Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grand Prix Grand Prix Predictions, Formula 1 Odds
Little mystery remains going into the final race of the year. Max Verstappen clinched a third F1 title two months ago, and has also claimed the checkered flag in past three editions of this race. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is also assured of a second-place finish, and Lewis Hamilton has sown up third place. However, just 12 points separate four drivers battling for fourth place, and Mercedes leads Ferrari by just four points in the race for second place in the F1 Constructors Standings.
As expected, Verstappen enters the weekend perched as a heavy -350 favourite to wrap up an epic campaign with a record-setting 19th win of the season. Despite turning in a disappointing performance last weekend in Las Vegas, Lando Norris sits second on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix odds as a +800 bet, and Charles Leclerc rounds out the front of the pack at +1200.
Check out our Formula 1 odds for all the props.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Time, Weather Forecast
Lights out at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled for 8:00am ET on Sunday morning on the Yas Marina Circuit. Weather is not expected to be a forecast, with sunny skies and temperatures in high 20s Celsius forecast for race time.
Sainz Dodges a Bullet in Practice
For the second time in as many weeks, Carlos Sainz Jr. was forced out of FP2 due to a collision. Last week in Las Vegas, the Ferrari driver was bounced from practice in spectacular fashion after hitting a faulty manhole cover that caused catastrophic damage to his car, and forced him to incur a 10-spot grid penalty for making necessary car part changes.
On Friday morning, Sainz spun out on his first lap of FP2, hitting a wall, and sparking the first of two red flags during the session. However, with Ferrari already planning to change parts ahead of Sunday’s race, it looks as if Sainz will avoid a penalty this time around.
That is great news for the Prancing Horse as the they seek to overtake Mercedes in the F1 Constructors Standings. Despite last week’s crash, Sainz enjoyed an impressive weekend in Las Vegas, finishing second in qualifying and storming from 12th to sixth on race day. Pegged as an attractive +2500 bet to win on Sunday, and a +450 bet to reach the podium in Abu Dhabi for the second time in three years, Sainz’ success will be crucial to Ferrari’s bid to close the four-point gap between them and the second-place Silver Arrows.
Can Lando Rebound in the F1 Season Finale
Things started out poorly for Lando Norris in Las Vegas, and ended with the McLaren driver crashing out on race day, ending a run of five straight top-five finishes including four trips to the podium. Norris had little positive to say on Friday about his performance in practice despite finishing FP2 trailing only Max Verstappen.
That raises concerns about possible technical issues that could be plaguing the British team. But while Norris has never finished better than sixth in Abu Dhabi, his impressive late-season performance makes him hard to overlook. And with McLaren sitting just 11 points ahead of Aston Martin in the race for fourth place, and rookie teammate Oscar Piastri picking up just five total points over the past four races, the pressure will be on Lando to have a big day on Sunday. Accordingly, he is worth a value bet at -210 to finish his season on the podium.
Predictions: Verstappen and Norris finish in top 2 (+150 Price Boost); Carlos Sainz top three (+450);