Just seven races remain in the 2024 Formula 1 season and the title race will take another twist on the streets of Singapore this weekend.
Aussie Oscar Piastri threw a spanner in the works in Baku last weekend with his race win, while Charles LeClerc maintained third place as both closed the gap on Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
The 2023 event on the Marina Bay Sands circuit produced plenty of drama with pole sitter Carlos Sainz winning the race and then runaway championship leader Max Verstappen settling for fifth place as five drivers failed to complete the 62 lap race.
We’ve got our full preview and best bets for Sunday night below so read on and see who we are backing in one of the more eventful races of the year.
Track Stats
- Direction: Anti-Clockwise
- Lap Distance: 4.94km
- Total Laps: 62
- Race Distance: 306.143km
- Lap Record: 1:35.867 (2023, Lewis Hamilton, MER)
- 2023 Podium: Carlos Sainz (FER), Lando Norris (MCL), Lewis Hamilton (MER)
- Most Event Wins: Sebastian Vettel (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019)
Race Winner
On the narrow streets of Singapore, qualifying high up the order is imperative with so few overtaking opportunities.
If the pole sitter does go on to win the race, it will buck the recent trend in F1 where the fastest qualifier has won the race just once in the last nine races, which was Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix.
In that run Norris has earned pole four times but with George Russel, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen the other drivers to take out qualifying honours over the last few months.
It is easy to see why Norris is the clear favourite as well, having picked up a bonus point in each of the last three races for the fastest lap and we know the McLaren cars have the pace.
However it is tough to go away from Charles Leclerc who is on an underrated tear considering the reports about Ferrari supposedly struggling coming out of the summer break.
He has picked up four straight podium finishes including a win in the Italian Grand Prix and has to be thinking he is still a chance of overhauling the 78 point gap to Verstappen for his maiden world title.
Charles Leclerc to Win @ $4.50
Podium Finish
After his third place finish last weekend, George Russell looks like the value play in this market however his record in this race is not great.
He retired on debut in 2019 and has registered a 14th and 16th for Mercedes in the last two years.
Carlos Sainz on the other hand has not missed the podium in both of his drives here for Ferrari and even managed a fourth place for Toro Rosso in 2017.
While it’s not quite at as valuable of a price as Russell, Sainz looks like the one to back outside of the big three in this market.
Carlos Sainz Podium Finish @ $2.25
Top 6 Finish
Driving for his job, Sergio Perez should have had his second top six finish in three races were it not for a very late crash with Sainz in Baku.
However he should be able to rebound on a circuit he is very familiar with and at even money, he looks to be the pick of the bunch in this market.
Sergio Perez Top 6 Finish @ $2.00
Points Finish
If you were able to land on the likes of Alex Albonn, Franco Colapinto and Oli Bearman finishing in the points in Baku you would have had a very profitable weekend, although the British driver was aided by that Sainz-Perez crash to climb up to tenth.
Bearman will return to the bench this weekend with Kevin Magnussen returning from his one-race ban for this race.
The best bet here is to take Albon who has picked up a ninth in Italy and seventh in Azerbaijan in his last two outings and he appears to have a bit of confidence now.
Meanwhile Colapinto could not have been more impressive in his eighth place finish last week and I’ll back him to pick up a few more this weekend at $3.00.
Finally there is Nico Hulkenberg who has five points finishes from ten starts in Singapore on his record and is well worth a play here.
As tempting as it is to back Daniel Ricciardo to take points in what could be his farewell race, but he just has not had the pace.
Alex Albon Points Finish @ $2.00
Nico Hulkenberg Points Finish @ $2.20
Franco Colapinto Points Finish @ $3.00
Driver Match Bets
Where there is a bit of value about the Aussie veteran is in the driver head to head match bets.
He has finished ahead of his teammate in the last four races and Tsunoda retiring in Italy and Azerbaijan.
Despite that, this is a relatively even market and one I’ll have a small play on Ricciardo before it sounds like V-CARB will replace him with Liam Lawson?
Daniel Ricciardo to beat Yuki Tusnoda @ $1.91