We've got a proper F1 Drivers' Championship race on the go as the teams head to the Circuit of the Americas with Max Verstappen holding a six-point lead over reigning champion, Lewis Hamilton.
To Win Race Outright
Lewis Hamilton 17/20
Max Verstappen 29/20
Valtteri Bottas 14/1
Sergio Perez 22/1
Charles Leclerc 40/1
Previous Race
Well, it was a rather cagey, damp affair out in Turkey as Red Bull and Max Verstappen held off somewhat to ensure they would claim a solid points finish. You can’t really blame the Dutchman for dropping the whip as he knew Lewis Hamilton was facing an uphill battle having started 11th on the grid due to an engine penalty.
Hamilton would have to settle for a fifth-place finish after being called into the pits by his team even though he felt the intermediates that he started the race on would have gone the distance.
Meanwhile, his teammate Valtteri Bottas ensured it would be a decent day out for the Silver Arrows as he took race honours. Bottas was followed across the line by the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen (second) and Sergio Perez (third).
Charles LeClerc and Pierre Gasly joined Lewis Hamilton in the top 6 with the Ferrari man taking fourth spot and Gasly bringing his AlphaTauri home in sixth.
The remainder of the top 10 featured a couple promising young guns with Lando Norris taking seventh and Lance Stroll claiming ninth. The other two drivers to appear in the top 10 were slightly older hands in the form of Carlos Sainz (eighth) and Esteban Ocon (tenth).
The Track - Circuit of the Americas
The Circuit of the Americas is one of the most electrifying tracks on the circuit and we are likely to bear witness to a vociferous crowd this coming weekend. The venue makes its return after a one-year absence after last season’s race was scrapped because of Covid-19.
Sunday’s race will see the field cover 308.405 kilometres over 56 laps with the circuit featuring 20 corners for the drivers to navigate. The first corner – a daunting left-hand hairpin – is the track’s most infamous bend. While the corner itself is tricky to negotiate, it is made harder by the 40-metre climb that leads into the turn.
Another set of corners that will provide a challenge is the sequence between turns three to six; they’re inspired by the Maggots and Becketts sequence at Silverstone, and like their colonial cousins, they’re more than capable of catching drivers out.
In terms of the weather for this weekend, we could experience yet another rain-affected race as there are showers being forecast for Sunday.
As noted earlier, last year’s event was called off so we have to go back in time to 2019 for the latest race results. 2019 saw a Mercedes one-two with Valterri Bottas taking first and Lewis Hamilton second, while Max Verstappen rounded out the podium.
Value Bet
Fastest Lap – Valtteri Bottas 7/2
I can’t see any real value in the podium finishes this week so I’m going to have a little nibble on Bottas to take the fastest lap accolade. Mercedes love this track and their cars tend to outpace the rest at this venue.
To Win Race
Lewis Hamilton 17/20
Mercedes have won seven out of the last nine races staged at the Circuit of the Americas and Hamilton has taken the spoils in six of those.
He loves racing Stateside and I can’t help but back him here, even if he is odds-on.
