The 2018 Formula 1 Championship arrives in Hungary this weekend and it is set to be the most open Grand Prix for some time.
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have traded blows at the top of the Driver’s Championship all year, but the conditions at the Hungarian Grand Prix suggest that a lot more drivers will be brought into contention and interestingly, Red Bull are the $2.40 favourite to win from a constructor’s perspective.
The famed Hungaroring is a tight and twisty circuit that is 4.381km in length and situated to the north-east of Budapest. Overtaking is extremely difficult in all conditions, while short straights allow virtually every team the opportunity to make an impact.
Vettel remains the $3.00 favourite in 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix betting, from Hamilton ($4.00) and the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen ($4.25) and Daniel Ricciardo ($5.00).
Vettel threw away the German Grand Prix last weekend after a brain snap saw him beach his Ferrari, having led the race from almost start to finish. That opened the door for Hamilton to sweep through and win the race, while also allowing the Brit to leapfrog his major rival in the driver standings.
While that result will potentially prove pivotal in the final throws of the season, the Hungarian Grand Prix represents a great opportunity for Vettel to close the gap but his performance in qualifying will undoubtedly be vital.
Hamilton is history’s most successful driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix and has found himself at the top of the podium on no fewer than five occasions. His form recently has been outstanding and he dug deep to finish second at Silverstone two races back, despite an early incident with Kimi Raikkonen.
The Hungaroring has not typically been a happy hunting ground for Mercedes, however and they have won only once since the beginning of the hybrid era. Vettel and Ferrari have won two of the last three and things could not be tighter.
It has been well documented that Red Bull have struggled with straight line speed in 2018, but they’ll be ideally suited in Hungary and there is a case to be made for both Verstappen and Ricciardo.
Verstappen claimed a shock win at the Austrian GP, while Ricciardo has won in Monaco and China. The Aussie has been dogged by technical issues throughout the entire season, but remains fifth in overall standings behind the two Mercedes and Ferrari drivers respectively.
Ricciardo’s attacking style tends to suit tight circuits and with appropriate luck, he can fight into the finish at Hungary.
Tip: Back Daniel Ricciardo to Win ($5.00)
