F1 Picks and Best Bets: Bet on Verstappen and Red Bull to Finish Strong in Qatar GP Dec 1

Max Verstappen is now a four-time champion while Red Bull is all but eliminated from the constructors’ championship race. Still, plenty is at stake for the team heading to the penultimate race: the Qatar Grand Prix. The team can “play spoiler” against McLaren by handing them another defeat. And despite the F1 betting lines pegging Verstappen and co. as underdogs, we feel they have the best shot at winning this Sunday.

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS IN QATAR!!!

An incredible 14th win of the season 💪

Piastri finishes P2, Norris P3 🙌#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/zcTrZME2ru

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2023

F1 Qatar Grand Prix Race Information

• Race: Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2024
• Day/Time: Sunday, December 1, 11:00 a.m. ET
• Location: Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
• Qatar Grand Prix Live Stream:Fubo.TV

2 Qatar GP F1 Predictions: Bet on the Champion

1. Pole Position: Max Verstappen +2500

The F1 odds are a bit out of whack here. McLaren, led by Lando Norris, is favored to win qualifying and the Grand Prix (plus the sprint). They still have the best car on the grid. But Verstappen is still the best driver and the Lusail Circuit’s configuration suits the RB20 just fine. And given the weather conditions, Verstappen is a solid choice to deliver.

The Dutchman will start by winning the pole position in qualifying. This may be a bold F1 expert pick as Verstappen has not won qualifying since the Austrian Grand Prix 12 races ago. Norris has won pole position six times since and has the shortest odds at +185.

But with more pressure on Norris and McLaren, due to having to beat Ferrari for the constructors’ title, we’d rather wager on Verstappen. He’s a world champ again and is playing with house money now. He can enter the weekend with no pressure and just drive. This will make him looser and less prone to mistakes, unlike Norris. Bet Verstappen to win pole position.

Bet on Pole Position – Max Verstappen (+450)

Maximised the result as a team in qualifying @redbullracing 💪 Bring on the race 🎰 pic.twitter.com/J8Y8DwDGB9

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 23, 2024

Of the eight times Verstappen won pole position, he’s won the Grand Prix five times. That’s a 62.5% success rate. In comparison, Norris has only won the race twice out of the seven times he started from pole (28.5%). And we’re getting Verstappen at +400 versus +175 from Norris. The online sports betting odds are better on the champ, especially if he wins pole.

Bet on Max Verstappen to win outright (+2500)

2. Points Finish – Yuki Tsunoda (-165)

While Verstappen is racing pressure-free, the opposite is true for the other three Red Bull drivers. With the second driver spot open for next season, consider these next two races as the final “auditions” for it. Sergio Perez is the incumbent driver and has short odds to, at least, secure points (-300). These lines are bogus considering how disastrous he’s been at qualifying.

Get this: Perez has had more Q1 eliminations this season than Verstappen has had in his career. Perez has also finished out of the top 10 in three of the last six races. While the Lusail Circuit will be good for his RB20, we just can’t back him at these odds. Instead, we’re picking between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda from the RB.

Average Qualifying Position Over Last 5 Races:

Yuki Tsunoda: 8.00
Sergio Perez: 14.00

Average Qualifying Position Since The Summer Break:

Yuki Tsunoda – 10.13
Sergio Perez – 10.88

VCARB outperforming a Red Bull. Would love to see what Yuki can do as Max Verstappen’s teammate. pic.twitter.com/IAIVjwukTw

— Daniel Valente 🏎️ (@F1GuyDan) November 28, 2024

Lawson has two top-10 finishes in his four races with the team while Tsunoda has nine top-10 finishes from his 22 races. Both have outperformed “Checo” in qualifying, specifically the latter. Tsunoda has also been on a roll with the ninth-most points in the last two races. We’ll bet him at +200.

Bet on Points Finish – Yuki Tsunoda (+200)

The Best Formula 1 Bet This Weekend? Max to Win Sprint (+400)

The sprint shootout also returns for Qatar and guess what? Max Verstappen is the best bet online to win this at +400. Verstappen has won all but one sprint race this season and we don’t see why he can’t do it here. The sprint is a shorter format, which means there is less room for error. And we favor the most efficient driver and that’s Verstappen. Bet him to win the Saturday race.

Bet on Max Verstappen to win Sprint outright (+400)

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets

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