The 2018 F1 season has gone into hibernation for a few weeks. Our resident petrol-head looks at how things currently stand and how the rest of the season could play out.
Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week saw the Brit head into the mid-season break 24 points clear of Sebastian Vettel on the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The reigning World Champion is trading at 4/10 to retain his title, while his closest rival, Ferrari ace, Sebastian Vettel, is available at a tasty 7/4.
To Win Drivers’ Championship Outright
Lewis Hamilton 4/10
Sebastian Vettel 7/4
Valterri Bottas 200/1
Max Verstappen 250/1
Bar and Better 1000/1
To Win Constructor’s Championship Outright
Mercedes 4/10
Ferrari 7/4
Red Bull 66/1
Bar and Better 1000/1
Current Top 6 Drivers’ Standings
- Lewis Hamilton 213
- Sebastian Vettel 189
- Kimi Raikkonen 146
- Valterri Bottas 132
- Daniel Ricciardo 118
- Max Verstappen 105
Current Top 3 Constructors’ Championship
- Mercedes 345
- Ferrari 335
- Red Bull 223
Season Summary
The 2018 season has followed a hauntingly similar script to that of the 2017 season, with Sebastian Vettel getting off to a rollicking start and then Lewis Hamilton reigning him back in, to sneak into pole on the Drivers’ standings just before the break. The two veteran World Champions have been going at it hammer-and-tong this season and it’s going to a straight shootout between the duo for the Drivers’ Championship.
While Hamilton and Vettel are slugging it out all alone at the top of the standings, there has been a much more competitive battle below them between Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas, and the two Red Bulls. The Ferrari man currently holds all the cards when it comes to the fight for third place, while Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo will need to be a lot more consistent if they are to hunt down the ‘Finn, who only faces real competition for third spot from Mercedes number 2, Valtteri Bottas.
Away from the top end of the field, young Pierre Ghastly has been making the most noise with the Torro Rosso man producing some great drives. He certainly looks a real find and I would not be surprised to see him elevated to the senior Red Bull team within the next two seasons.
What’s In Store
The second stretch of the season should provide plenty of drama with a number of challenging tracks set to greet the drivers in the coming months.
Sebastian Vettel will need a fast start after the break as Lewis Hamilton tends to dominate the final five races of the season, particularly those in the Americas.
The team to watch out for in the next four races is Red Bull. Christian Horner’s side generally do alright in Belgium and have a very healthy record in Singapore and Russia. If they can produce at those tracks once again, then they may be able to sneak one of their drivers into the mix for third place in the Drivers’ Championship.
Remaining Races
- Belgian Grand Prix – 28 August
- Italian Grand Prix – 2 September
- Singapore Grand Prix – 16 September
- Russian Grand Prix – 30 September
- Japanese Grand Prix – 7 October
- United States Grand Prix – 21 October
- Mexican Grand Prix – 28 October
- Brazillian Grand Prix – 11 November
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – 25 November
Value Bet – Constructors Champions – Ferrari @ 7/4
Kimi Raikkonen has been in much better form this year, with the ‘Finn contributing a number of points to Ferrari’s cause. If he can continue to rack up the podiums, and Sebastian Vettel claims a few more wins, then Ferrari could well break Mercedes title dominance.
Drivers’ Championship Verdict: Sebastian Vettel @ 7/4
Ferrari, and whisper this, actually look a lot quicker than Mercedes at the minute. And while the Silver Arrows technicians will get their cars running quicker during the break, I think Ferrari will also be able to add some more speed to their cars.
Lewis Hamilton also looks a bit edgier this year and has thrown his toys out the cot on numerous occasions. If the ‘Brit continues to bemoan every little issue, then I can see him handing the Drivers’ title over to Vettel.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
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