Given that we are just 5 races into the 2022 Formula 1 season, the standings as they look now, while surprising, are not necessarily how they are going to look at the end. One thing that does look certain, even at this early stage, is that Lewis Hamilton is once again going to miss out on his record setting 8th world championship. He is well off the pace and has basically been a non-factor in the majority of the races run this season. We have a surprise leader at the top of the driver standings, which we will get to in a moment, but there are signs that the battle for top spot is tightening up, and it may well get a little closer this weekend in Spain. This is a huge race for the guys at the top, so let’s take a look at the current favorites along with their Formula 1 Odds.
F1 Betting Odds, Analysis and Predictions for the 2022 Spanish GP Race
Max Verstappen (+111)
The defending champion has certainly not seen things go his way in the early part of the season, but there are signs that we might be about to see a reversal of fortunes for Verstappen. He has now won 2 in a row and 3 of his last 5 and looks to be rounding into form. That said, a poor showing in Bahrain and an inability to finish in Australia means that he is still sitting 19 points out of first place. There is plenty of time for him to catch up, which he will do if he can maintain his current form. His last 3 races at this track have not resulted in a win, but he has been on the podium all 3 times, so easy to understand why he is in as the favorite.
Charles Leclerc (+127)
After a breakout season in 2019, where he won 2 races and finished 4th overall, Leclerc took a backward step and failed to win a race in the following 2 seasons. There was not really a ton of buzz surrounding him heading into the 2022 season, with the majority of the focus on Verstappen and Hamilton. He made some noise right off the bat, though, winning 2 of the first 3 races of the season and finishing on the podium in 2 others. The big question is now whether he can sustain that level, especially with Verstappen beginning to hit top form. His best finish in Spain was a 4th in this race last season, but we think he can do better this weekend.
Carlos Sainz Jr. (+800)
In the races that Sainz has been able to complete this season, he has landed on the podium all 3 times. In the other 2 races, he was forced to retire, which cost him valuable points. Picking up anything in those races would have made things much more interesting at the top of the drivers standings, but he still has plenty of time to get back in the hunt and move up from his current position of 5th. In terms of betting Sainz to win, you do have to say that it’s a bit of an ask given that he has not won at this level since joining F1 in 2015. A longshot indeed, but stranger things have happened.
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