Belgian Grand Prix 2018
It’s only been a month since the Formula 1 took its mid-season break, but it seems like a lot of things have happened since the world’s fastest sport imposed itself upon our collective consciousness.
Of course, the talk of many Formula 1 2018 betting groups still focus on two men, but the peripherals have seen so much action that you will be forgiven for not knowing everything there is to know about the fastest drivers in the world.
Whether the transformations that happened over the sport’s month-long respite will affect the on-track performances of the big-wigs remain to be seen, but we can only say one thing with full confidence. We’re just glad that we’ll be seeing lightning-quick laps again!
Talking Points
The championship rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel is still the best conversation starter ahead of this race. Mercedes and Ferrari still have the fastest machines in the competition, and it will be up to the two aces as to whether they will win this competition or not.
Hamilton may have won in Germany and Hungary, but the British superstar admitted that the season is still far from over. The Scuderia have been on the Silver Arrows’ tails for most of the season, and the crowd saw the championship lead switch hands between the two motorsport giants for much of the season.
The Briton even went out of his way to say that the Italian team has a better-performing machine compared to the rest of the pack. He thinks Vettel and Ferrari are still as dangerous as ever and have the ability to pull the rug underneath his feet if he isn’t careful enough.
The German also knows that starting the second season with a bang will be important for establishing momentum and cutting off into Hamilton’s lead. Hamilton has been dominant in the second half of the season, winning 54.84% of races following the summer break since 2013. Winning in Belgium is a must for Vettel’s championship dreams.
These two men still dominate the airwaves whenever we talk about the F1, but they aren’t the only ones making rounds in Formula 1 2018 news cycles.
Kimi Raikkonen’s future has been settled over the summer, and he will remain a Ferrari driver for the 2019 season. With the uncertainty finally out of the way, we can now expect less of the stunts the Flying Finn pulled against Vettel during the German Grand Prix and focus on helping the team achieve the victory.
Red Bull received a huge blow to their morale and future plans when their ace Australian has decided to change colours. Daniel Ricciardo will be donning Renault’s yellow and black for 2019 and beyond. The talented driver is a huge loss for Red Bull head Helmut Marko and will definitely affect how they race the second-half races of the season.
Force India also make rounds in the news, albeit it wasn’t for their racing. Their legal snafus with administration and insolvency might force them to sit out of Belgium and a few important points that could help with their campaign. It would be a huge shame for Force India fans as both of their drivers have performed superbly as of late.
Finally, another Formula 1 star is set to hang up his helmet. Fernando Alonso will be retiring at the end of the season to do other things. The Spaniard is definitely one of the best men to ever drive a Formula 1 car, and many in the racing community will miss seeing him compete in the sport’s best tournament.
History
The latest iteration of the Spa-Francorchamps has seen 11 Grands Prix run, and Hamilton has won the most races out of the current drivers in the Formula 1. The Briton won 2017, 2015, and 2010 while taking the pole at 2017, 2015, 2013, and 2008. Raikkonen won here in 2007 and 2009 while Vettel won the 2011 and 2013 races.
The 2017 race has been the fastest one yet: Hamilton posted the fastest qualifying time of 1’42″553 while Vettel had the fastest lap of the race with his 1’46″577. I will not be surprised if these current track records will also be beaten after this year’s race.
What are the odds?
SBOBET tips favour Vettel and Hamilton to win the race, and their previous performances over the last couple of years.
Both of the F1’s leading drivers are at 2.20 outright odds to win the tournament. Raikkonen’s history with the track also gives him a shot at victory, and bookies gave him the appropriate odds of 7.30. Valtteri Bottas will always be a silent competitor, justifying the bookies’ 10.00.
The uncertainty brought about by Ricciardo’s defection hurt his chances of harmoniously working with the team, taking his odds to 21.00. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, got a boost with 16.00.
If you feel sentimental and want to show your love to Fernando Alonso, bookies offer big winning opportunities with 151.00!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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