2018 Brazilian Grand Prix Odds & Preview

The Interlagos circuit in Brazil is always one of the more exciting courses in Formula 1, thanks to a lengthy straightaway that features a bank at the start-finish and a difficult area in the middle of the circuit that provides a challenge for all drivers. Lewis Hamilton has already clinched a fifth world title, thanks to his finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, but there is still plenty of hardware up for grabs this week, as Ferrari and Mercedes are still both in the running for the constructor’s championship, and there are some drivers down the table who want to make a statement as the Formula 1 season reaches its conclusion. This will be the 46th Brazilian Grand Prix and the 36th to take place at Interlagos. We have the Formula 1 odds for the drivers as well as an expert preview.

2018 Brazilian Grand Prix Odds & Preview

Good morning from an overcast @InterlagosTrack ☁️ First up it’s track walk, as Sergey sweeps through turn 1. P.S. Got to love those kerbs 👍#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/qb6jGMLAn1

— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) November 8, 2018

Driver Odds to Win the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix

• Sebastian Vettel                                                                                                        7/4
• Lewis Hamilton                                                                                                         9/4
• Valtteri Bottas                                                                                                           6/1
• Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen                                                                          8/1
• Daniel Ricciardo                                                                                                       14/1
• Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg                                                                               750/1
• Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon                                                      1000/1
• Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly                                             2000/1
• Marcus Ericsson, Fernando Alonso                                                                       2500/1
• Stoffel Vandoorne, Brendon Hartley                                                                      3000/1
• Lance Stroll, Sergey Sirotkin                                                                                  5000/1

Mercedes has to be the favorite to win their fifth straight constructors’ title this weekend, as their vehicles have tended to dominate at this course. If you look at the last four Brazilian Grands Prix, Mercedes has won the pole each time in qualifying, giving a little over one-third of a second in advantage over the next team, and that fraction can make a huge difference. If Hamilton does win, it would be his 50th win in the hybrid era. However, the winning driver for Mercedes might not be Hamilton, but instead Valtteri Bottas. He took the pole here a year ago ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Bottas has spent a lot of this season putting his own finish behind the priority of helping Hamilton win the title. Now that Hamilton has clinched, Mercedes will likely look to reverse the roles to get Bottas some needed publicity — and some bonus cash that would come with a win. He hasn’t won a single race this year, and no Mercedes driver has had a winless year since 2012.

What About Max Verstappen?

The chances for the Red Bull side are not particularly encouraging. Max Verstappen did pick up a big win two weekends ago, but the Interlagos track has not proven favorable for Red Bull in the hybrid racing era. They tend to lose going up the hill, as their engine does not have as much horsepower as the competition. The long straight at the start-finish and the long drag between Turns 3 and 4 are also areas where they tend to fall behind. They only have one podium finish here in the last four years, when Verstappen put together a terrific performance on a rainy day two years ago. Daniel Ricciardo would like to podium one more time before he departs Red Bull for Renault next year, so we will see how he comes along. There could be rain again this year, which would slow everyone down — and help the Red Bull cause — so pay attention to the weather forecasts before you lock in your wager. However, Red Bull has not led in any laps here since 2014.

What about Sebastian Vettel?

Well, if he can hold the lead for 11 laps here, he would break Michael Schumacher’s record for laps as the leader at Interlagos, which currently stands at 236. He stands as the favorite simply because Hamilton is not likely to be as forceful in this race and is likelier to advance Bottas’ cause.