The Portuguese Grand Prix is arguably the turning point of this year’s F1 championship when it comes to the drivers’ part of the competition. If Lewis Hamilton manages to win, he will increase the lead over Valtteri Bottas and put one hand on the title. If, by any chance, the Brith fails to do that, and allows the Fin to decrease the gap in the standings, that will keep his rival alive.
Preview
Hamilton was once again excellent during the qualifications. The champion won the pole for the race scheduled for this Sunday after a superb closure. Lewis set the fastest time in the finish, with 1:16.652 leaving Bottas behind for one-tenth of a second, and Max Verstappen, who ended third.
Now, this race will have a special meaning for the leading driver of the championship. He and Michael Schumacher are currently tied at the top of the all-time win list with 91 apiece, and Hamilton has a massive motive to triumph and eclipse arguably the best driver of all times.
So, it is not only about a win and a title here, but about the legacy of a future legend. Truth to be told, even without a motivation like this one, Hamilton would be the biggest favorite to win tomorrow anyway. His Mercedes is in perfect condition, and it seems that those minor problems he experienced over the recent few weeks are now gone.
Bottas, meanwhile, had a perfect opportunity to narrow the distance between him and the teammate at Eifel Grand Prix, but his power unit’s failure ruined all of his plans. The Fin took the pole and was forced to withdraw after just 18 laps. It damaged his chances of reaching the No.1 place a lot, and made it almost impossible to catch up with the Brit. But still, the hope remains.
Max Verstappen is solid and constant as always. The young Dutchman has his own level of performance, which is below the Mercedes’ duo, but far ahead of the rest of the caravan. So far, Verstappen has eight podiums, and he wouldn’t end up among the top three places only in the races that he didn’t finish. Mx is establishing himself as the only threat to Mercedes in the future; that is, of course, if Red Bull improves its vehicle.a
Charles Leclerc showed signs of life, as he ended fourth, indicating that Ferrari might have a satisfying weekend. Over the recent few weeks, the Prancing Horse was pretty poor, and their best result was Lecler’s 8th place at Tuscany GP. For Ferrari, this is way simply humiliating.
Previous Races
We haven’t seen a race here since 1996, with the note that the last winner was Jacques Villeneuve driving Williams-Renault. The three-time winners here are Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell, while Ferrari holds the most team triumphs with seven, one more than Williams.
Prediction
Hamilton’s win looks like a safe bet for us. After all the above-written, it would be very unwise to bet on some other driver, with so many things at stake for the Brit. Plus, he is by far in the best shape when compared to all other rivals.
Therefore, visit BetXChange to see the odds, not just on Lewis’ win but also on many other offers, and place the bet following our suggestion.
