Who Will Dominate the Belgian GP This Year?
After about an entire month’s pause in the racing schedule, Formula 1 and its drivers will be back and ready to go at the end of August. The Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled for August 28 in Spa-Francorchamps, Stevelot, which will kick off the second half of the racing season in an exciting fashion. It will be an opportunity for the points leaders to extend their advantage or for drivers to catch up and make up ground in the coming months.
The resumption of the racing slate will also be exciting to fans and those who like to put down money to wager on their favorite drivers. The NY sports betting apps list will have the Belgian Grand Prix as part of its many events to choose from, to complement the soccer, American football, and baseball games that have carried sports fans through the summer.
The race has a lot of historical gravitas, as it has been run since 1925 and usually involves some exciting challenges for its drivers with potential inclement weather and 19 corners. We’ll examine which drivers are most likely to do well at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen
The 2022 Formula 1 season has belonged to Max Verstappen of The Netherlands. Even though there is still a full half of the schedule to go through, he has a commanding 80-point lead over the second-place driver. In addition to the leaderboard advantage, Verstappen also probably has a significant mental edge over anyone he competes against, who may not believe they have what it takes to beat him in a race.
Red Bull Racing has performed very well during the current racing season, as Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez make up two of the top three performers. While Perez has had a solid year, who leads the way for Red Bull is clear. Oddsmakers agree as Verstappen is a -110 favorite to leave the Belgian Grand Prix victorious.
There have been some narratives about the Red Bull team possibly having a different car when the second half of the season begins. Still, until fans see Verstappen negatively impacted by a vehicle switch, most of the money will be on his side.
Lewis Hamilton
While most of the attention is focused on Verstappen, there will be other competitors on August 28 who have a chance at taking him down. Perhaps the most viable candidate to achieve that is Lewis Hamilton. By his standards, he hasn’t had the most extraordinary Formula 1 season, as he finds himself sixth in the overall points rankings. However, Hamilton has been pacing or right at the top of the leaderboard for several years, and it might just be a matter of time before he can regain the form her had in years past.
For someone with such an accomplished resume(120 wins, 212 podiums), Hamilton’s odds for the Belgian Grand Prix can net a winner a solid payday. He is slotted in as a +600 underdog behind Verstappen.
Charles LeClerc
Another driver to remember is Charles Leclerc from Monaco, who races with the Ferrari team. Verstappen concluded the first half strong, winning the final two races before the reprieve. However, the last driver not named Verstappen to win a race was Charles Leclerc, who was triumphant in Austria. Leclerc narrowly edged Verstappen by 1.5 seconds to hold on for the victory.
That confidence might allow him to feel like he can come out on top if he can keep it close with the current leader. Leclerc would also have much to gain, as he is the current second-place driver in the Formula 1-point standings. Like Red Bull, team Ferrari has also had a strong season, with Leclerc holding down second place and teammate Carlos Sainz sitting in fifth. They do have the pedigree to win this race.
