Consistent Rosberg To Rev It Up In Belgium

Lewis Hamilton is once again odds on favourite going into another race this season, this time, the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Season So Far
The Hungarian Grand Prix was only the third race this season that didn’t end in victory for one of the Mercedes drivers. Nico Rosberg was fourth and Lewis Hamilton third, as Daniel Ricciardo took the chequered flag for Red Bull and Fernando Alonso finished second, Ferrari’s best result of the season so far.

In the Drivers’ Championship, Ricciardo trails Hamilton by 60 points while the Englishman has closed the gap slightly on Rosberg to just 11 points.

The Circuit
The first race back after the three-week summer break is at the iconic and popular Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa. This is a high-speed track, with long straights and a number of fast and medium-paced corners that offer overtaking opportunities. The race is also known for its unpredictable and variable weather which can leave one part of the track dry and another wet.

In The Pits
Daniel Ricciardo’s win in Hungary re-established Red Bull’s credentials as the main challengers to Mercedes, but I can’t see him or Sebastian Vettel pulling off another surprise in Belgium.

The tight, twisting track at the Hungaroring last time reduced the advantage of cars with the Mercedes engine, and suited the RB10 with its strong aerodynamics. Back on a faster track they are likely to be playing catch-up again and even at double figure odds, I won’t be backing either driver this weekend.

Recommended Bets
The gap between the prices of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg is closing slightly, but the Englishman once again goes into a Grand Prix as the odds-on favourite and once again, his underrated team-mate is the better option.

Rosberg has never won this race but he has finished ahead of Hamilton in two of the last three editions and has been the more consistent driver of the two all season.

Back the German at 13/8.

Although both drivers finished in the top ten in Hungary, it was a disappointing race for the Williams team by their recent standards, but they should be able to improve on that result at a high-speed track that will suit their car. Valterri Bottas has been the main points scorer for the team so far this year, but at slightly bigger odds, I prefer Felipe Massa, who won in Spa in 2008 and who will be determined to close the gap on his team-mate.

Ferrari are still some way off the pace set by Mercedes, but it could be worth taking a chance on Fernando Alonso this weekend. He admitted that he benefited from other drivers having problems in Hungary, but his podium finish will have given everyone at Ferrari a boost, and more significantly, if it does rain in Belgium, there are few better drivers in the wet. Back the former World Champion at 25/1.