Bryce's Bets: F1 at Hungary

F1 is back on-track and our resident prognosticator is also back with his picks for Sunday's race

Welcome back to Bryce’s Bets! After a thrilling qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton is on pole for the first time since Saudi Arabia in 2021. He beat out Max Verstappen by .003 seconds and Lando Norris by less than a tenth of a second.

McLaren looks strong again, with Norris in third and Oscar Piastri in fourth. There were questions about how their pace would translate to a track with slower corners, but McLaren has shown they’re ready to fight for podiums at any track.

Alfa Romeo had their best qualifying of the season and one of their best qualifying sessions in recent memory. Zhou Guanyu starts fifth and Valtteri Bottas starts seventh. A double points finish is sorely needed for the fight for seventh in the constructors’ championship.

There were a few front-runners who struggled in qualifying. Sergio Perez got into Q3 for the first time since Miami but he starts only ninth. George Russell ran into some lapped traffic and he starts 18th. Carlos Sainz starts 11th in his Ferrari.

It should be an interesting race and it looks like the best opportunity for the first non-Red Bull car to win this season.

If a Mercedes or McLaren were to win, it would stop Red Bull’s streak of 11 consecutive race wins, which is tied for most all-time with McLaren in 1988. Verstappen is also looking for his seventh consecutive win, which would tie him for second all-time.

For the bets, all odds are taken from SI Sportsbook:

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George Russell Top Ten Finish –188

Russell had a disastrous qualifying session, but there is pace in the car as his teammate is on pole. The young British driver is better than 18th and he should be able to find himself in the top ten with his pace and some great strategy by Mercedes. It is tough to pass at Hungary but bet on Russell to navigate the back markers and get some points for Mercedes.

Lando Norris Podium Finish –158

Norris and his McLaren have been ultra-quick in the past two races. Third place shouldn’t be too hard to hold especially since he was less than a tenth behind polesitter Hamilton. It also helps that he has his teammate and Zhou behind him in fourth and fifth. Bet on Norris to get back-to-back podium finishes to move himself up in the championship standings.

Fernando Alonso Top Six Finish –188

I’m a bit disappointed in Alonso. I thought he would be a lot closer to the front row but he is starting eighth. But the good thing with Alonso is he almost always outperforms his qualifying position. Expect him to get by both Alfa Romeo’s and finish in the top six, something he has done in eight out of 10 races.

Zhou Guanyu Top Ten Finish –222

The Chinese driver is starting fifth so he should be able to score points from a great position on a track where it’s hard to pass on. Bet on Zhou to show the pace he did in qualifying and score some needed points for himself and Alfa Romeo.

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Season Record: 10-22

We're also looking to improve our season record, so this could be a very pivotal race not only for the drivers but also for us bettors.

Best of luck betting and enjoy the race! Be sure to go to autoracingdigest.com for all your motorsports needs and follow @AutoRaceDigest on Twitter.