Brazilian Grand Prix Predictions: Verstappen can keep advantage in title fight
Formula 1 heads to Brazil for the third leg of a triple-header in the Americas and Max Verstappen will be looking to stay in charge in the championship battle.
Lando Norris cut the Red Bull star's advantage to 47 points in Mexico last week, but with only four race weekends left, including Brazil, the McLaren man is running out of time to close down three-time champ Verstappen.
Tip 1 - Max Verstappen podium finish @ 2/1
Despite qualifying on the front row of the grid in Mexico City, it was a difficult weekend for Verstappen.
The Dutchman missed valuable track time on the Friday with engine issues and that will have contributed to his lack of pace during the race.
Without a chance to learn how his Red Bull would behave while fully fuelled, it was little surprise that the car proved a handful on Sunday.
Verstappen dived into the lead at the start, but was powerless to keep eventual winner Carlos Sainz behind, while the Dutchman got overly aggressive when Norris challenged him and picked up 20 seconds in penalties.
Considering all that, finishing sixth was far from a disaster.
Norris did well to split the Ferraris in finishing second, but, with the scarlet cars having emerged from the recent break as the pacesetters, Norris is up against it.
The McLaren driver needs wins and the big points that come with them if he is to stand a realistic chance of chasing down Verstappen and claiming a first world championship. It also arguably counts against Norris that Brazil is a sprint weekend.
The format, with a single practice session, two qualifyings and two races, has tended to suit Red Bull well, even since their dominance dramatically dropped away in the first half of the season.
Verstappen has won all four of this season's sprints and, while those victories are worth only eight points each, every one Verstappen picks up is a blow to Norris. Verstappen finished third in Texas in the main race of the last sprint weekend, and Interlagos as a circuit is not so dissimilar to Zandvoort, where the Dutchman finished second.
The threat of rain will not worry Verstappen at all, as he has already posted two excellent wet-weather drives this season, winning in Canada and finishing second at Silverstone.
Tip 2 - Over 18.5 finishers @ 7/4
There were three retirements in Mexico City last time, but that was the most there have been since the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix 12 races ago.
The seven races prior to last weekend had all seen at least 19 cars cross the finish line and, while there were 18 classified finishers at Silverstone, only 19 had taken the start. Of the three who failed to finish in Mexico, two were eliminated in a collision before reaching the first corner and, while Interlagos can also see early incidents, the prices make it worth taking the chance everyone will behave themselves this year.
The current crop of cars are extremely robust, and we have seen unprecedented levels of reliability this season.
The last two races have seen the safety car called out, but none of the previous nine had required it to take to the track as the standard of driving has generally been extremely high.
Brazil has had more than its share of eventful races, while the stormy weather forecast also tempers enthusiasm, but that has been factored into the price about more than 18.5 finishers, which looks like value.
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation