Back To The Front in Brazil

After yesterday’s eventful qualifying session, we are left with starting grid that few would have predicted. The headlines will focus on Barrichello finally turning up at his home circuit and Button handling the pressure like only a Brit knows how, but it is the performance of some of the supporting cast that I think gives the best opportunity make some money from the race.

Back To The Future In Brazil

I’ve been scanning through the prices for this weekend in the hope that something leaps off the page. Unfortunately, Brazil doesn’t seem to be a circuit where opportunities are immediately apparent. This caused me to go back and have a look to see if there was anything that was spotted last year that may still be valid.

Suzuka Safety Car Scarcity

This weekend sees Formula 1 make a welcome return to the more familiar surroundings of the Suzuka International Racing Circuit. As well as representing one of the more traditional races on the calendar, it gives us the opportunity to analyse historical data and identify trends.

No Joy for Nico in Singapore

I think that the market has it more or less right for this weekend. My only involvement at this stage is laying Rosberg at 1.9 in the Q3 market.

All of Brawn, Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and very likely Force India will provide extremely tough opposition, and it would be no surprise to see BMW and (to a lesser extent, Toyota) also give the team some headaches in Qualifying.

In recent races, the Williams has looked a pale shadow of the car which started the season, and I think Nico has a major job on to make it into Q3. I think his unrepresentative race here last year is helping to dictate his price, but he is no odds-on poke, as far as I’m concerned.

Finger on the Button at Monza

Kimi Raikkonen’s use of his Kinetic Energy Recovery System – or KERS as it is widely known – was largely responsible for us turning a healthy profit at the last round of the World Championship in Belgium. It looks like the device again has a role to play this weekend, particularly in qualifying.

Podium Punts for Unpredictable Spa

An extremely interesting qualifying session has blown the markets wide open for tomorrow’s race. I’m writing this before the fuel weights are out, but I’m already pretty pleased with my Raikkonen bet. If he can gain a couple of places in the opening laps – utilising his KERS – then I think that he is well placed for a podium finish (unexpected Spa Francochamps occurrences withstanding).

Safety Car Statistics Bet

First things first: I’m not going to try to predict the weather for this weekend. The Spa Francochamps circuit is acknowledged for having its own micro-climate and there have been times where it has felt like that particular corner of Belgium was the only place in Western Europe where rain was falling. A little bit of inclement weather would certainly help anyone interested in this bet though:

Kimi and KERS to Collect at Spa

Kimi Raikkonen likes it at Spa Francochamps: a proper racetrack for a proper drivers. Last year it looked like he was going to make it four wins on the trot at the Belgian circuit, before crashing out on the penultimate lap as the rain began to fall.

Strategy Points to Glock

Timo Glock has made up a net forty-nine positions in ten Grand Prix so far this season. This has been achieved through a strategy of qualifying outside of the top-ten, fuelling heavily and then picking off rivals as they stop for fuel.

Super Sutil to strike in Spain

A bit rushed for time… but BlueSq’s 2/1 for Adrian Sutil to make Q3 here in Valencia looks like an error to me. Forget about him topping the time-sheet in the interrupted FP3, he was also bang in contention in both FP1 and FP2. This indicates that the performance step that he mentioned in previewing the race is really effective around here. Even when looking at the ‘ideal’ lap times that drivers have been able to post in practice – stringing together their best three sectors – Sutil has been inside the top six in every session.