The summer break is finally over! Formula 1 returns this weekend starting August 26th with the Belgian Grand Prix at the notorious Spa Francorchamps circuit. Who will dominate the second half of the 2022 season?
Can Ferrari get back on track in the points standings? Bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds available when it comes to the high-octane Formula 1 action!
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 23rd, 06:00 A.M. (EST)
With their recent failures and tactical catastrophes, Ferrari are on the back foot this weekend even with the oddsmakers. The odds, as is to be expected, are in favour of Max Verstappen taking home the victory this weekend with him priced at 1.83. Following close behind is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who recently proved to be prone to errors and mishaps. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise he is priced at 4.50 for the Belgian GP.
The race itself will be held at one of the oldest and most iconic circuits of all time, the famous Spa Francorchamps circuit. This 7.004km long circuit is one of the longest on the calendar numbering 44 laps over the course of the 308km long race.
The first ever Grand Prix to be held at this circuit dates all the way back to the 1950s. Some of the most prominent names to win at this track include: Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Jacky Ickx among others.
While certainly one of the most popular tracks, Spa Francorchamps also goes as one of the most dangerous circuits on the F1 calendar. A sad reminder of this is the 2019 accident between Juan Manuel Correa and Anthoine Hubert where the French driver sadly lost his life. A tragedy that will never be forgotten.
With the end of the one month long summer break, the drivers have recharged their batteries and the teams had plenty of time to assess their shortcomings for the second half of the 2022 season.
One of the teams that struggled the most is Scuderia Ferrari with strategy and tire compounds this season. Proving especially difficult for them is the hard compound tire C3 that doesn’t seem to work all that well with the Italian Prancing Horse. If Ferrari is to challenge for the title and end their run of misfortunes, it would be wise of them to assess these issues and overcome them for the second half of the season.
Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto stated in a press release that “the team needs no personnel changes” and that everything is “working as it should be”. A statement that is not very encouraging given their recent results and overall performance. What Ferrari have done during the summer break remains to be seen.
Another team to watch out for is Alpine. With the recent drama over their driver lineup for the 2023 season and the fact that Fernando Alonso decided to leave the team, it will be interesting to see how the team works given this rather damaged relationship. Will Esteban Ocon be the No. 1 driver from now on? Or will Alonso refuse to listen to team orders and drive his own race? One thing’s for sure though, there will be drama for the second half of the season!
