Spanish Grand Prix winners lurking behind Mercedes men
Published:The Spanish Grand Prix has only twice been won from behind the front row of the grid, and with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton starting first and second in their tyre-hungry Mercedes’, there is plenty of value for the usual favourites to take the chequered flag.
11 of the last 12 races here have been won from pole, and Rosberg is 11/2 to pick up a second career win and ignite his championship hopes.
Team-mate Hamilton is 9/2 for a first victory with his new team, but both drivers will be wary of their car’s nature to burn trough their tyres faster than their rivals, and could find themselves sliding down the order.
With this in mind it may prove wise to look a little further down the grid, despite history suggesting it a foolish thing to do.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel will start in third and is favourite at 11/4 to claim a third victory of the year.
The German has been consistently fast throughout the weekend, and is in good shape to fight for the win.
Kimi Raikkonen is at 7/2 for a third Spanish Grand Prix success and a fourth-placed grid slot could propel him to another tactical, race-winning strategy as seen so successfully in the opening round in Melbourne.
Home favourite Fernando Alonso will start in fifth, with Ferrari’s strong suit certainly race pace rather than one-lap prowess.
The two-time champion will be eager to please his adoring fans, and a second win of the year cannot be ruled out at a price of 4/1.
Felipe Massa has put his hat in the ring too in P6, and the Brazilian is a tempting outsider at 20/1 for a first win since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Massa could be worth backing each-way for a podium place, as could Romain Grosjean who will start seventh for Lotus at 25/1.
Grosjean came from 11th to third last time out in Bahrain, and was strong in the race here last year, starting third and coming home fourth.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
