiefdom. Not only does the circuit favour a strong power unit, but the cool temperature and smooth track—which leads to low tyre abrasion—also work to the strengths of Mercedes.
Fewer stops are also expected in the race, a situation which won’t help Ferrari given that they will have fewer opportunities on pulling off various strategies just like what they did in Australia and Bahrain.
Ferrari and their drivers, of course, are no slouch. Not after Sebastian Vettel (2.20)and Kimi Raikkonen (11.00) finished fastest in the second practice, leaving Bottas (5.00) and Hamilton struggling for pace at third and fourth.
It remains to be seen if this result will translate come the qualifying and the race itself, but it sure won’t make Mercedes relax until they finished in front on Sunday.
At this point of the season, considering what other teams and their drivers showed, it’s hard to bet against Mercedes and Ferrari. However, if there’s a team that can always upset and surprise us, it’s the Red Bull headed by Max Verstappen (26.00) and Daniel Ricciardo (34.00).
The two have shown some flashes of brilliance, specifically Verstappen, who has been a real threat both in China and Bahrain. The only issue that stops them from making a good run is the quality of their Renault-built engines which have some reliability concerns.
Most F1 faithful can also look forward to Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez, both at odds of 151.00, as well as Carlos Sainz (201.00) and Romain Grosjean (751.00) to keep the race interesting. There’s also Fernando Alonso (751.00) who finished sixth in last year’s Russian battle. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to see them challenging for a podium finish as all they can hope is cracking into the Top 5, at least.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
