Rosberg To Be Crowned Prince Of Monaco Again

The Formula One circus arrives in the glamorous surroundings of Monte Carlo this weekend, with Nico Rosberg aiming for a Monaco hat-trick.

The Season So Far
The Spanish Grand Prix followed a familiar pattern, with Mercedes once again dominating, pursued by Ferrari and Williams, but this time the script was slightly different. Nico Rosberg edged out Hamilton for pole and after Hamilton started the race slowly, Sebastian Vettel stole second.

That was the order in which they finished, and Rosberg’s victory enabled him to close the gap on Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship to twenty points, with Vettel eleven points back in third.

The Circuit
Monaco is something of a freak show. The tight bends and sharp corners mean traffic problems are inevitable, and the only realistic overtaking location is the exit of the tunnel, but drivers taking that option risk picking up debris and compromising their tyres.

With just two short straights, there are no sections where drivers can switch off, and it is one of the more mentally demanding races of the season.

In The Pits

Red Bull had another difficult weekend in Barcelona, as their misfiring Renault power unit left them toiling in the wake of Mercedes, Williams and Ferrari.

After the race, team boss Christian Horner declared that this season is a write-off, so don’t be tempted to have something on Daniel Ricciardo or Daniil Kyvat at big odds. The same can be said for McClaren, who showed off a new paint-job in Barcelona, which was very fetching, but which didn’t make their cars go any faster.

Recommended Bets
After sticking with Nico Rosberg for so long, I lost patience last time out and deserted the German in favour of his team-mate.

Cue Rosberg’s first win of the season. But looking on the bright side, his victory has put to bed the suggestion that he will have to play a supporting role for the rest of the year, and gives punters a viable alternative to the defending champion in the winners market.

And given that Rosberg is going for a Monaco hat-trick this year, he’s a better bet than Hamilton, at odds of 11/10.

Sebastian Vettel’s second place in Barcelona probably owed more to Lewis Hamilton’s poor start than any dramatic improvement in his car’s performance, but it is clear that Ferrari are closing the gap, and Monaco gives them an excellent chance of picking up another win. The tight bends and slow corners will nullify some of the power advantage of the Mercedes and Vettel can push Hamilton and Rosberg all the way. Back him at 8/1.

Besides Ferrari, Williams remain the likeliest team to cause an upset. Valtteri Bottas grabbed fourth in Barcelona and has been more consistent than Felipe Massa, but the Brazilian’s greater experience might give him the edge over his team-mate in Monaco and he is preferred as an each-way bet at 80/1.