Monaco Grand Prix
The F1 season now heads to its sixth round, and online betting is set to get more exciting as the top drivers gear up for another challenging race at Monte Carlo.
Although there is also the Indy 500 and the Nurburgring 24 Hours that will somehow divide the attention of sports betting fans, the prestige that the Monaco Grand Prix brings is unparalleled – it’s a race that every driver wants to win after all.
Like in the previous races this season, all eyes will be on the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes. This campaign has been shaping up as a tight battle between the two constructors and their drivers, but a victory on the challenging road of Circuit de Monaco will certainly give one an edge in the other races.
Mercedes and defending champion Lewis Hamilton will be the heavy favourite coming into the matchup. A Mercedes driver has dominated the last four editions of the race, so it isn’t really a surprise why last year’s top constructor is expected to dominate again.
Hamilton and teammate, Valtteri Bottas, however, have struggled in the practice races, which is why they are only at odds of 2.50 and 8.00 respectively to win.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, is given odds of 1.50 to win outright. Currently leading the World Drivers’ Championship, the German ace is in front of his rivals after breaking the all-time lap record during the second practice session.
No Ferrari driver has won on the legendary circuit since Michael Schumacher in 2001, but Vettel’s recent performance raises hopes that he can break the Mercedes trend and shift the Monaco spotlight back on his team.
His teammate Kimi Raikkonen, at odds of 12.00, is expected to contend for a podium finish, though getting the job done is placed on Vettel’s shoulder.
It’s difficult to see other drivers winning the race. Although the results of the qualifying race could largely alter the odds, Ferrari and Mercedes are still the teams to beat.
Tight confines make overtaking difficult, if not impossible on the circuit.
Not to mention that such characteristic also makes the race the slowest on the calendar. This means that tire degradation is at a minimum, which calls for teams to come up with better strategies – an area where Ferrari and Mercedes are best at.
Prominent racing figures like Daniel Ricciardo (12.00), Max Verstappen (16.00), Daniil Kvyat (51.00), Carlos Sainz Jr. (51.00), Sergio Perez (151.00) and Nico Hulkenberg (201.00) are capable of pulling off surprises, but the best they could hope for is a Top 3 or Top 5 finish.
There are still a lot of uncertainties ahead of the qualifying session and Sunday’s big race, though one thing is for sure: with history, glitz and glamour, it will all be worth the watch!
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
