When the Austrian Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday, it will have been 217 days since the last Formula 1 race — the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Teams will have reduced capacity, and there will not be any fans at the Red Bull Ring. Having a doubleheader will get the season off to a quick start and teach drivers a lot about their new cars. Let’s take a look at the Formula 1 odds for Sunday’s race along with some thoughts about the top teams as you plan your online betting for this coming weekend.
Formula 1: Austrian Grand Prix Preview (July 5)
Driver Odds
- Lewis Hamilton 7/4
- Max Verstappen 15/8
- Charles Leclerc 6/1
- Valtteri Bottas 13/2
- Sebastian Vettel 17/2
- Alexander Albon 16/1
- Sergio Perez 50/1
- Lance Stroll 100/1
- Carlos Sainz 175/1
- Lando Norris 250/1
- Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Pierre Gasly, Daniil Kvyat 500/1
- Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean, Antonio Giovinazzi 1000/1
- George Russell, Nicholas Latifi 2000/1
Mercedes runs Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and they remain the favorite in the Constructor’s Championship after winter testing. Their Dual-Axis Steering (DAS) system is regarded in the sport as an incredible innovation. The system has been banned for 2021, but Mercedes has checked with the FIA to see if the system is legal for now, and they plan to run it unless they hear otherwise. Lewis Hamilton has had a hard time running in the summer due to the heat, as the Mercedes struggled. He and Bottas have only had the benefit of a short test at Silverstone ahead of going to Austria. Bottas had a terrific 2019 campaign, even while racing in Hamilton’s shadow, and he could be the top challenger that Hamilton faces. Having a shorter season could help Bottas’ chances even more.
Red Bull runs Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, who came in midway last season when the team sent Pierre Gasly down to Toro Rosso. Red Bull has not won any titles since Sebastian Vettel raced for the team. Ferrari struggled in winter testing, so Red Bull has hope — and Albon now has a full season to race with the team. He would likely have reached the podium at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, but he ran into Lewis Hamilton and ended up finishing back in the pack. Austria has a promising course for Red Bull, which is why Verstappen is so close to the top of the odds list here.
Ferrari is expected to bring out a radically new car with a new aerodynamic design. However, that car is not expected to show up until the Hungarian Grand Prix, so these first two races will have the old car. Going into one of the warmer races on the calendar. It has an established racer in Charles Leclerc and a driver on his way out in Sebastian Vettel. The two feuded last year as Leclerc refused to accept a role as the support driver, and the two struggled on race tactics. It remains to be seen whether Vettel will cooperate in his last year or whether the tensions will continue.
Racing Point is an intriguing story from a team in the midfield, as they are copying the Mercedes W10 from last season — the car that won the championship. There are some who think Racing Point will try to pass Ferrari and make it into the top three constructors, but lap analysis from testing does not support that claim yet. However, if Ferrari’s team chemistry implodes, that could all change. Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez drive the pink cars, and they said that after testing in the Circuit de Calatunya, they are looking forward to this weekend’s action.
