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Formula 1 2020 Steiermark Grand Prix Odds & Picks

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in Racing

Updated Mar 19, 2021 · 10:14 AM PDT

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas claimed his first career Formula 1 victory at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix, and is poised to challenge Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in Sochi this weekend. Photo by Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Icon Sportswire
  • For the second week in a row, Red Bull Ring will be the scene for F1 action with the the running of the Steiermark Grand Prix
  • Valtteri Bottas looks to duplicate his winning performance at last weekend’s Austrian GP, but it is Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton who tops the odds to win
  • Read on to get all the odds and insight into Sunday morning’s Formula 1 action

For the second year in a row, Valtteri Bottas opened the Formula 1 campaign with his pole-to-pole victory at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Despite his stellar season-opening performance – which also marked his second victory and third trip to the podium in his past four appearances at Red Bull Ring – Bottas goes into this weekend’s Steiermark Grand Prix lagging behind Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at odds to win of +250.

Odds to Win 2020 Steiermark Grand Prix

Driver Odds to Win Odds to Finish Top Three Odds to Finish Top Six
Lewis Hamilton -120 -800 -1000
Valtteri Bottas +250 -450 -800
Max Verstappen +335 -200 -500
Alex Albon +2800 +350 -275
Sergio Perez +4000 +800 -140
Lance Stroll +5000 +1000 +140
Charles Leclerc +6600 +400 -150
Sebastian Vettel +6600 +700 -140
Carlos Sainz Jr. +6600 +1400 +100
Lando Norris +6600 +1100 -140

Odds taken July 10th

Bottas Coming off Stellar Austrian GP

Bottas dominated in qualifying last weekend, turning in the best time in all three sessions to claim the pole position, and never looked back. Despite battling gearbox issues that plagued both Mercedes cars, Bottas never relinquished the lead on his way to his third victory in his past six race appearances.

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Last week’s steady performance also bodes well for the 30-year-old Finn, who is aiming to take his racing to the next level after a breakthrough season in 2019. Bottas has now reached the podium in seven of his past 10 outings, and has seized the pole in three of his past four appearances at Red Bull Ring, adding value to the +225 odds of him starting Sunday morning’s running of the Steiermark Grand Prix from the pole position.

Recent Winners at Red Bull Ring

Year Driver Margin of Victory
2020 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes 2.700 sec
2019 Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen – Red Bull 2.724 sec
2018 Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen – Red Bull 1.504 sec
2017 Austrian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes 0.658 sec
2016 Austrian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes 5.719 sec
2015 Austrian Grand Prix Nico Rosberg – Mercedes 8.800 sec

Hamilton Pays Price for Misdeeds

It proved to be a sloppy weekend for Hamilton at last weekend’s incident-filled Austrian Grand Prix. After being handed a three-place grid penalty just minutes before lights out at Red Bull Ring for speeding under yellow flags during qualifying, the defending F1 champion earned himself a five-second penalty for colliding with Red Bull’s Alex Albon late in the race.

Hamilton’s antics cost him a spot on the podium, forcing him to settle for a fourth-place finish. He comes into this week with odds of -120.

Fresh off a spectacular record-setting 2019 campaign that ended with a sixth career Formula 1 title, Hamilton has dominated on the odds board. In addition to remaining perched as heavy -165 chalk to successfully defend his title, Hamilton also leads the way as the favorite to claim the pole position (-120), lead the way in Practice 1 (+135), and record the fastest lap of the day on Sunday (+275).

However, the 35-year-old Englishman has struggled to produce steady results at Red Bull Ring since his last victory on the Austrian tack back in 2016. Hamilton has failed to reach the podium in his four appearances since, including a non-finish in the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix.

In addition to facing the same gearbox issues that plagued Bottas, there has been speculation that Hamilton has been distracted by his recent outspoken activism in support of Black Lives Matter.

2020 Steiermark Grand Prix Pole Position Odds

Driver Odds
Lewis Hamilton -150
Valtteri Bottas +225
Max Verstappen +400
Alex Albon +3300
Sergio Perez +4000
Lance Stroll +4000
Charles Leclerc +6600
Sebastian Vettel +6600
Carlos Sainz Jr. +6600
Lando Norris +6600

Albon Due for Trip to Podium

The reigning F1 champion will likely have to return his focus to racing to fend off a number of threats this weekend. In addition to his ongoing duel with his Mercedes teammate, Sunday’s spotlight will be squarely placed on his increasing rivalry with Albon, who Hamilton has now collided with in two of the past three races.

Following a solid qualifying session that landed him a spot in the second row of the starting grid last weekend, Albon was denied a shot at his first podium finish by Hamilton’s negligence. However, it is only a matter of time before the 24-year-old produces his first top three finish and first victory.

Albon has started from the front three rows in five of his past six outings, and with a strong qualifying session on Saturday is an attractive +350 bet to reach the podium on Sunday.

Verstappen, Leclerc Offer Value

While all eyes will be on the Silver Arrows, and Hamilton’s battle with Albon, it is impossible to overlook Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in this weekend’s race. Verstappen was forced to retire just 13 laps into last weekend’s race due to technical issues. However, the 22-year-old’s back-to-back victories in the Austrian Grand Prix at Red Bull Ring in 2018 and 2019 cannot be overlooked.

Like his Red Bull teammate, strong qualifying will be key to Verstappen’s chances to keep pace with his Mercedes rivals, but he offers exceptional value as a lengthy +335 bet to win on Sunday.

Clearly outclassed during qualifying by Red Bull’s and Mercedes’ superior performing cars, Leclerc seized opportunity provided by multiple safety car periods and the penalty to Hamilton to turn in a second-place finish last weekend. While Ferrari has promised car upgrades in time for Sunday’s race, Leclerc lags as a +6600 wager to capture the pole position.

Leclerc is also pegged as a distant +6600 bet to earn the win on Sunday, but offers intriguing value with +400 odds to finish among the top three at red Bull Ring for the second time in as many weeks.

Picks: Verstappen to win (+335); Leclerc to finish top three (+400); Bottas to win pole position (+225)

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