Couch Critic provides his betting tips for the Hungarian Grand Prix which takes place in Budapest on Sunday 4th August
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST RACE?
It took some showers in Hockenheim to properly put the Mercedes under pressure. After starting well the Silver Arrows looked to be cruising to yet another dominant one-two result in Germany only for a strong rain shower to hit at exactly the wrong time for race leader, Hamilton. He spun and then added further injury to his mistake when not able to enter the pit correctly. With Lewis out of the equation the way was cleared for Bottas to not only pick up a victory but also make up some good ground in the World Championships yet Valtteri also couldn’t keep his Merc on the track.
What was supposed to be a celebratory race for Mercedes ended in absolute disaster. Whilst the men with the three pointed star on their car couldn’t even manage three World Championship points between them on the weekend Max Verstappen swooped to clean up the scraps. The fiery young Dutchman has shown his appetite for opportunism and success on many an occasion previously and whilst the weather and track incidents mostly played into his hands Max was also far and away the most comfortable driver in the conditions and deserved his victory for staying cool under pressure.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN BUDAPEST
Despite the fact that it might have taken some extreme weather conditions for the cracks to appear, it does seem safe to say that Ferrari and especially Red Bull have closed the gap quite considerably to Mercedes. It appears that certain tracks and even specific weather conditions (either very hot or wet) tend to give one of the big three the advantage over the other at this stage of the season – now it’s just up to us to try and determine who it will be leading the charge this time around.
This weekend we make our way to the Budapest, Hungary. In the past four editions of this race Vettle and Hamilton have alternated celebrations from the top step with two victories a piece. Verstappen (now with two wins form the last three Grand Prix’s) is expected to keep flying with the track characteristics apparently likely to suit the strengths of his Red Bull. Max has however not enjoyed much success in Budapest having failed to finish on the podium in the past three years.
VERDICT
It started off as team mate Bottas being the most likely to challenge Lewis for supremacy over a race weekend. Fortunately for motor fans Ferrari and Red Bull are fighting back and it appears we could in all likelihood prepare ourselves for a number of shootouts between Hamilton, Verstappen and Leclerc. For mind Vettle and Bottas have made a few too many mistakes in 2019 and will have to take a watching brief for the rest of the season.
Until the moisture arrived the Leclerc was flying in Friday free practice and I think he is the most likely to challenge Lewis for pole. The Dutchy has struggled getting his Bull raging for quali but the team seem capable of getting his race pace right up there with the best of them.
BETOLIMP Bets for the Hungarian Grand Prix:
Fastest Qualifier – Charles Leclerc @ 8.75
To win the race – M Verstappen @ 3.40
Click Here to bet on the Hungarian Grand Prix
Note, prices are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change
