Italian Grand Prix
Italy will roar to life again as the fastest motor sporting association in the world starts burning rubber at Monza.
It’s time for the Italian Grand Prix, and it’s in this track where we will see outrageous speeds and daring overtakes dominate the circuit and enthral the fans with a need for speed. Formula 1 has always been welcomed warmly in the sunny, picturesque backdrops of Italia, and fans all over the world cannot wait to see some high-flying action from the world’s fastest drivers.
The battle at the summit of the Formula 1 rankings might be ultimately decided here. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel aren’t separated by a considerable point gap in the Driver’s Championship, and a victory here would do well for their title aspirations.
Given that they both have the fastest machines in Formula 1, there’ll be no wonder that both of them would be at the forefront of Formula 1 2018 news during the lead-up to this big race. Of course, there are other drivers worthy of attention, but the two of them shine like blazing flames and we’re the speed-hungry moths that can’t look away from it.
Talking Points
The season entered the break with Hamilton taking the plaudits with his victory at the Hungaroring. The victory gave the British star a lot of breathing room against his German rival as he tries to win another Formula 1 title with Mercedes.
However, Vettel and Scudario returned to the Formula 1 season with a vengeance at Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari came out on top of a hectic race that saw retiring racer Fernando Alonso and McLaren wunderkind Charles Leclerc bow out of the competition on the very first turn.
Now that the lead can be trimmed further with another win at a track that is suited to Ferrari’s lightning-quick machines, it is expected out of Vettel and the Prancing Horse to win of their adoring home fans and challenge their rivals at Mercedes for the title.
Knowing that an upcoming race could change your fate is something that would drive many drivers to buckle and choke where it matters, but you will find none of that with Ferrari’s star driver. The German driver relayed to the press that he and his team will be taking things one step at a time and make sure that their machine will burn the asphalt of the track that was made for cars like theirs.
Fortunately for Hamilton, he will not be fighting this battle alone. Through the majority of his Formula 1 career, Lewis has always clashed with his team-mate and scrapped with him for points. He finally gets a team-mate that will support his championship aspirations in Valtteri Bottas.
The Finn, who is the second-choice driver in the team, came out and said to the media that he is more than happy to help his team turn the Ferrari vs Mercedes odds several betting websites by following team orders and doing everything he can to help Hamilton win.
Red Bull might be trying to steal some points from the two giants if everything goes according to plan. Max Verstappen proved to be speedy during the rainy free practice despite Force India’s Sergio Perez getting the quickest time.
Verstappen’s performance in this race would lift plenty of spirits in a chaotic Red Bull locker room. With Daniel Ricciardo’s defection to Renault, Christian Horner has been scrambling to get a driver to pair up with the Dutch star. A podium finish here would greatly boost the team’s confidence.
However, that would only happen if rain was to even hit the track. Weather forecasts at Monza predict race day to be perfectly sunny while the days allotted to free practice and qualifiers are pegged to be rainy affairs.
With that being said, Ferrari’s advantage on their home track just got bigger. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the pack would act with the weather being all wonky.
History
Hamilton has won plenty of times in this track, so there’s little to no concern among fans as to whether he can actually win in this track. The Briton won three of the last five races, and all of his victories saw him start at pole position.
Meanwhile, Vettel has only won on this track once while racing for Red Bull in 2013. Fortunately for him, Ferrari cars have won on this track 17 times, and the team is intimate with every gravel that sits on the track. They are still the kings of Monza, and it is high time for them to break Mercedes’ tyranny on their home track.
What are the odds?
The SBOBET Formula 1 market understand just how big of an advantage Vettel has on this track, giving him 1.63 odds. Hamilton will be on the backfoot, but his 3.00 outright odds tell fans that he has a fighting chance.
Ferrari Driver Kimi Raikkonen is fast enough to contend at Monza, urging punters to give him the third-highest odds of 6.00. Bottas (12.00), Verstappen (34.00), Ricciardo (67), and Perez (151.00) make the rest of the chasing pack.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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