F1 Austrian GP Odds and Picks: Don't Ignore Lewis Hamilton's Value

F1 Austrian GP Odds and Picks: Don't Ignore Lewis Hamilton's Value

The Formula One season continues this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix, taking place at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. Following what was one of the best races of the season thus far last week in Britain, the teams have made the short trip to Spielberg with practice sessions beginning late this week. 

This weekend's sprint format is set to return for just the second time this season, having previously appeared at Imola. That implies qualifying will take place on Friday and determine the starting positions for the 100km sprint on Saturday, ultimately determining the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix. The way things have gone this season, this format should in all likelihood favor Red Bull, since it has a long straight and few turns, giving the local team an edge over its primary rival Ferrari.

Last weekend at the Britain GP, we saw current driver points leader Max Verstappen have one of his worst races of the season finishing 7th on the day. Even still, he remains 34 points ahead of the next closest driver (teammate Sergio Perez), while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz lurk just behind. 

There’s one driver, however, whos been lurking for far too long to be counted in every race from here on in.

Click here for the latest Austrian GP odds

When: July 10, 9:00 AM EDT

How to Watch: ESPN2

Where: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria

Austrian GP Odds - Top 5

• Max Verstappen (-175)
• Charles Leclerc (+250)
• Carlos Sainz (+1100)
• Sergio Perez (+1800)
• George Russell (+1800)

Podium Finish: Lewis Hamilton +270

A winner here in 2016 at the height of his dominance over the sport, Lewis Hamilton enters this week following the best result of his season thus far, a 3rd place finishes at the Britain GP. In the thick of it into the final laps, the four-time world champion will take it as his Mercedes team has struggled all season to keep pace with former rival Red Bull (Max Verstappen), as well as no Ferarri. It’s also significant in that it was the second straight week that Hamilton found the podium, taking third place in Canada as well despite not racing quite as well as he did last week in his home country of Britain. 

Hamilton’s team, Mercedes, has also found quite a bit of success here in Austria. Of the 27 races held here over the years, Mercedes’ garage has found the winner’s circle 8 times, as recently as 2020, with only Ford holding more titles in this race. 

With Austria being just before the halfway point of the season, the time is now for Hamilton to make his move and the way things have been shaping up in the Mercedes garage, with at least one racer finding the podium in four of the past five weeks; the time to strike is now. 

While a win might still be a stretch with Verstappen due for a strong performance on Red Bull’s home track, I like for Hamilton to find the podium this week in Austria. 

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