Austrian GP tips: Hamilton and Vettel to do battle again

Formula One heads to Austria this weekend for the second race of a triple-header.

Lewis Hamilton leads the world championship after his third win of the season in France last Sunday.

The Mercedes ace holds a 14-point lead over title rival Sebastian Vettel. The two drivers have won six of this year’s eight races.

So it’s no surprise the pair dominate the betting for this weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

Hamilton is the 11/10 favourite, but Vettel is right behind him at 9/4.

Mercedes have dominated this event since it returned to the calendar in 2014. They’re seeking a fifth-straight win in Austria.

Valtteri Bottas won 12 months ago. The Finn has shown a step up in performance this season, but fate has denied him victory. He’s 8/1 to bag his first win of the year on Sunday.

He’s behind the Red Bull duo in the betting, however. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen are each 15/2.

The pair were never quite on the pace in France last time out, but they should be closer to Mercedes and Ferrari at their home event this weekend.

At 20/1 our traders don’t fancy Kimi Raikkonen’s chances of winning a race for the first time since 2013.

Looking behind the race-winning contenders, McLaren will be desperate for points after a wretched run.

The Woking-based squad began the year strongly, but haven’t scored a point in any of the last three races. An increasingly frustrated Fernando Alonso is 4/9 to bag a top-10 finish in Austria.

Plenty of eyes are on Charles Leclerc, after another fine performance from the Sauber man in France.

It’s believed Ferrari are seriously contemplated hiring the 20-year-old next season as a replacement for Raikkonen. Leclerc is 5/4 to collect his fifth points finish in nine races.

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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing