Max Verstappen looks in an untouchable form in the cockpit of the RB-19 and is highly likely to win the Drivers’ Championship, as no Driver has ever led the World Championship by 69 points and lost that Championship. With Verstappen being on the podium in every race this season and winning five of the last six races, future Formula 1 events seem like a foregone conclusion. However, with teams bringing upgrades – some more significant than others- the battle behind Verstappen is fiercely competitive and presents interesting betting options.
The weather seems poised to add to the potential drama this weekend in Spielberg, providing more unpredictability to the Sprint Race weekend format. We, at Onlinebettingsports, go beyond picking Max Verstappen to win and finds the best bets in our Formula 1 Sprint Race and Austrian Grand Prix prediction.
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Overall Race Info & Outlook
- Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix and Sprint Race
- Red Bull has won every race this season, with Max Verstappen having won four consecutive races
- Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria | Grand Prix: 71 laps (306.452 km/190.420 mi) | Sprint Race: 24 Laps (103.6 km/ 69.39mi) | One lap: 10 turns over 4.318 km (2.683 mi)
- F1 Sprint Race – Saturday, July 1, 2023, 10:30 AM ET | Austrian Grand Prix – Sunday, July 2, 2023, 9:00 AM ET
Austrian Grand Prix and Sprint Race Betting Preview
F1 Sprint Race Preview
The F1 Sprint Race makes its second of six appearances on the F1 schedule. The RB-19 might not have been designed for the Red Bull Ring, but it does have circuit characteristics that play into the RB-19’s strengths. While a Red Bull win is expected, odds makers have faded Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez to the same odds as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in both races this weekend, despite being in the sister car to Verstappen’s and having won the first Sprint Race this year.
Moreover, Pérez has traditionally struggled at the Red Bull Ring and has hit an awful run of qualifying performances in the last three races. Factor in potential rain and how Red Bull sometimes has trouble getting the setups right with only one hour of practice running before Grand Prix qualifying on Friday night (see São Paulo 2022), and you have the potential for unpredictable qualifying and a Sprint Race behind Verstappen, with a potential for surprises atop near the top of the Austrian Grand Prix standings or timing sheet.
Trends:
- Max Verstappen has won three of the seven sprint races.
- Sergio Perez has an average finishing position of 6.7 but won the first F1 Sprint Race in Azerbaijan in 2023.
- Mercedes’ George Russell has the only non-Red Bull Sprint Win in the Ground Effect era.
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has finished second in two of the last three F1 Sprint Races
Prediction for winning the Sprint
As long as the RB-19’s setup is working from the beginning of Free Practice, Max Verstappen should win the Sprint. However, if the Red Bulls don’t get the setup right or something happens (like a reliability issue), it’s a matter of who can ace qualifying and then keep Verstappen and company behind them to win. Aside from Verstappen, we like Fernando Alonso or Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for our Sprint Race Formula 1 picks.
Austrian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has three wins (2018, 2019, 2021) at the Austrian Grand Prix, a circuit where Honda’s turbocharger has shone compared to others. However, Charles Leclerc won the most recent Austrian Grand Prix in 2022. Ferrari’s SF-23 looked improved in Canada, making them a potential long-shot to pull off an upset, but could be track specific to Montreal.
McLaren is bringing a major upgrade package across the next three Grand Prix, with 50% being deployed in Austria. This should put Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri closer to the mix for a points finish. However, with seven teams in contention for points every weekend, the McLarens will have to outpace the Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, both of whom have five points finishes in seven races.
Trends:
- Red Bull Racing has won every race this season.
- Max Verstappen has won four straight races and captured three consecutive pole positions.
- Verstappen-Alonso-Hamilton has shared the podium three times.
- Fernando Alonso has finished in the top six in seven of the previous eight races.
Prediction for winning this Grand Prix
Unless something happens, it’s hard to imagine anything but a Verstappen win. The pace advantage of the RB-19, coupled with long straights and fast corners, should lead to a Verstappen win and two Red Bulls in the top six, but both should be on the podium.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
Betonline: Verstappen -300
MyBookie: Verstappen -309
BetUs: Sprint: Verstappen -250 | GP: Verstappen – 309
BetNow: Verstappen -300
Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix Odds & Picks
Odds for this Matchup
Onlinebettingsports has gone beyond the standard Austrian Grand Prix Odds, providing betting lines for winners of the Sprint and Grand Prix. However, we’ve included betting lines for a top-six Grand Prix finish and a podium finish in the Sprint Race in our Austrian Grand Prix prediction.
Driver | Odds to Win Sprint | Odds to Win Austrian GP | Odds for a Sprint Podium | Odds for a top 6 GP Finish |
Max Verstappen | -250 | -360 | -450 | -800 |
Sergio Perez | +800 | +850 | -110 | -550 |
Fernando Alonso | +800 | +800 | -140 | -500 |
Lewis Hamilton | +1200 | +1200 | +150 | -400 |
Charles Leclerc | +700 | +1600 | +120 | -275 |
George Russell | +2500 | +2800 | +225 | -275 |
Recommended Pick:
Our recommended picks and Austrian Grand Prix prediction is for Verstappen to win both the Sprint and Grand Prix and to take Red Bull as the winning constructor. Beyond that, we’re taking Alonso and Perez to finish on the podium in the Sprint and the top six in the Grand Prix.
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