Bryce’s Bets: Austrian Grand Prix
One of the best feelings as a Formula One fan is knowing after one race there will be another the next weekend! That’s the scenario fans are in.
Last Sunday's race at Silverstone was everything a race fan could want. There was an exciting start with an incredible incident that led to Guanyu Zhou sliding in his car upside down over the tires and into the crash fence. This crash shows how safe the sport has become as Zhou was unharmed.
Other than the start, there was a great strategy battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. Max Verstappen was hit with a puncture and damage to the car while leading. Esteban Ocon’s retirement brought out the safety car and bunched up the field.
Then there was some of the best overtaking in recent memory. Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton fought and were three-wide exiting the final corner. In summation, it was a fabulous race.
Now let’s look at the betting results from last week. A $ sign means the bet cashed. An X means it did not.
George Russell Top Six Finish X
Russell got caught up in the first corner chaos. It was Russell’s first retirement and his first finish this season outside the top five. It’s unfortunate as Russell would’ve likely made it into the top six.
Charles Leclerc to Win X
Leclerc was once again screwed by his team strategy. After Verstappen fell down the order, Leclerc got into the lead and looked in control until Ocon’s retirement. Then Ferrari didn’t pit Leclerc and on old tires finished fourth. It was a great odds bet and it would’ve likely come true if Ferrari made the right call.
Valtteri Bottas Top Ten Finish X
Bottas was running ninth when a gearbox failure forced him to retire. Another unfortunate end to a poor betting weekend.
Ferrari Winning Car $
The one win was sweet and sour. It was sweet because Carlos Sainz scored his first career Formula One win to cash the bet. The sour part is Leclerc could have won two bets. Oh well, that’s gambling for you.
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Now it's time for Austria!
After a mediocre sprint race, Verstappen starts on pole, followed by Leclerc and Sainz. Let’s get into this weekend’s bets! All odds are from SI Sportsbook.
Week Record: 1-3
Overall Record: 13-12
Charles Leclerc to Win +275
Leclerc has had rotten luck as of late. He's led in eight out of 10 races, yet he only has two wins and hasn’t been on the podium since Miami! That’s incredible. The value is too good and Leclerc should have the pace to contend. It’s time for Leclerc to win after leading so many laps.
Number of Classified Drivers Over 16.5 -125
This is a cheeky bet in the extra markets session. There haven’t been many crashes this year other than last race. The bulk of the retirements have been mechanical-related. By this time of the year, teams have figured out their cars. Bet on not many accidents Sunday.
Carlos Sainz Top-3 Finish –133
Sainz has been in great form recently. He’s been on the podium in the last three races he’s finished, including a win last week. He’ll have some help as Russell is behind him and then Perez. Russell should hold up Perez enough for Sainz to break away. Sainz has enough pace to keep third and fight for more.
Fernando Alonso Top Ten Finish +190
Alonso will have to start near the back of the grid due to his retirement at the start of the sprint race. The Alpines have been deceptively fast this year. Expect Alonso to have the speed and some help from retirements and cautions to get back into the top 10.
Well, that's it for this week's race. Good betting and good luck!