F1 returns to the Nurburgring this weekend, with the historic venue hosting its first Grand Prix since 2013. Red Bull claimed victory seven years ago, and with conditions potentially wet throughout the weekend, could history repeat itself?
This weekend is another chance for Lewis Hamilton to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race victories. After a disastrous weekend in Russia, the Brit will be hoping to bounce back in style.
Historic Hamilton the Obvious Favourite
It’s no surprise Hamilton is a strong favourite to bounce back from his woes in Russia. The Brit had an extremely unfortunate time of things in Sochi, with his team giving him the green light to perform a practice start in a less than desirable spot. A rather harsh 10-second penalty was handed down, which gave team-mate Valterri Bottas the golden highway to victory.
Bottas was certainly flattered, with Hamilton sticking his Mercedes on pole by over half a second just 24 hours prior. Hamilton should readily strike back against his team-mate at a venue he’s familiar with.
Hamilton took victory at the Nurburgring back in 2011 and despite a shambolic race in 2019 at the Hockenheimring, he’s still a four-time winner in Germany overall. He can call upon a wealth of Nurburgring experience, unlike all his main dangers, and the potential for changeable conditions is far from a hindrance.
At 10/19, he’s the obvious pole-sitter, and his price of 4/9 for the race victory, is no real surprise either.
Verstappen can Throw Down the Gauntlet
Max Verstappen has always thrived when the weather has played a role. The Dutch wonderkid has put in some remarkable wet weather performances in his career, outperforming his machinery to match the dominant Mercedes cars.
His drive at the 2016 British Grand Prix in changeable conditions earmarked him as something of a wet master. He confirmed that in Brazil later that year, with one of the drives of his career thanks to an overtaking masterclass.
With the potential for rain to be a factor throughout the weekend, Verstappen is the one most likely to benefit in a Red Bull car that’s well-suited to a downpour. There is a high chance of rain on both Saturday and Sunday, which will be more than enough to get Dutch fans excited.
If the rain does fall on Sunday, his price of 4/1 has to be looked at as the value in the market, which is saturated by Hamilton’s presence. Even if the weather fails to play a role, Verstappen is always a danger lurking in the shadows.
Unappreciated Stroll can Shine
Despite all the negativity surrounding him from much of the F1 faithful, Lance Stroll has had somewhat of a breakout season. The Canadian driver has been afflicted with the ‘Pay Driver’ mantle for much of his career, but has posted some notable performances in 2020.
He’s had some extremely poor luck in recent rounds, with third place potentially on the cards before a tyre failure took him out of contention at the Tuscan Grand Prix. He’d made a blistering start in Russia too, before Charles Leclerc spun him into the wall just one sector into that Grand Prix.
Stroll has form in changeable conditions and always seems to pop up in races where there’s a bit of chaos. He’s outperformed Perez on multiple occasions in 2020 and he looks set for another strong weekend at the Nurburgring.
To finish in the top six on Sunday (9/5) looks a tempting prospect, in a Racing Point that continues to head the midfield.
*All odds correct at time of writing