Best Of Bets

Tag: Red Bull Racing

  • F1: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton keen to continue season momentum

    F1: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton keen to continue season momentum

    With Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth, Formula 1 left Belgium having witnessed a familiar figure taking the chequered flag. 

    Max Verstappen delivered his tenth win of the season in dominant fashion, cruising past former championship rival Lewis Hamilton in the process. 

    The overtake will have brought back memories of their epic on-track battles from 2021.

    However, with Hamilton not having taken a win since that season, the question remains will he reach the top step in any of the remaining races this season?

     

    Mercedes’ Continued Struggles

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    By their own admission, Mercedes took a wrong direction with their 2023 car design philosophy. This was an evolution of last years troublesome W13. 

    Results have been more consistent compared to last season. However, the dominance of Red Bull and the rise of midfield teams such as Aston Martin and McLaren has left victories out of the question for the Silver Arrows.

    The team arguably boast the most talented driver pairing on the grid in George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Despite this, inability to provide them with a front-running car continues to be a frustration.

    Regular upgrades mean the team have frequently fought for podiums. Although, the most recent performance improvements saw the return of the bouncing phenomenon that plagued the team throughout 2022. 

    Mercedes’ will be hoping their upcoming packages scheduled for after the summer break will eradicate this. The goal will be to provide a solid platform to work from going forward. 

     

    Hamilton still has the pace

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    Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has remained the centre of attention despite his team’s current performance levels.

    Regardless of their pace, Lewis has demonstrated throughout the year that he still has the pace to fight at the front should he be given the tools to do so. 

    Second place finishes in Melbourne and Barcelona were followed up by a stunning pole position in Budapest.

    When given the opportunity, Lewis has delivered strong results, perhaps results that proceed the expectations of the team in their current situation. 

    If Mercedes can provide the 7-time champion with a worthy challenger, Hamilton will certainly be ready to fight when the chance comes. 

     

    WiIl Mercedes challenge Red Bull this season?

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    Although Hamilton has the ability to win, there are doubts surrounding Mercedes’s ability to match Red Bull before 2024. 

    The Brackley-based outfit have a huge deficit to the reigning champions. More significantly, they are restricted by F1’s cost cap and aerodynamic testing regulations. 

    As a result, should Mercedes find an upturn in pace, they may be unable to add performance to their car until next season when the restrictions refresh. 

    For fans dreaming up a battle at the front, the team did manage a victory at the end of the 2022 season when they found a sweet spot in their car’s setup in Brazil. 

    There is potential of a repeat this year as teams begin to turn attention to the 2024 season. 

     

    Interested in betting odds for the remainder of the Formula 1 season? Click here to get in pole position with a free bet.

    Claim a free bet and odds of 16/1 for Lewis Hamilton to win the Dutch Grand Prix with Unibet

    To find out more about how the first half of the season played out, click here. 

  • Relentless Verstappen bent on season dominance

    Relentless Verstappen bent on season dominance

    The 2023 Formula 1 season so far has witnessed the continued dominance of Max Verstappen.

    As Red Bull Racing assert their authority having won all eight races, Verstappen is on four-in-a-row after Canada.

    With the Dutchman already holding a 69-point lead, can anyone stop his relentless assault on a third World title?

     

    Verstappen monopoly

    Verstappen’s ascension in Formula 1 has continued to create headlines.

    Since his debut back in 2015, the same raw talent has been honed as a driver now without doubt the top dog in F1.

    Portraying a more mature race craft to challenge the status quo, both Verstappen and the Milton Keynes outfit appear unstoppable.

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    Chasing pack

    Of the pursuing band, Aston Martin and a resurgent Fernando Alonso have proved there is potential to break up the 100% record of Red Bull.

    Mercedes, meanwhile, remain in transition but are beginning show their hand with the return of James Allison as Technical Director.

    Even Lewis Hamilton has shown signs of a return to past glories.

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    With major upgrades elevating not only the car but the morale of the team, the results may come sooner rather than later.

    For the many that argue F1 has returned to its days a pure procession, behind the two leading drivers the competition is percolating.

    Reliability issues remain of course, and weather will be on hand to throw the spectre of the unpredictable into the mix.

    Verstappen is not immune to these elements.

     

    Possible season twist?

    So is this season’s title race hurtling toward a foregone conclusion?

    If Alonso and Mercedes do find their respective hats and toss them into the ring, Ferrari also linger.

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    Despite the huge cushion Verstappen has built, the half-way mark this term is yet to be reached, with a summer break also.

    There could yet be a twist in the offing.

    Watch this space.

     

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  • F1 Sprint returns for Austrian Grand Prix

    F1 Sprint returns for Austrian Grand Prix

    Interested in placing free bets on this weekend’s race? Scroll down for the latest Austrian Grand Prix betting odds.

    Let’s get into what the weekend has in store.

     

    Return to Styrian Alps

    Eight races into the Formula 1 season and Austria is the next stop at the Red Bull Ring for F1 Sprint weekend.

    Max Verstappen is aiming for his fifth win in the Styrian Alps.

    The second Sprint weekend this term, Red Bull continued their dominance in Azerbaijan with a one-two finish.

    So just how is this weekend shaping up?

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    The format

    Introduced during the 2021 season to inject life into qualifying, what was originally given the paddock cold shoulder has now become a regular season staple.

    With six sprint weekends this term however, the format in 2023 has been altered.

    As the Friday consists of a single practice session, qualifying follows which sets out the starting grid for the main race on Sunday.

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    Saturday features a special qualifying session, a ‘sprint shootout’, which sets the grid for the sprint race later that day.

    Unlike in 2021 and 2022, the finishing positions in the sprint do not have any relevance in starting grid positions for Sunday.

    Saturday proper concludes with a 23-lap race/100 km race, as Sunday reverts to the normal GP format, here over 72 laps.

    Still with us?

     

    Does it work?

    The answer simply relies on improving entertainment for fans.

    It’s initial device was also to create more of a challenge for teams to fine-tune car setup and encourage experimentation.

    Indeed, as far as 2023 goes, results from Baku illustrate that there is more track action.

    With teams prone to more mistakes, sprint format has added a good deal of spice into the melting pot.

    Whether that can will aid the chasing pack in their pursuit of Red Bull and Max Verstappen however, remains to be seen.

     

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  • Formula Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2023: Back Ferrari in season opener

    Formula Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2023: Back Ferrari in season opener

    As pre-season testing disappears into the rear-view mirrors, Formula 1 finally emerges from winter hibernation this weekend for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

    In its traditional season curtain-raiser, Sakhir signals a Middle Eastern double to start the new campaign.

    With a short trip west into Saudi Arabia to come later this month, the 2023 term is set to be the longest yet.

    Twenty-three races lie ahead but who will take the early spoils this weekend?

     

    Red Bull top testing

    For Red Bull, the new term represents the chance to underline their current F1 dominance.

    After Max Verstappen retained his crown in 2022, Red Bull also claimed their first constructors title since 2013.

    A casual glance at the F1 Power Rankings post-testing would therefore suggest Red Bull could again have it all their own way.

    At the very least, the bookies see Verstappen the strong favourite to begin the new campaign in winning form.

    For a best price this weekend, Midnite are carrying the Belgian to win in Sakhir at evens.

     

    Scuderia offer value

    For Ferrari meanwhile, the optimism of last season’s early showings in the first three rounds rather dissipated.

    As Charles Leclerc picked up wins in Bahrain and at Melbourne, Scuderia would go on to top the podium just two more times.

    That, despite claiming pole in four successive GP weekends between Miami and Baku.

    Though Red Bull are expected to hit the ground running in Bahrain, there remains something of a monkey on boss Christian Horner’s back.

    In the turbo-hybrid era, Red Bull are yet to win a season opener, either here or in Australia.

    Therefore, Leclerc still carries significant value to take the chequered flag.

    Indeed, a 9/2 shot with BetUK and UniBet must surely be considered, even pole at 9/4 with 10Bet.

     

    Debutantes for points finish?

    The new season is set to feature no less than three F2 graduates.

    Nyck de Vries, Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri will all take their maiden F1 bow this weekend.

    A trio highly regarded, Williams and McLaren likely to struggle however and De Vries could make an impact.

    With AlphaTauri looking to have a good set up this year, the Italian manufacturer might surprise.

    Powered by the Red Bull Honda engine, the team saw 10 points finishes last term.

    De Vries and teammate Yuki Tsunoda could both grab points to open their season accounts, with the former 5/2 odds on the Betfair Exchange.