Belgium Grand Prix betting tips: Leader Verstappen evens for victory
Preview and odds for Sunday’s race
Formula One returns from its mid-season break in Belgium with Max Verstappen in pole position to defend his drivers’ championship.
The Dutchman delivered a remarkable comeback drive at the last race in Hungary to take victory from 10th on the grid – a win which left him 80 points clear of title challenger Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari team produced yet another tactical blunder to further damage Leclerc’s chances, with the two drivers facing very different challenges as we look at some Belgium Grand Prix betting tips.
Verstappen’s to lose
Red Bull’s Verstappen has profited from a combination of Ferrari strategy errors and unreliability to open up a commanding lead at the top of the standings.
The 24-year-old has been a picture of consistency, winning eight of the 13 grands prix so far this season to rack up a mighty 258 points.
The Red Bull has proved a more reliable race package and allowed Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez – who is five points adrift of Leclerc in third – to take advantage of slip-ups from their rivals.
Statistically, Verstappen could have the title wrapped up after the next four races but his full focus will be on extending that lead at a track where he is sure to once again have swathes of Dutch support.
He is evens for victory this weekend, with Leclerc 3/1 to stand on the top step of the podium in our Belgium Grand Prix betting tips.
Verstappen was nominally the winner of the Belgium Grand Prix last season – a controversial half-points victory on his way to a maiden title.
Heavy rain in Belgium meant that, after a three-hour delay, the race began behind the safety car and when two laps had been completed the result was declared.
It was only the sixth time in F1 history that half points had been awarded, with Verstappen taking 12.5 and George Russell earning his first career podium in the Williams after a stunning qualifying drive.
The forecast for this weekend is much drier and F1 will hope to avoid any similar drama.
Leclerc retains hope
Ferrari appeared to have made a step forward in terms of their race pace over the last two grands prix but that was undermined by winning positions in France and Hungary being lost to Leclerc’s error and poor strategy calls respectively.
They have dominated qualifying this season, with Leclerc taking seven pole positions and Carlos Sainz claiming one.
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But Ferrari need to nail their race strategy over the second half of the season and get both cars consistently ahead of Red Bull if they are to have any hope in the title battle.
A double podium for Ferrari in Belgium is available at 11/4 in our Belgium Grand Prix betting tips.
Can Russell beat Hamilton?
Mercedes’ resurgence in recent races has given the team hope of overhauling Ferrari to get second place in the constructors’ standings.
But an interesting subplot is whether Russell can beat his illustrious team-mate Lewis Hamilton come the end of the season.
Russell’s consistency in his debut season at Mercedes has been a striking factor with him claiming at least 10 points in every race bar one retirement at Silverstone.
The 24-year-old is 12 points clear of the seven-time world champion in the standings.
Mercedes have claimed a double podium in each of the last two races and are 11/4 to make it a hat-trick in our Belgium Grand Prix betting tips.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
