2023 United States Grand Prix Prediction: Formula 1 Betting Odds
Leclerc, the Monaco native, managed to seize the pole in Friday’s qualifying after Max Verstappen saw his top qualifying time deleted for exceeding track limits, dumping this season’s Formula 1 champion to No. 6 on the Sunday grid. Leclerc will be joined on the two front rows by his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., who has reached the podium in two of the past four races. Lando Norris is poised to return to the podium for a third straight race after finishing second to Leclerc in qualifying, but must overcome a somewhat disappointing track record at this event.
Despite his disappointing performance in qualifying, Verstappen remains a clear -175 favourite on the United States Grand Prix betting odds. Norris follows as a +500 bet to earn his first career F1 victory. Norris is joined at +500 by Lewis Hamilton, who will start Sunday’s race alongside Carlo Sainz on the second row, while Leclerc trails the favourites as +600 bet.
Qatar Grand Prix Race Time, Weather Forecast
Lights out at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Cloudy skies and warm temperatures are expected on Sunday, with temperatures forecast to reach into the low-30s Celsius at race time.
Ferrari Sets the Pace in Qualifying
It was a solid qualifying session for the Ferrari on Friday. The duo of Leclerc and Sainz were among the top qualifiers in each of the three qualifying sessions, and their favourable positioning on the grid leaves them well positioned to challenge for the team’s second victory in four races.
Sainz has struggled since claiming the checkered flag in Singapore, tumbling to sixth in Japan and failing to start in Singapore. He has also had limited success in Austin, where he failed to finish last year and has never finished better than sixth in seven appearances.
As for Leclerc, this weekend provides an opportunity for redemption after enduring a disappointing campaign. The 26-year-old has reached the podium just three times this season, and has failed to earn a win in 29 races. However, with both Red Bull and Aston Martin struggling with pace, while enjoying the benefit of teammate Sainz just behind him at lights out, Leclerc could set himself apart from the pack quickly with a fast start on Sunday. Leclerc will likely need a little luck to win on Sunday, but the odds of he and Sainz both reaching the podium are worth jumping on at +900.
Lando Norris Knocking on the Door
Any doubts about the legitimacy of McLaren’s late-season surge should be put to rest in the wake of Lando Norris’ impressive performance in qualifying. The talented Englishman finished second in both Q1 and Q3, leaving him well positioned to take a run at his first win after reaching the podium five times in eight races.
However, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri did not fare as well in qualifying, finishing no better than eighth in Friday’s three sessions, and will start Sunday from the No. 10 spot on the grid. That marks a huge step back for the rookie Australian, who earned podium starts in the past two races after qualifying on the front row in each.
While there is good reason that Norris has emerged as a popular +500 bet to finally reach the top of the podium, expectations for Piastri should be tempered. However, McLaren remains a lucrative +100 bet to produce yet another double top-six finish.
Predictions: Lando Norris to win (+500); Ferrari double podium (+900); McLaren double top-six (+100)