Dutch Grand Prix Betting Tips
The 2024 Formula 1 World Championship roars back into action after its summer break in the Netherlands this weekend and there will be no let-up in the action with four races taking place over the next five weeks.
All eyes are always on Max Verstappen in his home race and the Dutch driver is bidding to become only the fourth driver in the sport's history to win his home round in four successive seasons.
The scrutiny of the world champion will be even more intense as he ended the first half of the season in the coldest form since his pre-championship days.
With seven different winners in the 14 races so far this season, the 2024 championship does not have the look many expected, but Verstappen still holds a comfortable 78-point lead over McLaren's Lando Norris.
Tip 1 — Max Verstappen to win race @ 2/1
Max Verstappen has gone four races without a victory for the first time since the 2020 season, but that means his odds are now far more attractive than they have been for most of the last three seasons.
McLaren's Lando Norris has been made favourite for this week's race in Zandvoort, which should be enough to get Verstappen fired up, not that he ever lacks motivation.
Verstappen has won his home race every time since the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2021 and he's done it in relative comfort from pole position on every occasion.
In 2021 he cruised home 20 seconds ahead of the field with only the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas able to stay on the lead lap.
It's also worth remembering that Verstappen's performance in the final race before the break was much better than the bare result of fourth place makes it appear.
While the Red Bull star crossed the line fifth and was promoted one place when winner George Russell was disqualified for an underweight car, he had started the race down in 11th on the grid after taking a 10-place penalty for exceeding his permitted engine allocation for the season.
He was impressive in qualifying, when setting the fastest lap by a wide margin, and still managed to finish ahead of title rival Norris, who had been seven places ahead of him at the start.
Norris was expected to be the man to benefit from any downturn in Verstappen's fortunes, but he has been extremely inefficient at converting his strong car into championship points and Charles Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton and Oscar Piastri have all won races since Norris broke his duck in Miami.
Norris has had some bad fortune in that time, not least when a collision with Verstappen looked to deny him a victory in Austria, but he has become blighted by poor starts and cannot afford to be playing catch-up in every race.
Tip 2 — George Russell podium finish (1-3) @ 11/10
Piastri continues to impress but that is now fully reflected in the odds and the young Australian is just 9/2 to secure his second career success in the Netherlands. The McLaren man also revealed over the summer break that he had broken a rib around the time of the Austrian and British races but says he is now fully recovered.
Russell looks a better value bet for a podium finish as he bids to gain compensation for losing what looked a brilliant victory in Belgium. The British driver pulled off an audacious one-stop strategy to cross the line in front, but the winner's trophy was later handed to his team-mate Hamilton, who had come home second, less than a second ahead of the charging Piastri.
Russell had a rollercoaster ride in Zandvoort last year, qualifying a strong third and leading the race at one point but he suffered a puncture in a clash with Norris and finished out of the points.
He was runner-up to Verstappen in 2022 after qualifying only sixth and drives the track well enough to suggest he can be in the mix to add to his podium finishes in Canada and Austria.
Mercedes are expected to try again with the floor upgrade that they abandoned after practice in Spa and if it has the desired effect this time, Russell's chances will be enhanced further.
Tip 3 — Lance Stroll points finish @ Evens
Aston Martin have lacked much of a spark this season, but they are still capable of challenging for the lower points-paying positions, and Stroll has a fair shot of making the top 10 in the Netherlands.
Stroll finished seventh, 10th and 11th in the last three rounds before the break and won at this track in Formula 3.
He was ninth at Zandvoort last year when teammate Fernando Alonso was an impressive fifth. If the team can find a solid set-up again at the quirky Dutch circuit, then points are a possibility once more.