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BETTING GUIDE: Who could upset the odds in Barcelona?

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BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 22: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18

Hot on the heels of Monaco comes Spain, and a chance for the current crop of F1 cars to return to a more traditional track layout which may rejig the pecking order. There are plenty of drivers keen to put last weekend’s race behind them, while Max Verstappen will be looking for a third straight win. But who do the odds have as favourite?

188BET’s odds are presented in decimal form: for every $1 wagered you would win the figure represented by the odds; so, if Verstappen is favourite at 1.50, you would win $1.50 for every dollar bet.

The odds for the win

Unsurprisingly, Verstappen is the favourite heading into Barcelona, a track he won at last season and the scene of his first-ever F1 victory. His team mate Sergio Perez has slightly longer odds, the Mexican not doing himself any favours with a patchy performance in Monaco that included a qualifying crash as he failed to score for the first time this season.

READ MORE: Schumacher to make Mercedes debut after Spanish Grand Prix as drive confirmed

Fernando Alonso could be one to watch at his home race and the scene of his last win in F1, a decade ago now. He has finished in the top four at every race so far this season, with five podiums from six races. But could he make the step up to race winner?

Max Verstappen 1.40
Sergio Perez 4.20
Fernando Alonso 11.0
Charles Leclerc 26.00
Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton 34.0
Lance Stroll 151
Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly 301
Alex Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Oscar Piastri, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 601
Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries 901

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 28: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull

Verstappen is chasing a third straight win in Spain

The odds for who will be fastest in qualifying

Again, Verstappen is favourite to add another pole to his tally for 2023 – but watch out for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc has a pole position to his name this season already and was bitterly disappointed not to add another in Monaco. He is tied on odds with Perez, who scored pole back in Saudi Arabia and also grabbed P1 in Miami.

READ MORE: ‘Better than I could have ever imagined’ – Verstappen reacts as he surpasses Vettel Red Bull record

Elsewhere, the bookies can’t split the Mercedes pair, who will be looking to test out those upgrades and get a better understanding of where their car is in the pecking order with its revamped design. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are proven performers over one lap, but that W14 has looked stronger on race pace than in qualifying trim so far this year.

Max Verstappen 1.50
Charles Leclerc 5.00
Sergio Perez 5.00
Fernando Alonso 8.50
Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton 34.0
Lance Stroll 151
Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly 301
Alex Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Lando Norris, Logan Sargeant, Nico Hulkenberg, Nyck de Vries, Oscar Piastri, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 601

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 28: Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) Aston Martin AMR23 Mercedes

Alonso has been on an incredible run of form - and will hope that continues on home soil

The odds for a podium finish

Esteban Ocon managed to grab the first ‘midfield’ podium of the year so far with his superb drive to P3 in Monaco. But will the big teams reassert their dominance in Spain? Perez knows he needs a strong result if he wants to reignite his championship challenge, while Carlos Sainz has yet to stand on the podium this season and would love to do so in front of a home crowd.

IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix

Lance Stroll is another driver looking to bounce back from a lacklustre showing in Monaco. The Canadian spent the early part of the season injured and has been playing catch up ever since. Could he take the fight to his team mate in Spain, or will Alonso once again deliver the goods and stand on the rostrum?

Max Verstappen 1.20
Sergio Perez 1.35
Fernando Alonso 1.52
Charles Leclerc 3.00
Lewis Hamilton 3.50
George Russell 4.75
Carlos Sainz 5.00
Lance Stroll 15.0
Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly 21.0
Lando Norris 34.0
Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Yuki Tsunoda 126
Valtteri Bottas 151
Alex Albon, Oscar Piastri, Zhou Guanyu 251
Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries 501

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 28: Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari looks on from the grid during the

Sainz has yet to grab a podium in 2023, but would love to turn that around at his home race

The odds for fastest lap

With Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings in the ‘healthy’ category, he hasn’t felt the need to chase the bonus point for fastest lap so often this season. But with that Red Bull still the pick of the field, it is no surprise that he has the shortest odds for this one.

Much could depend on strategy, with Mercedes this season showing they are happy to go for fastest lap if they have the freedom to do so. They are only one point behind Aston Martin in the constructors’, so that bonus point could make all the difference to the Silver Arrows.

Max Verstappen 2.50
Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez 5.00
Charles Leclerc 7.00
Carlos Sainz 10.0
George Russell, Lewis Hamilton 15.0
Lance Stroll 26.0
Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly 67.0
Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg 201
Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries, Oscar Piastri, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 251

READ MORE: Formula 1 and DHL introduce biofueled trucks for European races in 2023 to reduce carbon emissions

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 28: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes looks on from the

The Mercedes drivers will be hoping those upgrades stand them in good stead

What are the odds for which team will take the most points?

With the big three morphing into a big four this year, the team taking home the highest points tally is definitely a tough fight. Red Bull need Perez back in form to stand a chance, with Ferrari and Mercedes both having two drivers at the top of their respective games.

Red Bull 1.06
Aston Martin 10.0
Ferrari 13.0
Mercedes 34.0
Alpine, McLaren 67.0
Williams 101
Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, Haas 501

THIS WEEK IN F1: 10 quiz questions on the latest F1 news ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix

The odds for a Safety Car appearing during the race

Spain is no Monaco, but it is still easy to make a costly error here. This track has seen some infamous clashes, such as the two Mercedes drivers taking each other out back in 2016, but will the Safety Car need to make an appearance? It’s already been called into use multiple times this season, but will Spain continue that trend?

Yes 1.60
No 2.20

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