Sunday’s Grand Prix from Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest is a highlight on the Formula 1 calendar. For everyone apart from Australian Daniel Ricciardo that is. Days before this year’s race the popular driver discovered his contract with the McLaren team was being cancelled at the end of the current season.
They say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – let’s hope that is the case with the 33-year-old on Sunday as, on paper, he has a car that should perform exceptionally well on a circuit where full-throttle high-speed racing is the order of the day.
McLaren for a Double Points Finish
The bet we like this race week is for both McLaren cars to finish within the points – otherwise known as a Top-10 finish. Lando Norris, Ricciardo’s teammate, has done this ten times already this season. The departing Australian has only managed four points finishes.
But with his back against the wall and eager to impress in the hope to find a race seat in 2023, we think that Daniel Ricciardo can find some of his old sparkle. The eight-time F1 race winner has an excellent record at this venue. In fact, with a win, second and a third, this is probably his most successful venue.
Vitally, the 2022 McLaren has repeatedly shown its liking for fast-flowing circuits like Spa-Francorchamps. While probably still proving to be a superior car on Sunday, the Ferrari is unlikely to show its best this weekend. It prefers smaller faster venues with plenty of low-speed cornering.
Everything considered bet365′s quote of 7/4 about a ‘double points finish’ for McLaren is risky but the odds of reward surely far outweigh the probability of the outcome.
Forecasting Healthy Finishing Numbers
Elsewhere, there’s reason to think the vast majority of cars will complete the race. Last time, in Hungary, every starter was classified as a race finisher. Sunday’s race-day weather forecasts suggest there will be no rain and temperatures will not go above 25 degrees.
Component busting high temperatures and slippery wet tracks are traditionally the leading factors for race-ending accidents or incidents. With those concerns cast aside, predicting 17.5-plus classified race finishers is not difficult. The proposition can be backed at even-money with bet365. It’s a fair bet at a fair price.
* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.