Gran Premio de España Emirates 2018
The 2018 Formula 1 season is already in full swing, and the race at the top of the Drivers Championship is already taking much of the attention of the fans and neutrals alike!
The rivalry between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton once again takes centre stage for the Spanish Grand Prix. However, the other drivers will look to make things difficult for online sports betting veterans and neophytes everywhere.
Get your thinking caps on; because talking about this race will whizz by so fast, you might miss it!
Talking Points
Of course, it’s impossible to talk about the current Formula 1 landscape without brushing through the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. The whirlwind end to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw the Briton driver finally get his first win of the season.
While some may dismiss this win as a streak of luck, it cannot be denied that the battle has now become a lot trickier for both parties. While Hamilton is holding the slimmest of leads, the momentum is still at the side of Vettel and Ferrari. Ferrari are performing so strongly that pundits still consider the German as the leading horse to win the title. He convincingly won in Australia and Bahrain, and circumstances prevented him from getting a better result in the next two races.
Ferrari still have the fastest machine on the track, and Australia was the only race where the Red Stallion was not the speediest. Mercedes must immediately make big improvements in order to keep up with the Italian giants and stay ahead of the fight on the Driver Standings.
Of course, the two aren’t the only ones that must be paid attention to. Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas are enjoying great seasons as of late, and they are giving their team-mates a run for their money. It wouldn’t be surprising if either one of them wins the race.
Red Bull may seem like a far cry from the two, but Max Verstappen swore that the coming race will determine whether the team could catch up to the leaders or they will spend another year watching the neck-tight race from the sidelines.
There are also some rumblings coming from McLaren. The team got a new aero package which should hopefully aid Fernando Alonso in his climb from sixth place. The start of the season looked so promising for the squad, so another boost here should give the Spaniard more chances to impress in front of his home crowd.
History
If we only look at the previous results of the race, Hamilton is the biggest favourite to get it all again. He won the title in 2017 and 2014, and his speedy driving should perfectly match the tricky Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
However, Hamilton isn’t the only one who will reap benefits from the track. Alonso has intimate knowledge of the track with it being his home grand prix. Max Verstappen’s aggressive driving should gain him some places in the third sector. While it’s been more than seven years since Sebastian Vettel won here, he should be able to easily contend for first place.
Last year’s iteration of the race was a chaotic affair. A tussle between the Ferraris and the Mercedes cars ended up in Raikkonen ruining his suspension and his race. Alonso also had to drive off the track due to the chaos.
The rest of the race saw Hamilton chasing Vettel for most of the race; some pit stop action between Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen; aggressive dogfighting between Daniil Kvyat; a narrow escape for Vettel on the 38th lap; and a beautiful overtake by Hamilton from the outside to seal the Spanish Grand Prix.
What are the odds?
It’s highly likely that a Ferrari or Mercedes shirt will stand at the top of the podium by the race’s end. Hamilton and Vettel, both leading with 2.50 odds, will definitely carve up the track with their speedy machines and push the other to their absolute limits.
Raikkonen (6.00) and Bottas (8.50) are also racing fantastically, so there should be no surprises when either one of them takes the chequered flag all the way home.
Red Bull drivers are also in the running to make the most of the generally slower track and steal the win from under their opponents’ noses. As long as Verstappen (17.00) and Daniel Ricciardo (15.00) avoid another Baku crash, they can very well compete for the top.
Fernando Alonso’s 51.00 outright odds are the best outside the top six drivers, but he definitely has a shot at the win. His familiarity with the track and the sudden boost he’ll get from the improved aero package means that he can upset the giants and cause a giant celebration in front of his home crowd.
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more motor sports betting options.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
