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F1 Italian Grand Prix Betting

FORMULA ONE – ITALIAN GRAND PRIX BETTING – 14th SEPTEMBER

In a controversial decision, Lewis Hamilton was stripped of his victory in the Belgian Grand Prix. After reviewing footage of his duel with Kimi Raikkonen in which he cut the corner of the chicane before overtaking the Ferrari, stewards added twenty-five seconds to Hamilton’s race time, despite the McLaren slowing to let Raikkonen retake his lead. As a result, Hamilton was demoted to third, with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa given the race victory. Raikkonen pointedly refused to absolve his rival of any wrongdoing. Hamilton was adamant that no advantage had been gained after he allowed Raikkonen to retake the lead. McLaren are appealing the ruling which means the final say will belong with the FIA’s International Court of Appeal.

Drivers’ Championship

If the appeal fails, Hamilton’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship will be reduced to two points over Felipe Massa, having amassed 76 points to Massa’s 74. As a result, Massa has been shortened substantially in the betting for the Drivers’ Championship, now a best-priced 6/4 with Stan James, having been an 11/4 chance prior to the Belgian race. Raikkonen, who failed to finish and remains on 57 points, has now been pushed right out to 25/1 with bet365, having been an 11/2 chance prior to the race. BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica, who picked up 3 points in finishing sixth, took his tally for the season to 58 points and third place in the standings. He is a 100/1 chance with skybet for the Drivers’ Championship. Belgium runner-up Nick Heidfeld (49 points) and Hamilton’s McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen (43 points) are respectively, 100/1 and 200/1 with Ladbrokes.

Constructors’ Championship

The result in Belgium has also seen a shake-up in the betting for the Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari (131 points has increased its lead over McLaren (119 points) to twelve. As a result, Ferrari has now shortened to 2/5 (from 4/7) with William Hill, while McLaren has eased to 2/1 (from 7/4 with Ladbrokes). BMW Sauber (107 points), now only 6 points behind Mclaren, in third place, has been shortened to 50/1 with bet365.

The Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix was one of the inaugural Formula One championship races in 1950, and has been held every year since. Monza has been a happy hunting ground for the Ferrari team, with 6 wins in the last 10 renewals, compared with just 2 for McLaren. With the battle for the Drivers’ Championship as close as it is, Ferrari’s superiority at the circuit may prove a decisive factor in the 2008 title race.

Leading Contenders at Monza

Lewis Hamilton
McLaren have insisted that it is business as usual, despite the controversy in the wake of the stewards stripping Lewis Hamilton of victory in the Belgian Grand Prix. CEO Martin Whitmarsh seemed more concerned with the next race at Monza. He said, “We’ve got less than a week to go before the Italian Grand Prix and we’re going to focus on that. We had a good test there and we’re going to make sure we can win in Italy. So that’s the mood – we’re in one of those wars and we’re going to carry on fighting.” Lewis Hamilton (7/4 with sportingbet) has yet to comment and it remains to be seen whether he can find the strength of character to respond with renewed determination following his hugely controversial demotion. It is vital that Hamilton recovers his composure; otherwise what appeared to be an eight-point lead after Belgium may end up as a deficit after Monza.

Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa (2/1 with bet365) is expecting payback from Kimi Raikkonen now that he is in a position to win this year’s Formula One Drivers’ Championship. After helping Raikkonen clinch his maiden championship last season, Massa believes the Finn should reply in kind if a repeat win seems beyond him. Heading into the Italian Grand Prix, Massa trails leader Lewis Hamilton by just two points, with Raikkonen 19 points behind the McLaren star, with just five races remaining, having failed to finish in Belgium. As is customary in Formula One at this point in the year, questions are now being raised as to whether one team-mate will help another. Raikkonen has indicated he will aid Massa’s cause if necessary, if he seems out of the title picture. The Brazilian is fully anticipating Raikkonen’s assistance if it appears that he cannot retain his crown.

Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen (4/1 with 888sport) is refusing to give up on consecutive F1 Drivers’ Championships. The Ferrari star’s hopes of a fourth successive Belgian Grand Prix victory ended with a crash on the penultimate lap, leaving him without a win for nine races. In the closing laps the track conditions proved critical, with the wet conditions seeing the lead change hands three times before Raikkonen’s exit. The disappointed Finn commented, “The arrival of the rain did not help. In such conditions, if you are in front you have to be more cautious as you don’t know how much grip you’ll find in each braking area. It’s the second race in a row I’ve failed to score points. Clearly the championship situation is what it is, but I’m not the sort to give up that easily.” Team boss Stefano Domenicali, looking forward to the Italian Grand prix, at Monza, said, “We are very disappointed for Kimi. He drove a great race and deserved the win, especially at this rather difficult time.
Now we must maintain maximum concentration and prepare as well as possible for the forthcoming races, starting at Monza.”

Robert Kubica / Nick Heidfeld
Heidfeld (40/1 with sportingbet) finished runner-up in Belgium, with Kubica (25/1 with sportingbet) in sixth place, giving BMW Sauber a total haul of 11 points, taking them to within 6 points of McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. Having been the third best team throughout 2007, both drivers will be flat out to catch the second-placed team. Monza is special for Kubica in particular, having grown up as a driver in Italy and achieving his first podium finish in 2006 in only his third Grand Prix.

All odds correct at time of writing. Please click here for the latest odds