Hungary For Inspiration

For the second race running, I’m staring blankly at the F1 markets with seemingly no value to be found. Perhaps I need the mid-season break as much as the teams. Facing the prospect of the Hungaroring, I can’t be the only one hoping for dark, thundery skies when the television coverage starts. In the absence of any inspiration from me, I recommend checking out Scott Ferguson’s F1 preview; the most interesting I’ve found this weekend.

British Bits And Bobs

With this weekend’s race looking like little more than a battle between the Red Bulls, I’ve been ploughing through the statistics to see if there is anything that stands out.

Renault Flying in Race Trim

If world championship points were awarded for the top-ten fastest laps of the race, rather than finishing positions, Robert Kubica would be fourth in the world championship. Prior to Monaco, he would have been just eighth. In the last three grand prix, Renault have set the second fastest lap of the race in Monaco and the fastest laps in both Turkey and Canada. The yellow car certainly flies in race trim.

Red Bull Return In Qualifying

Saturdays in 2010 have been all about one team. Although Lewis Hamilton may have taken pole position last time out in Canada, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel still managed second and third on the grid, despite opting to qualify on the harder compound tyre. For me, that is hardly a crashing fall from the the form that has seen them dominate Q3 so far this season; taking all of the previous seven pole positions.

Carnage in Canada

In the eleven races held at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve since I started keeping my records, there have been seventeen safety cars deployed. Only three of those races have seen no safety car at all. Statistically that is more often than any other circuit bar Melbourne, including Monaco.

On The Button In Turkey

It has been a testing week. I entered it knowing exactly how I wanted to play things, by backing Massa to outpoint Alonso before the media previews drew attention to his record around the Turkish circuit. Unfortunately with so few firms pricing up the head-to-heads early and so little liquidity on Betfair, by Thursday I had decided to cancel my unmatched bets and sit things out until the race. Alonso failing to make Q2 – a surprise to me –

Alonso Gamble In Monte Carlo

The starting point for any Monaco GP betting is the Safety Car. Not only its appearance, but the influence that it will have on the race. One common mistake that people make is assuming that the Safety Car is omnipresent at Monaco. In fact it has only been deployed seven times in the last twelve years and in just five of those twelve races.

First Lap Carnage in Catalunya

The old adage states that you can’t win the race at the first corner, but you can lose it. With the prospect of a processional race ahead of them, I just wonder how many drivers will remember this tomorrow. We are reaching that point where establishing supremacy both within your team and with your rivals can set the tone for the rest of season. Will some drivers think that it is time to gamble?

From Lights to Flag in Spain

The Circuit de Catalunya is renowned for being processional. It is the circuit that the teams know best, where car set-up should be as close to optimal as possible and where the layout provides such limited opportunities for passing. This puts more emphasis on qualifying position than any circuit that we have visited so far this season.

Sepang Safety Cars

A difference of opinion between two bookmakers has lead to that all too rare event of a 100% book in the Safety Car market for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. That means that you could back both outcomes and be guaranteed not to lose any money. More pertinently, it means that if you have an opinion in this market, then you can back it safe in the knowledge that you are not paying a margin to the bookmaker.