Bryce’s Bets: F1 at Monza

One of the season's most iconic races at an equally iconic track could be a race to remember, particularly for Ferrari

The final leg of the triple header is upon. Any Formula One fan should get goosebumps when they see the Tifosi erupt around the 3.5-mile iconic Italian track.

Monza is one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar. This weekend could be a race to remember. Charles Leclerc is starting on pole for Ferrari in their home race. It’s his eighth pole of the season, which is the most for a Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher in 2004.

If Leclerc wins, it will be the third time a Ferrari driver has won at Monza since 2010. Fernando Alonso won in 2010 for Ferrari as well as Leclerc in 2019.

Sunday’s race will feature another mixed grid due to power and gearbox penalties. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton are starting near the back of the grid in 18th and 19th due to penalties. Sergio Perez is starting 13th due to a grid penalty and Max Verstappen is starting seventh after a five place grid penalty.

Therefore, like at Spa, there should be good value with some picks for the race. Before we look at that, let’s look back at the picks from last weekend at Zandvoort. A $ sign means it hit and and a X means the bet did not.

Charles Leclerc to Win, X

One of these days, Ferrari will get it together and win a race I picked for them. Right? Unfortunately, this was not one of those races. Leclerc didn’t have the race pace Verstappen had. Ferrari also lost the strategy battle against Mercedes and therefore Russell finished second and Leclerc third, 10 seconds behind. Verstappen is tough to beat no matter where he starts.

Lance Stroll, Top Ten Finish, $

Stroll had good pace all weekend and was able to stick inside the top 10. The problem betting Stroll is it’s always a nail-biter. He has finished 10th five times and has not finished higher. Oh well, a win is a win right? Especially in a poor betting week like this.

Carlos Sainz, Podium Finish, X

Sainz was screwed by Ferrari. What a shock. Starting third, Sainz was running well in third until he pitted. Ferrari had a horrible pit stop and Sainz lost ten seconds. That took away his chances at a podium. Too bad because he had good pace. That’s Formula One though.

Mick Schumacher, Top 10 Finish, X

Schumacher, like Stroll, had an advantageous starting position in eighth. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the pace and finished 13th. Schumacher is in another scoreless drought as he hasn’t scored a point in four races.

**********

Now, on to Monza! Once again, find the best odds for these picks wherever you can.

Charles Leclerc to Win

Leclerc is starting on pole, where he has started in four out of five career wins. The big threat here is Verstappen who is starting seventh. However, I see Leclerc coming out on top. He’s been faster all weekend than Verstappen and has had success at this track in the past. Verstappen has never won at Monza. Take Leclerc at plus odds to finally get the job done.

Daniel Ricciardo, Top 10 Finish

Ricciardo has had an awful season with only 19 points to his name. But his luck may be changing. After all the grid penalties, Ricciardo is starting fourth. He qualified eighth. Don’t forget he won this race last year. The Australian should have the pace to stay in the top ten. Bet Ricciardo to get some needed points at around –140 odds.

Pierre Gasly, Top 10 Finish

The logic with Ricciardo is the same with Gasly. The Frenchman has had a subpar season but is starting fifth behind Ricciardo. Ideally, they both finish in the top ten. However, if one of them stays in the top ten it will be worth the investment as Gasly is at plus odds to get points.

George Russell, Podium Finish

These are the worst odds of any of these bets but is the safest bet. Russell is starting second and should have the pace to be at the front of the field. The Mercedes is also the most reliable car in the field, so bank on Mr. Consistency to keep the car on the road and get another podium. These odds are above –150 but feel confident you should get your money back.

Last Week: 1-3

Year Record: 23-22

Best of luck and enjoy the race! Continue to follow @AutoRaceDigest on Twitter and read all the best racing content at AutoRacingDigest.com.