The F1 field will line up out in Brazil for the penultimate Grand Prix of the season this coming weekend.
The Drivers’ Championship may have been decided in Mexico a fortnight ago, with Lewis Hamilton claiming his fifth World title, but the Constructors Championship is still up for grabs as we head into the penultimate race of the season.
Mercedes are currently in the driver’s seat to claim the accolade as they sit 55 points clear of Ferrari as the teams head for Brazil.
Brazilian Grand Prix
Sunday 11 November
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
To Win Race Outright
- Sebastian Vettel 7/4
- Lewis Hamilton 37/20
- Kimi Raikkonen 6/1
- Valtteri Bottas 6/1
- Max Verstappen 7/1
- Daniel Ricciardo 12/1
Previous Race
Mexico was always going to be somewhat of a subdued occasion with Lewis Hamilton only needing to finish in the top seven to claim his fifth World Championship. The ‘Brit managed to do just this as he cantered his way to a fourth-place finish. His teammate also didn’t shoot the lights out at the event with Valtteri Bottas bringing his car home in a disappointing fifth-place.
We saw a much better showing from the Ferrari boys with Sebastian Vettel’s second-place finish and Kimi Raikkonen’s third-place finish keeping their hopes of claiming the Constructors title alive headed into the final two races of the season.
The drive of the day came from first place finisher Max Verstappen who produced his most solid performance behind the wheel of an F1 car as he led for the entirety of the race.
The Top 6 featured a host of familiar names with the aforementioned drivers being accompanied by Nico Hulkenberg who brought his Renault across the line in sixth place.
The remainder of the Top 10 consisted of Charles LeClerc (7th), Stoffel Van Doorne (8th), Marcus Ericsson (9th) and Pierre Gastly (10th).
Track
he Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace hosted its first Grand Prix way back in 1976 and instantly became a favourite amongst drivers and spectators alike. While this is mainly due to the sun-kissed beaches and amazing weather that Sao Paulo is blessed with, the local fans also play a key role in Grand Prix being so popular.
The natives are passionate about their racing, mainly due to the legacy of Ayton Senna. The Sao Paulo native was one of the finest drivers to ever take to the track and is still an inspiration to the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
The total race distance measures 305.909 kilometres and is made up of 71 laps, with each lap spanning a distance of 4.309 kilometres and containing 15 corners. There are some extremely long straights which will favour the upper echelons of the field. We’re likely to see a lot of overtaking on these straights especially with the two DRS zones situated on the longest straights: between corners three and four, and the start/finish straight.
In terms of the weather forecast for the race weekend, Friday’s practice sessions could see a bit of rain but the local weather bureau is predicting little to no precipitation for Saturday’s qualifying sessions nor Sunday’s main event.
Last year’s race was dominated by Ferrari with Sebastian Vettel claiming the win and Kimi Raikkonen taking third. Sandwiched between the Prancing Stag duo was the Mercedes of Valterri Bottas.
Value Bet
Race Winner – Kimmi Raikkonen @ 6/1
The past month will have been very profitable for those following the value bets tips with Red Bull delivering a winning driver for the Mexican Grand Prix at a solid 7/2 and Kimi Raikkonen claiming a third-place finish out in the United States which secured a solid return for a podium finish at just over even money.
I’m going to back the veteran ‘Finn again here but I do advise limiting your stakes as it’s a bit of a speculator backing the Ferrari man for a win.
The ‘Ice Man’ has a health record out in Sao Paulo winning the 2007 edition of the race and finishing third here last season. He’s coming into this one in decent form having finished the last two races in the Americas on the podium.
At 6/1, the Ferarri man offers a great return for a smallish stake.
Fastest Qualifier: 11/10 Sebastian Vettel
This is quite an interesting market as Lewis Hamiton, the pole king, hasn’t actually been that dominant out in Brazil in recent years. As such, I’ll be looking elsewhere for a pole sitter.
I quite fancy Sebastian Vettel to claim this accolade. The German ace has a solid record out at the track and is due a pole berth.
