F1 Tips:
Qualifying Winning Car – Ferrari
#WhatOddsPaddy – Red Bull to Win the Race & Charles Leclerc to Finish on the Podium
Top 10 Finish – Nico Hulkenberg
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
It’s finally time for Formula 1’s big gamble on a third Grand Prix in the United States of America as the roadshow heads to Sin City.
Max Verstappen will be hoping to win big for the 18th time of an incredible campaign that has seen the Red Bull superstar smash records left, right and centre.
A temporary street circuit including the world famous Las Vegas Strip – which looks like Spider Pig from that scene in the Simpsons movie – has been created for the penultimate race week of the 2023 season.
It might be a historic weekend for Red Bull as ‘King of the Streets’ Sergio Perez could seal second place in the drivers’ standings thus securing the team’s first ever 1-2 in the championship.
Because Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, qualifying and the race takes place at night time a day earlier than usual, which – thanks to those pesky time zones – means we’ll have to get up fairly early to catch all the action. Yay…
I’ve taken a look at Paddy Power’s odds for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and picked out a few fine fancies for the most-anticipated weekend of the season. Let’s go!
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Qualifying: Saturday 8am
Race: Sunday 6am
TV: Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports F1
Qualifying Winning Car – Ferrari
Ferrari should really be second in the constructors’ championship but a whole host of issues – both self-inflicted and out of their control – leaves them playing catch-up to Mercedes in the battle for best of the rest behind Red Bull.
Las Vegas is their chance to drastically reduce the 20-point deficit to the Silver Arrows, and the Scuderia should enjoy a positive weekend thanks to the cooler temperatures reducing their tyre issues and the track layout suiting the SF-23.
Crucially, we know Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr are capable of producing the goods over one lap as they have claimed four poles between them in the last seven Grands Prix of the season.
As well as their recent good form in qualifying, the tracks that appear to be most similar to Las Vegas are Baku and Monza – and which team claimed pole position for those two races this season? Yep, you guessed it, Ferrari.
#WhatOddsPaddy – Red Bull to Win the Race & Charles Leclerc to Finish on the Podium
You really have to feel sorry for Charles Leclerc. A hydraulics failure saw him fail to complete the formation lap in Brazil, just two weeks after being disqualified following a third-place finish in the United States Grand Prix.
As previously mentioned, Ferrari should really be challenging this weekend and I would marginally fancy Leclerc to start ahead of his team-mate on the grid and be in the better position to step foot on the podium.
Red Bull have won 19 of this season’s 20 races so far and I expect the constructors’ champions to add another victory to their tally. Despite this being a step into the unknown, the RB19 has proved versatile enough to cope with different track layouts, temperatures and air density levels.
Max Verstappen is currently the best driver on the grid so you would be confident the three-time world champion will quickly get to grips with Las Vegas. Sergio Perez has failed to finish in the top three in the last six races, but he could also be in with a shot at taking the chequered flag as has a superb record on street circuits and won in Baku in the early weeks of the season.
Top 10 Finish – Nico Hulkenberg
Yeah, you’ve read that right. A Haas car to score at least a point in their third and final home race of the season. It’s a bit of a long shot but there’s logic to my madness…
There’s two things we know about their car – it’s quick in a straight line and its tyres go off quicker than milk in the sun.
The cooler temperatures offered by the Las Vegas night time should ensure the worst car on the grid keeps its boots in the right window for long enough not to lose position and the track layout could suit thanks to the long straights.
Although Nico Hulkenberg has scored points in just one race and one sprint race this season, the German has thoroughly outperformed team-mate Kevin Magnussen in qualifying and has been on the fringes of the top 10 in recent weeks.
Las Vegas Grand Prix Tips:
Qualifying Winning Car – Ferrari
#WhatOddsPaddy – Red Bull to Win the Race & Charles Leclerc to Finish on the Podium
Top 10 Finish – Nico Hulkenberg
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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