Formula 1 US Grand Prix Sprint Betting Preview

Formula 1 is back, and this weekend’s United States Grand Prix Sprint kicks off a triple-header.

Max Verstappen collected his third world title in Qatar and now the attention turns to the race for second place in the drivers’ standings.

Sergio Perez is 30 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton with five races remaining including this weekend’s Sprint at the Circuit of Americas. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso also has a shout of claiming second position as he’s just 41 points behind Perez.

Let’s get into our betting preview by starting with the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track in Austin, Texas.

The Track

The purpose-built Formula 1 track hosted its first race in 2012. Famed F1 track designer Herman Tilke’s engineering company mapped it out and COTA draws inspiration from Silverstone’s Maggotts and Becketts and Istanbul’s Turn Eight.

The steep rise to the first turn is a unique feature and the 5.5km track features a 1090m flat-out section. The drivers are on full throttle for close to 60% of the lap. COTA is one of nine tracks on the calendar that is fully anticlockwise.

The track requires medium downforce and has a mix of medium and fast sections. The final sector is dominated by slow-speed sections and this could play into the hands of cars like the Mercedes and Ferrari.

The maximum speed reached by drivers is close to 330km/h and like in former years, we’re likely to see many overtaking opportunities this weekend.

Will Max Have It His Way?

McLaren has easily been the most improved team of the season so far. After a disastrous pre-season testing session the Papaya-coloured team finished fifth in the championship and closed in on Aston Martin.

Norris and Piastri will look to build on their double podium finish in Qatar, and the MCL23 will be strong around COTA.

Norris said: ” I spent some time in the sim preparing for the next three races, seeing where else we can improve. It’ll be a challenge, but we’re determined to bring back some more points for the team.”
However, the layout of the track could suit the Mercedes and Ferrari more than the McLaren. We expect to see Hamilton use his experience from his past wins at COTA to come to the fore and finish ahead of the McLarens and Ferraris.

Max Verstappen is our clear favourite with the RB19 suited to the fast sections in the first and second sectors. Verstappen has shown how fast the car is in slow-speed sections too, and we’re likely to see the Dutch driver dominate by a large margin. 

Look out for Alex Albon to finish in the top 10 and the likes of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon to perform well in Austin.

Many teams have brought upgrades to COTA, none more so than Haas. The American team is running a new front wing and many other changes. Gunter Steiner will put pressure on his drivers to score points in Austin. The team has been disappointing this year, despite their experienced driver line-up.

The Fight For Second Place In The Constructors’ Championship

28 points separate Mercedes and Ferrari in the constructors’ championship and the former will hope their drivers don’t crash into each other like what happened in Qatar.

Team principal Toto Wolff said: “The battle for second in the Constructors’ has become more intense in recent races. We will keep our heads down, keep pushing, and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage.”

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will look to claw back the deficit and earn more prize money for the Scuderia.

Austin’s unpredictable weather

According to McLaren’s race preview: ” (The) drivers have to contend with diverse weather conditions. The temperature in Austin has been known to fluctuate from cold to blistering hot in the past, with lengthy dry spells and heavy rainfall not uncommon.”

Predictions

Sprint winner – Verstappen
Sprint podium – Verstappen, Hamilton, Sainz
Winner – Verstappen
Podium – Verstappen, Russell, Sainz
Fastest lap: Hamilton
First to retire: Tsunoda
Most Team Points: Mercedes
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Mercedes
Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Verstappen/ Red Bull
Safety Car: Yes
Top 6: Gasly, Russell, Hamilton
Top 10: Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Hulkenberg
Winning margin: Over 5 seconds
Number of classified finishers: 18

Sean Parker

Sean Parker is a motorsport journalist and sports content creator at The South African. He has worked for the country's premier motoring publications, and is a Formula 1 contributor to Bet.co.za, the Bet Central podcast, and Vision View Sports radio.