F1 Podium: Three Bets for the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton may have wrapped up the drivers championship in the most recent Formula 1 race at Mexico, but he’s not the favorite this week at the Brazilian Grand Prix. That honor belongs to Sebastian Vettel, the active wins leader at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

The German driver is a +175 favorite on Sunday to win his fourth career Brazilian Grand Prix, just ahead of Hamilton (+187) on the odds table. There’s still plenty to race for, even though Hamilton has sewn up the individual championship. Mercedes and Ferrari are still battling for the constructors title, while the rest of the teams and drivers jockey for finishing position. 

Below, I’ve outlined my three best bets for the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix:

P1: Valtteri Bottas Podium Finish (-120)

Bottas started from the pole position at this race last year, ultimately finishing runner-up to Vettel. In addition to his past success on this track, there’s a feeling that Mercedes will be trying to “repay” Bottas for playing second fiddle to Hamilton this season – most notably letting Hamilton overtake him in the Russian Grand Prix. 

Bottas has not finished atop the podium this year and it’s believed that it is a priority for Mercedes to get him at least one win over the final two races on the calendar. Mercedes has traditionally been the strongest team on this circuit, so betting Bottas to finish top three is a smart play. If you want to live a little, Bottas to win at +600 carries excellent value based on the argument above.  

P2: Vettel and Verstappen Combination Podium Finish (+200)

At worst, this is a great hedge for the Bottas bet above, and at best it’s a perfect trifecta. Sebastian Vettel is the betting favorite and has won three times previously at Sao Paulo. The wildly popular Dutchman, Verstappen, has been in the top three in each of the three races leading up to Brazil and currently sits fifth in the overall driver standings. 

Verstappen qualified fourth in 2017 and finished on the podium in the 2016 race. At +200, I’m quite happy to get the Double Vs for a combination podium finish.

P3: Sebastian Vettel to Win (+175)

How do you not make a bet on the active wins leader at a current track at +175? With Hamilton likely to play second fiddle to Bottas for at least this week, Vettel becomes a big favorite in my mind. Any chance to get Vettel (or Hamilton, for that matter) at plus-money to win a Formula 1 race, it’s a good bet. 

Below, you can see the entire odds table to win the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix:

Odds as of November 8 at Bet365