F1 Belgian Grand Prix Betting
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX BETTING – 7th SEPTEMBER
Drivers’ Championship
With two-thirds of the season gone, the 2008 Formula One Drivers’ Championship has resolved itself into a three-way contest, with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton leading the way with 70 points (best-priced 4/6 with sportingbet to take the title), pursued by Ferrari’s Valencia winner Felipe Massa (64 points), who is an 11/4 chance with Paddy Power and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen (57 points), a best-priced 11/2 with skybet. The BMW Sauber drivers Robert Kubica (55 points) and Nick Heidfeld (41 points) have been dismissed by the bookmakers, offers of 80/1 and 200/1 being available with skybet and Ladbrokes respectively. The same applies to Hamilton’s team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, a 150/1 chance with vcbet.
Constructors’ Championship
Given the dominance of their drivers, the Constructors’ Championship is a head-to-head affair between Ferrari (121 points), 4/7 with Ladbrokes and McLaren (113 points), 7/4 with skybet. The leading pair have drawn clear of BMW Sauber (96 points, and 66/1 with skybet), while Toyota languishes in 4th place, with a mere 41 points.
Leading Contenders in Belgium
Lewis Hamilton
Championship leader, Lewis Hamilton, will be fit to race in the Belgian GP despite almost missing the Valencia Grand Prix. Hamilton suffered severe neck pain that almost sidelined him in Spain, resulting in him needing pain-killing injections in order to compete in qualifying and the race itself. Hamilton is confident he can cap only his second season in Formula One with the World Drivers’ title. He is of the opinion that this season he has matured, and feels a lot stronger than at the corresponding point last season. He points to his drive in the European Grand Prix, at Valencia, as evidence of a more relaxed approach, with a knowledge of exactly what is required. Hamilton said, “Last year I would have been at this race [in Valencia] and I would have just driven my heart out not really knowing, not really thinking exactly why. I just wanted to win and was not thinking how the points were going to work.” skybet has Hamilton as a best-priced 2/1 favourite for success in Belgium. McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh considers the next two events in Belgium and Italy as pivotal to the challenges of both the team and the British driver. Hamilton lost last year’s title battle in the final race of the season and Whitmarsh realises that a “points cushion” would be a valuable asset in the final races of the season. In order to maximise their winning chance at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, McLaren will race new aerodynamic developments, hoping to 23-year-old Hamilton the upper hand.
Felipe Massa
With six races remaining in this year’s campaign Massa is firmly in the title hunt, in second place behind Lewis Hamilton. However, the Ferrari driver could have lead the title race, but for an engine failure robbing him of victory and 10 points at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Massa was very strong in the second half of last season, has performed consistently this season and is sure to mount a formidable challenge. For the remaining races, there are some circuits on which Ferrari has performed better than McLaren and the Drivers’ Championship again looks like being a closely-fought affair. Massa is a best-priced 9/4 with 888sport for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali is convinced Kimi Raikkonen will return to form in time to salvage his title campaign. Raikkonen is currently 3rd in the standings, some 13 points adrift of the leader, having failed to finish in Valencia. His lack of recent winning form (his last win was at Barcelona in April) has the media questioning his motivation and suggesting that Ferrari should focus their efforts on team-mate Felipe Massa. Domenicali also took some of the blame for Raikkonen’s lacklustre results, stating that Ferrari need to give the reigning champion a car in which he can be confident, in order for him to resume winning ways. This view was backed up by Felipe Massa, who denied claims that Raikkonen is out of the title race, saying his team-mate only needs two or three good races to be back in the hunt. Raikonnen is a best-priced 9/4 with Stan James for success in Belgium.
Robert Kubica / Heikki Kovalainen
Despite picking up his first podium finish in Valencia, BMW Sauber driver Kubica finished well adrift of the winner and along with Hamilton’s McLaren team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen, is likely to play only a supporting role as the battle for the Drivers’ Championship really hots up. They are best-priced at 25/1 and 20/1 respectively, with sportingbet, for success at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds
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