United States Grand Prix Betting Tips & Preview – Sunday 21st October 2018

Can Lewis Hamilton wrap up the Formula 1 title this weekend? There are still four more races ahead of us, but the British driver has almost got across the line. It’s tough to see him throwing away his lead at this stage, while Sebastian Vettel has looked too shaky in recent weeks to keep the pace.

This season was built up as one with a thrilling title race, but slowly Mercedes have risen to the top yet again.

There’s every chance that Hamilton will wrap up yet another world title with a victory in Austin this weekend, and given his current form, it’s hard to back against him taking maximum points.

Race Info

The United States Grand Prix returned to the sport in 2012 following a four year break and in recent years it’s been dominated by one man. Hamilton won here back in 2007 and has won five more times since the race returned. This is the seventh straight year that Formula 1 has visited the States, and it’s set to play a big part in the final stages of the campaign.

Schedule

Last Season's Result (2017)

Last year saw more joy for Hamilton in the States, and he beat Vettel to maximum points. That win helped Mercedes clinch the constructors’ title, despite Ferrari taking two podium spots. It was a comfortable victory for the British driver, who had a lead of over 10 seconds on his nearest challenger, which extended his lead in the title race.

Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo were the high profile retirees here last year, but Max Verstappen made up for his Red Bull teammate as he finished fourth. Valtteri Bottas rounded off the top five, despite starting from third place in the grid. Following his strong display in the last race, he’ll expect better in this visit to Austin.

Race News: Hamilton Hailed and Schumacher Emerges

Hamilton has been praised by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, ahead of the driver lifting his fifth world title. Wolff took the time to praise, “class act” Hamilton, who is in excellent form. Wolff went on to add that the reigning world champion is, “more complete than ever before”, which is a worrying thought for the rivals who have failed to keep pace with him in years gone by.

Hamilton is reigning champion yet again, but a theme this season has been looking towards the future. Plenty of teams are trying out young talent who could dominate down the line, with Hamilton set to own this era of F1. One man who is aiming to make the step up to F1 level is Mick Schumacher, son of Michael. After his Formula 3 win, he’s tipped to become a future great of the sport, and the young Mercedes driver is another praised by Wolff this week.

Analysis: Title on the Line in Austin

Lewis Hamilton heads into this weekend’s race with the title very much in his hands once again. A fifth world championship would be the mark of a real great, and he has the chance to secure that in the States. The Mercedes man has a 67 point lead over Sebastian Vettel, and that does look like a big enough gap that Hamilton will secure success this season. However, there’s a very real chance of him landing it this weekend.

Hamilton knows that a race win on Sunday would put huge pressure on his rival. If he takes maximum points, then Vettel has to finish second. The Ferrari driver is the only man left who can mathematically catch Hamilton, but if he fails to finish in the top two – like he has done in the last four races – then the advantage falls to the Mercedes man, who could wrap things up with three races to spare.

Final Verdict: Hamilton To Win

We can’t see past Hamilton, especially after winning this race six times. He has won the last four GPs held in Austin, and he’s also won six of the last seven overall this season. That excellent form marks him out as the clear favourite, and we see Hamilton securing the points he needs on Sunday. We think the champion is still well priced at 8/15 to kick on and win here, while he’s been priced down to 1/2 to take pole position in qualifying. We also think Valtteri Bottas can beat Vettel to a top two place, and he’s priced at 4/7 to claim a spot on the podium this week.