No rest for the teams, as they head straight from Monaco to Catalunya, for the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. After another Max Verstappen masterclass, we head to a track where Verstappen won last season, and will be looking for his 3rd victory at the Spanish track. Are we headed for another easy win for the Flying Dutchman? Let’s dig in and find out.
2023 Formula 1 Betting Tips
Monaco Grand Prix Review
Until qualifying, it appeared as though both Ferrari and Aston Martin could be a match for the Red Bull in Monaco, however after Q1, it appeared as though Red Bull had just been sand bagging. Despite the crash from Perez, which ultimately cost him any chance of victory, Verstappen led the way by 0.5s in Q1, before leading the way in Q2 and Q3, to take the all-important Pole Position.
Verstappen got away well, with Fernando Alonso ducking in behind him in 2nd. As is generally the case, the drivers could not overtake, so a follow-the-leader type race played out. Verstappen always maintained a solid lead over Alonso in second, who did the same thing with Ocon, who had a tremendous drive for Alpine in 3rd. Rain hit late; however, it didn’t affect the main runners, with the top 3 basically running the same order from the start. Verstappen won by almost 30 seconds, with his dominance seeming to know no bounds.
Spanish Grand Prix Preview
Ferrari has won 12 times at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the most of any team, however they haven’t managed a win here since 2013 (Alonso). Last year, they had a great chance, as Leclerc looked peerless all weekend, taking Pole Position and leading early. He led the race by 14 seconds, before a technical issue robbed him of certain victory.
I believe Leclerc could have good pace here again, however it’s just too difficult to bet against Verstappen right now. The only real way to bet him with any value is to bet him taking Pole Position and going on to win the race. Verstappen has 3 Poles in 6 races, so it doesn’t appear as though the value is there, however I believe he will beat his teammate here, who is his main challenger for Pole, so that will be my best bet.
There’s not a lot else to look at for me. I believe the Mercedes pair will be competitive, so will sprinkle a little on their drivers in some different markets, but really just the one main bet this weekend. I see a Verstappen victory, and a dominant one at that.
Other Bets
Mercedes (Double Top 6) - $1.67 @ NEDS (1u)
Lewis Hamilton (Top 3) - $3.50 @ LADS (0.5u)
George Russell (Top 3) - $3.60 @ TAB (0.5u)
Max Verstappen (Race Winner + Pole Position)
$1.83 (3 Units)
