MorrisF1

Last season saw some very tight battles (Force India being the closest, I’d say) and some less tight battles (Alonso, Leclerc, and Gasly all had very strong years, as did Hulkenberg). In this post, looking ahead to how chaps might stack up in 2019, I’ve split it into sections based on how many drivers change. Steady Eddies – No Change Only two teams have unchanged driver lineups: Mercedes and Haas. Hamilton and Bottas ended up some way apart on points last year, and, even if you take the view that Bottas was significantly unlucky early on, the Finn’s second half of 2018 was not fantastic. It’s also possible he’ll be set back by the Silver Arrows effectively supporting Hamilton as a number one driver (I’ve backed Hamilton to beat Schumacher’s win record [92+ wins], at 9, so that’d suit me). I think Hamilton’s near certain to win this, perhaps by a large margin. Bottas, with Ocon waiting in the wings, may well be driving for his future at Mercedes, and perhaps in F1.

There’s a natural focus from fans on the Drivers’ title, but there is a second trophy up for grabs, namely the Constructors’. Interestingly, the 2018 result saw Mercedes get both, again, but Ferrari having two out of three top spots in the Drivers’ table. Bookies (I look mostly at Ladbrokes) have two markets, one per title race, with the Drivers’, at this early stage, having an each way option. Currently, that’s a fifth the odds for top 3, but as the season unfolds it’ll likely change (not retroactively, of course) to a third the odds top 2, and then the each way option will most likely disappear altogether. The Constructors’ race has just a straight win option. Obviously, Betfair (and the Ladbrokes Exchange, which has less liquidity but may be a little more convenient if you don’t want to shuffle money around) enables you to hedge bets by betting against specific outcomes. My record over the years has been mostly positive. As well as the old 71 tip on Button for the