Charles Leclerc looks every part a world champion in the making. The Monégasque driver has already secured two race wins and a second from three race starts this campaign. He drives with a maturity way beyond his years, his Ferrari is extremely quick and, so far, it has been very reliable. Before we get onto our Imola GP bets, now looks like a good time to bet on Charles to become champ.
Charles Leclerc to win the F1 Drivers Championship – 8/13 at Betfair Sportsbook
Red Bull Unreliable So Far
So far in 2022 reliability and Red Bull do not belong in the same sentence. The team has been vague on explaining the reasoning behind the two non-finishes endured by their number one driver, Max Verstappen. He is now 46 points adrift of Leclerc in the World Drivers’ Championship standings.
But Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko has declared the weight of their car is problematic. He recently told an Austrian TV channel they are conceding 10 kilos to Ferrari. In Formula 1, this represents a lot of bulk to lose and a lot of lost time in performance.
Helmut Marko confirms Red Bull upgrades for Imola:
“We take this risk of bringing new parts with just one practice session. We want to attack fully and see our chance instead of just waiting.
Ferrari and Leclerc are too strong for that”.— FormulaRacers (@formularacers_) April 20, 2022
Consequently, this week’s two Formula 1 bets are Charles Leclerc to win the World Drivers’ Championship and Ferrari to also win the World Constructors’ Championship. It is an even-money proposition with bet365* (and others).
Leclerc to win the Drivers’ & Ferrari to win the Constructors – Evens (1/1) at bet365*
Imola GP Bets – Leclerc to Take Fourth 2022 Race Win This Weekend
Shorter-term, Leclerc is the obvious contender for race victory this weekend. The action comes from Imola – the race is titled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – and it is a medium/high downforce track that should very much suit the 2022 Ferrari. He is currently odds of 5/4 with Betfair although you can currently get slightly bigger odds on their exchange at 2.46.
In fact, such is the makeup of the 2022 F1 calendar, it is possible we will not see the best of Red Bull until race number eight in Azerbaijan (June 8). By then, Mercedes may be competitive enough to challenge for race wins but Ferrari could be a proverbial mile clear on points!
Returning to this weekend, Leclerc is a good bet at 5/4 in the race win market. From a betting value perspective, Lando Norris making the top-six is a knockout punt at 2/1 with Betfair.
Charles Leclerc to win Emilia Romagna GP – 5/4 at Betfair Sportsbook
Lando Norris Top 6 Finish – 2/1 at Betfair Sportsbook
McLaren’s Rapid Improvement
McLaren got their season off to a very poor start. They qualified 13th and 18th in Bahrain. They finished 14th and 15th. Qualifying 11th and 12th in Saudi Arabia, Lando Norris fared best of the team’s drivers in the race, he finished seventh.
There was further improvement in Australia last time. The McLaren’s qualified 4th and 7th and ultimately finished 5th and 6th. This is a car that is clearly improving quickly. 2021 results showed us Norris is the faster of McLaren’s two drivers and he finished an excellent third at this venue last season.
With just two retirements from 45 races – neither being his fault – Norris is also reliable. So, he is an obvious F1 bet at odds of 2/1 to finish in the top-six at Imola this Sunday.
Lando Norris Top 6 Finish – 2/1 at Betfair Sportsbook
Recommended Imola GP Bets
Leclerc to win the Drivers & Ferrari to win the Constructors – 1/1 at bet365*
Charles Leclerc to win the Imola Grand Prix on Sunday – 5/4 at Betfair Sportsbook
Landon Norris to finish in the top-six on Sunday – 2/1 at Betfair Sportsbook
* Imola F1 odds correct at the time of article publication. All Formula One betting odds are subject to constant fluctuations.
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