Monaco GP one of the toughest events to predict

Formula 1 heads out of Spain to the Circuit de Monaco for this year’s running of the Monaco Grand Prix.  All eyes will be on championship front runners Sebastian Vettel & Lewis Hamilton as they vie for the season’s lead on the streets of Monte Carlo.

As it stands, Vettel holds a slim 6 point lead over 2nd place Hamilton after the Brit took the checkered flag in Spain.  So committed was Hamilton to triumph, he forewent any drinks in his car to save weight & lost 4 ½ pounds during his 95 minute tear around The Circuit de Catalunya.

Stories to take not of heading into Monaco include Stoffel Vandoorne, who in line to receive a grid penalty for an Accident with Felipe Massa in Catalunya’s turn 1.  Additionally, the young Belgian will accrue two penalty points on his FIA super license.   Shifting over to team McLaren, Fernando Alonso will not be making the trip with his Formula 1 team, he instead will be racing in the Indianapolis 500.  It’s worth noting that team McLaren is the only F1 crew without a single point in the 1st 5 races of the season and losing Alonso will certainly not help.  Luckily the track layout does benefit McLaren and their surprisingly underpowered

Honda engines.  Due in large part to its smaller & tighter drive, success at Monaco is less dependent on engine output.  Oddsmakers, however, don’t expect much and have Alonso’s replacement, semi-retired Jenson Button, a deep underdog at 300/1.

The Monaco GP remains not only the most prestigious event on the Formula 1 schedule, it’s also one of the toughest to predict.  Despite being the slowest track on the calendar, it is also the most technical & dangerous, naturally making it the most unpredictable as well.  Since 1950, 28 of the previous 63 races have been won by the pole position with more than 60% of winners coming out of the front row of the starting grid. A quick review of the odds over at Bet365 helps us make some sense of what to expect beyond historical stats, posting Hamilton as a slight 5/4 favorite over Vettel at 11/8.  The remaining top 5 mirror current Formula 1 standings with Bottas 8/1, Raikkonen 14/1 & Red Bull Racing’s Ricciardo 14/1.  Something else to consider are the odds for Hamilton to win the Drivers’ World Championship are actually better at 4/6, than those of Vettel at 11/8, despite being down in the F1 standings.  Sportsbooks will offer competitive odds, before you place a wager check out this list of trusted betting sites to review a full list of odds for Monaco and every other race this season.  Included are odds for the Constructors’ Championship as well, with Mercedes leading the charge at 2/5.

Looking ahead to Sunday the 28th a few things are certain.  One being that Vettel must shake off Ferrari’s string of bad luck on a track where the Italians haven’t seen a win in some time.  With Hamilton’s record breaking win last year & coming off a top finish in Spain, momentum will surely be on his side as he looks to jump ahead in the F1 standings.

As if coming off his 55th win wasn’t enough, Hamilton also secured his 12th hat trick, passing Jim Clark for sole possession of 2nd most behind Mr. Schumacher in the Formula 1 record

books. After putting a rough day in Russia last month behind him and overcoming a less than stellar start at the pole in Spain, it’s clear Hamilton’s stock is trending upward.  He has been a force to be reckoned with for many years now and Monaco will only serve to further his ascension toward the 2017 Driver’s World Championship.

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