Vettel, Ferrari Hope Momentum Continues in China

Sebastian Vettel’s win in Australia sent a jolt of excitement throughout the Formula 1 world as Ferrari appears to be back where it belongs: competing for the championship. Considering the way the Mercedes cars have dominated the Chinese Grand Prix in recent years, however, a second consecutive win in 2017 will be a difficult task for the Italian outfit.

Vettel won here back in his Red Bull days (2009) and finished third in 2015 and second last season since switching to Ferrari after the 2014 season and comes in at +140 at online shop Bovada.

No surprise on top of the board, however, as Lewis Hamilton comes in at +125 to capture the checkered flag. The Brit has the most wins of any driver at the Shanghai International Circuit with four and Mercedes has won three straight races and four of the last five heading into this year’s edition.

New Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is third on the board at +650 at online shop Bovada. The Finn put together an impressive drive to finish third in Australia after qualifying third and also posted the fastest time in Q2. Personally, I think there’s plenty of value with the Finn and certainly could be throughout the season. He’s a steady, cool driver and his first drive in his new seat proved that he’s ready for a top-tier team in F1.

As far as props are concerned, I really like both Force India drivers (Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon) to finish in the top 10. Both posted top-10 finishes in Australia in the opening race of the campaign and Ocon actually had one of the more thrilling moments of the race to ensure he finished in the points. The Force India car isn’t necessarily one that will compete for podium spots on a weekly basis, but it is one that will compete for points. Considering the talent of the drivers they currently feature and the price for this wager, it might be my favorite one on the Chinese Grand Prix board.

Odds as of April 6 at Bovada