Max Verstappen just completed his three-peat after wrapping up the Formula 1 title during the Qatar Grand Prix. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s not much to play for over the remaining five race weekends of the season.
With the Formula 1 calendar back at Austin, Texas, for the US Grand Prix, there’s so much on the line, particularly for the ones playing for second place behind Verstappen and Red Bull. Mercedes are on top of the chasing pack, while Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren are right behind the Silver Arrows.
But the most in-form team right now is McLaren, because their drivers did exceptionally well at the Lusail International Circuit, and it’ll be interesting to see whether they’re capable of taking another big step this weekend.
McLaren continue to make waves
In the past three race weekends, McLaren have notched a total of 104 points, which is more than any other team.
Lando Norris jumpstarted their resurgence with back-to-back P2 finishes in Silverstone and Hungaroring but tailed off for a bit in the next three races.
After the Italian Grand Prix, the Englishman has now collected three podium spots, with consecutive P2s in Marina Bay and Suzuka, before finishing third in Qatar most recently.
His teammate Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, has also won consecutive podium spots, with the Qatar Grand Prix being his best result thus far in his budding career.
It’s a great time to be a McLaren supporter because they’re hitting their stride at the right time. The Woking-based outfit is in the mix for second place in the constructors’ standings, which is a huge turnaround from their scoreless run at the start of the 2023 campaign.
Off the paddock, McLaren made headlines in the US Grand Prix 2023 updates with their newest move, signing Bianca Bustamante to become the first female driver to join their development programme.
This year, the 18-year-old Filipina joined the grid for the inaugural Formula 1 Academy season with Prema Racing, and she impressed everyone, including her new colleagues.
Bustamante will join McLaren’s talent pipeline. And if she maintains her upward trajectory, who knows? Maybe we’re about to see the first female driver in quite some time on the Formula 1 paddock very soon.
Hamilton and Russell plan to make amends
Mercedes should’ve been the runaway winners for second place in the constructors’ standings if it weren’t for their mishaps in the last two races, with animosity seemingly brewing between teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
During the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton and Russell were aggressively racing against one another, and the two were seen ignoring each other after the event.
And during the Qatar Grand Prix, these two teammates bumped into each other at Turn 1, and Hamilton’s race ended prematurely as a result.
It remains to be seen what the Hamilton-Russell dynamic will look like at COTA this weekend. The hope for the Silver Arrows is that they will be able to put aside their differences because they need each other to gain as many points as they can.
History
Max Verstappen is the reigning titlist in COTA, as he has won the last two editions of the US Grand Prix. Prior to the Dutchman winning back-to-back, Mercedes dominated this track since they’d won five of the last six races.
That includes a four-peat by Lewis Hamilton from 2014 to 2017. And then in 2018 and 2019, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas alternated wins for the Prancing Horse and the Silver Arrows, respectively.
Hamilton has the most wins in COTA with six, while Michael Schumacher has five, including a four-peat from 2003 to 2006.
The US Grand Prix was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since then, the FIA has added two more US-based Grands Prix to the Formula 1 calendar.
The Miami Grand Prix was held for the first time ever last season, while we will have the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 18th.
What are the odds?
We wouldn’t be surprised if Max Verstappen continues to rack up wins in the final races of the 2023 season given his competitive nature, and he’s being backed anew by the SBOTOP US Grand Prix 2023 odds.
In the Sprint, the Dutchman is priced at 1.25 compared to 3.32 against any other driver, while in the actual race itself, he is priced at 1.35 compared to 2.88 against any other driver.
The in-form duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are at 1.55 and 1.91 odds for the other two podium spots, while Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Carlos Sainz Jr. are priced at 1.62, 2.02, 2.25, and 2.36, respectively.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FORMULA 1 STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
