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Boxing Canadian Grand Prix Best Bets: Sunday June 19th
The Canadian Grand Prix takes place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend. It’s the first time Formula One has headed to Canada since 2019, and the balance of power has changed drastically in the sport since then.
In this article:
- Canadian Grand Prix Best Bets
This race has been dominated by Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton over the last decade, but we can safely say that neither will be standing atop the podium on Sunday evening. Max Verstappen is once again the odds-on favourite to win the race.
Weather is always a factor for the Canadian Grand Prix, and there’s some rain forecast for this weekend. Verstappen, a master in wet conditions, has won four of five races.
Canadian Grand Prix Best Bets
- Charles Leclerc to win the race
- Daniel Ricciardo to finish in the points
Montreal is similar in some ways to Baku. Both are street circuits which evolve quickly and provide high levels of traction. It’s a slower circuit in general, though, which could work against the Alpines and Aston Martins, who were fastest through the speed trap last weekend.
Pierre Gasly enjoyed a fifth-place finish last time out, his best result of the season. The Alpha Tauri thrived on the streets of Baku, but there’s not much value backing the Frenchman for a points finish at 4/6. A double points finish still isn’t worthwhile at 7/2 given Yuki Tsunoda’s performances this term.
The Ferrari drivers are worth considering here. They have great pace still. Charles Leclerc continues to put on a show on a Saturday, while Carlos Sainz has four podiums from the five races he’s finished. Errors and reliability have blighted Sainz’s season to date. Leclerc’s car let him down last weekend.
Still, the raw pace is there. Leclerc’s wheel-to-wheel racing has been phenomenal throughout the season, and he’s neck-and-neck with Verstappen providing his team don’t make strategy misjudgements again. That appears to be a big ask for the Italian team at the moment, but we still fancy Leclerc’s chances.
The Monegasque star has won two of the six races he’s finished and pushed Verstappen all the way in Jeddah and Miami. He finished third in Montreal when Formula One last raced in Canada – we like the 3/1 price on Leclerc to record his third race of the season. An implied probability of 25% seems low.
It’s worth considering Sainz for a podium at 15/8, too.
- Selection: Charles Leclerc to win the race
- Best Odds: 3/1 (bet365)
- Stakes: 5/10
Daniel Ricciardo has only finished outside the points in Montreal once since 2013. His maiden win came at this circuit back in 2014, and he finished sixth even when his Renault was solidly a midfield car.
McLaren brought upgrades to Azerbaijan, helping secure a double-points finish. That was despite being slowest through the speed trap. Fortunately for the Woking-based team, top speed is less of a factor through the winding corners of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. There are opportunities for Ricciardo to show off his spectacular overtaking skill once again, and the McLaren should be quicker than it was last weekend when the Australian was unable to get past Fernando Alonso in the closing stages.
There is still pressure on Ricciardo with lots of speculation about his future. Lando Norris’ complaints at the end of last weekend’s race add extra intrigue into how the team manages the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo can cope with changeable conditions, and he’s got plenty of positive memories of Montreal. Given the pace McLaren should have this weekend, there’s value backing Ricciardo to record consecutive points finishes for the first time since Sochi.
- Selection: Daniel Ricciardo to finish in the points
- Best Odds: 17/20 (Sporting Index)
- Stakes: 7/10
