The Silver Arrows continue to perform well within expectations in the 2020 Formula One season, as they have dominated the rest of the competition since the restart.
They will take their act to the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. And as expected, the Belgian Grand Prix 2020 odds back them to win in Spa.
Mercedes have a tight grip on the lead in both the drivers and constructors standings.
Lewis Hamilton is leading with 132 points while his teammate Valtteri Bottas is third with 89 points. As a team, they remain on top with 221 points, which is 86 points clear of the second-seeded Red Bull Racing.
The weather forecast predicts a rainy weekend at the circuit, as per the Belgian Grand Prix 2020 news, and that should spice things up in the race.
Valtteri Bottas seeking redemption
While Lewis Hamilton is well on his way to capture his seventh Formula One World championship, his teammate in Valtteri Bottas endured a couple of painful races that marginalised his strong start.
The Finn driver won the Austrian Grand Prix and he grabbed podium spots during the Steiermark and Hungarian Grand Prix events.
But when the tour shifted to Silverstone, Bottas couldn’t sustain his momentum particularly in the British Grand Prix to where he experienced some tire and temperature issues.
There is still time for him to catch up given that there’s still a couple of races left and he is very capable of going far this season. However, he never bettered Hamilton in racing in Spa.
Although Bottas’ championship hopes are dwindling as of the moment, he should stay within the top three all season.
Red Bull relying on Max Verstappen’s heroics
With Mercedes lording over Formula One, one team is doing everything they can to try and make it somehow competitive.
Enter Red Bull Racing, who are placed behind them in the constructors standings. Their campaign has been decent so far as they are being led by the improving Max Verstappen.
The Dutch driver has been consistently on the podium. However, despite his heroics, Verstappen alone couldn’t overcome the one-two punch of Mercedes.
Team principal Christian Homer commends his number one driver for putting up a valiant effort, but he acknowedges that they will need a little more luck to reach higher.
“Both tracks in Spa and Monza have been a strong hunting ground for Mercedes for a few years. But the way Max is driving this season has been phenomenal. We need a bit of luck and hopefully we can have a competitive weekend in Spa,” said Homer.
Max Verstappen is definitely for real. In fact, Lewis Hamilton is quite aware of the potential of the Dutch international and he will keep a close eye on them this weekend.
“We’re not even halfway through the season and so I absolutely keep my eye on them. I think they still are a title runner and so we need to stay on our toes,” said Hamilton.
Ferrari downplay expectations
The Scuderia are in danger of registering one of the worst seasons ever. The Maranello outfit is currently fifth in the constructors standings – the lowest since the 1981 Formula One season.
During the recently concluded Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc retired from the race due to an engine issue. And coming into this weekend, many pundits are pessimistic that he’ll replicate his efforts last year in the same circuit.
The Monegasque driver got his maiden victory in last year’s edition – making him the youngest winner there. So far, he has taken podium spots in Austria and at Silverstone for fourth in the drivers standings.
“In terms of expectations, it will be tougher for us in terms of performance this time around as we do not have the same level of competitiveness as we did before,” admitted Leclerc.
“However, we have seen that anything can happen on this track, especially with the unpredictable weather,” he added.
Furthermore, Leclerc would like to dedicate his race this weekend to his childhood friend in the late Anthoine Hubert. The F2 driver passed away last year due to a fatal crash in Spa.
History
The first-ever Belgian Grand Prix happened back in 1925. Since its inception, Spa has always been known for its unpredictable weather.
Former racing icon Michael Schumacher leads the way with six wins while Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel lead active racers with three wins each.
What are the odds?
It’s hard to bet against Lewis Hamilton to bring home the chequered flag as he is the heavy favourite to win priced at 1.45, even if he has yet to win in Spa since 2017.
SBOTOP betting odds has Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas priced at 1.88 and 2.32 respectively, and they are expected to be in the podium too.
Ferrari will be eager to keep their winning streak alive in Spa since 2018, but it’s expected to be snapped this time around.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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