Lewis Hamilton has given Mercedes plenty to think about heading into the Formula 1 summer break after clocking his first victory of the season in Hungary last weekend. The British driver, who has had a turbulent time since joining his new team, finally made use of the Mercedes’ rapid lap times to take first place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton’s win not only boosts Mercedes’ hopes of resolving their tyre problems this summer break but also places him in contention for the Drivers’ Championship. Here are our best betting tips for the F1 run-in.
Hamilton to nail the poles:
He’s started first in each of his last three races and that form doesn’t look like it’ll end soon. Fans looking to bet on Formula One should always consider Hamilton a favourite to qualify on the front grid with his Mercedes. The car is near unbeatable for single-lap speed and should the team improve their tyre performance we could see Hamilton challenge for the Championship.
Raikkonen to push Vettel:
Raikkonen’s consistent performance in the Lotus is perhaps the most impressive story of this F1 season. The Finn may have won just one race all season (Australia) but five second-place finishes means he’s right in the mixer for Championship glory. Rumours over his future at the team continue to frustrate fans but this 33-year-old knows how to handle pressure and is always a good bet for a podium finish.
Sebastian Vettel:
Still the man to beat, Vettel has finished on the podium in four of his last five races (a tyre blowout ruining his chances in Great Britain). The defending champion will want to prove his doubters – some do exist – he can keep his grip on the Championship lead and a victory in Belgium later this August could propel him towards the finishing straight.
Fernando Alonso:
Almost the forgotten man in all this, Alonso is 39 points off Vettel heading into the summer break yet has fallen back slightly with fourth and fifth finishes at Silverstone and the Hungaroring respectively. Ferrari still have problems with consistency over the race and have no qualifying record to boast of (zero poles from 10 races). With this in mind, Alonso is best ignored for this season as punters focus on in-form teams for the run-in.