F1 Belgian Grand Prix prediction: Max Verstappen set to storm through the field once again at Spa

Follow our Formula One betting tips for the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend

Verstappen came fifth in the Hungarian GP last week (Getty Images)

Lando Norris will be eyeing his second victory in Formula One after being forced to give up first place for his team-mate at last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri claimed his first F1 win in Budapest but it wasn’t without controversy, with Norris eventually adhering to team orders as McLaren claimed a one-two finish.

It was a race of frustration for Max Verstappen though, who was angry at his team’s strategy and crashed into Lewis Hamilton late on. While the Brit finished third, Verstappen took the chequered flag in fifth.

Nevertheless, Verstappen has a 76-point lead in the world championship to Norris in second ahead of this weekend’s race in Belgium at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit, in what is the final race before the F11 summer break.

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F1 Belgian Grand Prix betting tips

• Max Verstappen to finish on the podium – 4/11 betfair
• Daniel Ricciardo, top-10 finish – 5/2 bet365
• F1 Hungarian Grand Prix tip: Lando Norris to win the race – 7/2 Betway

F1 Belgian Grand Prix prediction: Max Verstappen to finish on the podium

The last two years at Spa have shown Max Verstappen and Red Bull at their imperious best.

Verstappen has qualified on pole in the last two years but has taken an engine penalty, demoting him to outside the top-10. Yet in both 2022 and 2023, he stormed through the field to take a comfortable victory.

This year, the Dutchman is set to do the same and take an grid penalty for exceeding his engine allocation for the season. As a result, the highest he can start Sunday’s race is 11th.

Count him out at your peril though. While Red Bull aren’t as dominant as the last two years, it is still one of the quickest cars on the grid and Verstappen will be highly motivated to put in a good performance following three races without a win.

A victory may be beyond him this time, given McLaren’s pace, but a podium should be within reach.

F1 Belgian Grand Prix prediction 1: Max Verstappen to finish on the podium – 4/11 betfair

F1 Belgian Grand Prix betting tip: Daniel Ricciardo to finish in the points

A statement weekend from Daniel Ricciardo and a promotion to the Red Bull mothership could be on the cards.

Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull is hanging by a thread after a torrid few months for the Mexican driver. In the last two qualifying sessions in Silverstone and Budapest, he crashed out in Q1 in near-comical fashion.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has hinted that Perez’s future will be discussed in the summer break, with Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson all being linked with the seat.

Ricciardo has endured a difficult season so far but has shown promise in the last few weeks. And 10 years on from winning at Spa, the Australian will fancy himself to get into the top-10 at Spa on Sunday.

F1 Belgian Grand Prix prediction 2: Daniel Ricciardo, top-10 finish - 5/2 bet365

F1 Belgian Grand Prix tip: George Russell to set the fastest lap

The British driver took the fastest lap last week in Hungary, just a few races after taking his second F1 victory in Austria.

The fastest lap - which gives the driver an extra point if they finish in the top-10 - tends to come towards the end of the race, when the track is at its optimum and drivers, having secured their position, can pit for a soft tyre to claim an extra point.

Spa-Francorchamps is the longest track on the calendar and therefore the gaps between the cars are often huge, giving drivers in the midfield the opportunity to pit for new tyres if the fastest lap is on offer.

Russell is rapid around Spa - as shown by his second-place in qualifying in 2021 in a Williams - and should he find himself in his own race towards the end of the grand prix, a late dash into the pit lane for an extra point could once again be a possibility.

F1 Belgian Grand Prix prediction 3: George Russell to take the fastest lap - 8/1 William Hill

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