Round 10 of the 2023 Formula 1 season is set in the picturesque Styrian mountains, as we head to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. After an exciting race here last year, is it too much to ask for a fight at the front?
Another profitable race in Canada, as we went 3 from 4 for a 4.05u profit. Let’s see if we can make it 3 big races in a row here.
2023 Formula 1 Betting Tips
Canadian Grand Prix Review
After a rainy start to the weekend in Montreal, the weather cleared for race day. Max Verstappen once again took Pole Position, with the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg qualifying second fastest (later given grid penalty).
Verstappen got away well at the start; however, he was shadowed reasonably well by Fernando Alonso throughout the race. The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton also seemed to have genuine race pace, and it will be interesting to see if the pace of the Aston Martin and Mercedes actually stacks up, or if Max was taking it a little easy in this race.
Leclerc, Sainz, and Perez all struggled in the midfield of this race, in what is surely concerning news for Ferrari and Perez’s camp. They ended up finishing 4th, 5th, and 6th, however all 3 would be unhappy with their weekend overall.
So, the updates from Mercedes and Aston Martin appear to have reaped the rewards they were after, as they look closer to Verstappen than they have all season long. Can they keep it up at the Red Bull team’s home Grand Prix this weekend?
Austrian Grand Prix Preview
The Austrian Grand Prix will mark the second Sprint Race weekend of the season, after the Azerbaijan Gran Prix in round 4 saw Sergio Perez claim victory on Sunday. With the sprint weekend’s offering a different flavour for the race weekend, it makes for a slightly more interesting day betting the Formula 1.
For those who are unaware, a quick break down of the Sprint Race weekends see the drivers qualify for Sunday’s main race on Friday, before qualifying for the sprint race on Saturday. After qualifying on Saturday, the drivers compete in the sprint race, with the result of the sprint race having no bearing on the starting grid for Sunday’s main race. The powers that be have introduced the new format for this season, to try and encourage more racing during the sprint race. Sunday, as normal, sees the main race take place.
Last season, the Austrian Grand Prix was also a sprint weekend, and it appeared early as though another Max Verstappen masterclass was on the cards. Verstappen was fastest in qualifying, before winning the sprint race from Charles Leclerc. It was Leclerc though, who in the race had far more pace than Verstappen, and he was able to pass the Dutchman on more than one occasion to win. Whilst I don’t expect the same this weekend, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Charles Leclerc and the Ferrari competitive here this weekend.
So once again, for this weekend I will take the Verstappen Pole/Win market, as it has proven quite profitable over the previous races. I will also look for Leclerc to snatch a podium, at decent odds given his form at this venue and Ferrari appearing to gather some momentum in Canada. I’ll also take a flyer on the Haas being competitive this weekend. Last season at this race, both Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen were competitive, each finishing inside the top 10.
Other Bets
Charles Leclerc (Top 3 Finish) - $3.50 @ TAB (1.5u)
Nico Hulkenberg (Top 10 Finish) - $4.33 @ Bet365 (0.5u)
Max Verstappen (Race Winner + Pole Position)
$1.50 (3 Units)
