After a week off, the Formula 1 roadshow is back this weekend. The venue is the world-famous Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, and here we look at who will win the race and give you our free 2022 French Grand Prix betting picks.
Can you believe that it’s been two races without a win for Max Verstappen? The Dutch world champion was running away with the 2022 F1 Championship just over a month ago, having just won the Canadian Grand Prix – his sixth win in the opening nine races.
Fast forward four weeks, and after wins for Ferrari at both the British and Austrian Grand Prix races, all of a sudden all is not as rosy as previous in the Red Bull rose garden. Fortunately for Verstappen, the two wins were shared between the Ferreri drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr (British) and Charles Leclerc (Austria), meaning he still holds a commanding lead in the Driver’s Championship.
The defending champion has 208 points, 38 more than Leclerc in second place and 57 more than his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the third position.
Verstappen also managed to limit the damage at the Red Bull Ring in Austria by finishing second and claiming the sprint and the fastest lap.
2022 Driver’s Championship Betting Odds
What the Ferrari resurgence has done is put a bit of doubt in the minds of Verstappen and his Red Bullteam.
A month ago, it looked like a procession, now it isn’t. Back-to-back championships was also a done deal with the best Formula 1 betting sites, as Verstappen was -1000 to win the 2022 championship. He is now -359 with Xbet and -350 with BetOnline. That’s a fair shift in the latest F1 vegas betting odds.
Hi closest championship rival is Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver is +300.
Despite podium finishes in his last three races, seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton is a massive +4000 to win an eighth world title. The best Formula One betting sites don’t think the Mercedes car is up to the levels of the Red Bulls and the Ferraris.
French Grand Prix; Where, When, and What Time?
This is the twelfth race of the 2022 season and is the third leg of the hectic European section of the schedule. The race has a 3 pm local start, which is 9 am ET. Not the best start time on a Sunday for us in this time zone, but it could be worse.
What; 2022 French Grand Prix
Where; Circuit Paul Ricard, Var, France
When; Sunday, July 24th, 2022
Time; 9 am ET
Last season this race was won by Max Verstappen, who also started in pole position. It was race 7 in 2021 and was the first of a three-race winning streak for the Dutchman that saw him establish control of the drivers’ championship early on in the season.
Who Is Favorite To Win the 2022 French Grand Prix?
No surprise to find that Max Verstappen is the favorite to win the 2022 French Grand Prix. In the latest Formula 1 betting odds, the Dutchman is +110 with Bovada, with Charles Leclerc next in the betting at +137. The gap between the top two in the betting has closed, as Verstappen was odds on in the previous two races.
After his string of third-place finishes, Lewis Hamilton now seems to have established himself as the best of the rest. The Mercedes driver is the third favorite in the betting at +800.
French Grand Prix Picks
In general, it’s a two-horse race between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc these days. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to wait until the first couple of practice sessions have taken place to see which of the Ferrari or Red Bull cars is performing better. As that is what it’s likely to come down to.
That said, it’s rare to see Max Verstappen at odds against. And in a season that has seen him finish first in more than half of the races (six from eleven), it could be that he’s due a win.
The Red Bull team will be keen to re-establish authority over Ferrari after losing the last two races to their main rivals this season. So I think a bet on Verstappen at odds against is a worthwhile pick. At the same time, if you want to wait and see which car is performing better, then that’s fair enough.
Elsewhere, and our side bet. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is +1400 and looks the driver best placed to break into the top two. He may well be behind Lewis Hamilton in the betting, but he looks better value.
In his last five races, Perez has won in Monaco and finished second at both the Azerbaijan and British GPs. The Mexican recorded DNFs in both Canada and Austria. But essentially, when he’s finished, he’s beaten Hamilton lately. So I think that makes Perez a better outside pick.
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