F1: Bryce’s Bets -- Barcelona 2023

Look for Max and Sainz on the podium with a guy who has kind of been MIA of late, namely, Lewis Hamilton

Welcome back to Bryce’s Bets after an interesting Monaco Grand Prix last week.

Max Verstappen won again and Fernando Alonso came in second. Rain came down on the streets of Monaco late in the race, bringing a late twist that Alonso failed to capitalize on when he pitted for dry tires as the rain began instead of intermediate tires.

Verstappen stretched his lead to 39 points over his teammate Sergio Perez after Perez started from the back of the grid and finished 16th.

The racing on Sunday hasn’t been the best lately, but qualifying has been very entertaining. On Saturday, Verstappen cruised to the pole by almost a half-second, but there was plenty of drama behind.

Charles Leclerc had no pace and got knocked out of Q1 for the first time since 2019. He starts 19th. Meanwhile, his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, qualified second. George Russell qualified 12th and after running in the gravel, Perez could only manage 11th on dirty tires. Lando Norris had a superb qualifying as he’ll have his McLaren third on the grid.

The removal of the chicane at the end of the lap should increase tire wear and increase passing as well.

A good week is definitely needed and there should be value with this mixed-up grid. All odds are via SI Sportsbook:

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Carlos Sainz Podium Finish –167

Sainz’s second-place start is much-needed after a rough start to the season for Ferrar, as the Italian team only has one podium so far in 2023. Sainz has a good chance to change this. Starting second, he should have a pace advantage over Lando Norris in third. Bet on Sainz to hold onto at least third and get a podium on his home soil.

Lewis Hamilton Podium Finish –133

This is one of Hamilton’s best tracks, as he has won here six times and has been on the podium 10 times. He looked strong in qualifying and should add another podium by getting past Norris early. Bet on Hamilton to get the job done as he has the pace to finish second if things break right.

Max Verstappen Fastest Lap –125

This bet burned me in Monaco because Verstappen would’ve gotten it but rain came down before he got on new hard tires. Let’s try again because Verstappen has such a pace advantage on the rest of the field. Even if someone was to get on fresh tires at the end of the race, I don’t know if they could top Verstappen. Besides, the midfield is so tight there shouldn’t be a gap to do that.

Nico Hulkenberg Top Ten Finish –110

Hulkenberg has shown surprising pace during the practice and qualifying sessions. He starts seventh and was closer to the top of the charts than usual. If he gets a good start he should have the pace to stay in the top ten.

Season Record: 7-17

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.