Guest article written by Punters Lounge.
As teams make changes to the cars they are running and the Formula 1 circus moves from one track to the next, it can be difficult to predict who is in the best position to win the constructors championship. Trying to do so before the season begins is even harder, for obvious reasons, but with past history as a guide, and taking into account the new driver line-ups for 2013, I am going to take a look at the Formula One betting and the teams I believe are in with a fighting chance of winning the constructors’ championship this year.
- Red Bull –last season’s champions are, not surprisingly, the favourites to retain their crown in 2013. Considering that they only started competing in 2005, Red Bull have come a long way in a very short time. Winning their first race in 2009, the Chinese Grand Prix, they eventually came second in the constructors’ championship that year and in the following three years, 2010, 2011 and 2012, have topped the table. In 2010, they won by just 38 points, with McLaren coming a close second and last year Ferrari were just 60 points behind them. However, in 2011 they ran away with the title, ending the season 153 points clear of second placed McLaren and many people expect them to win this year’s championship by an equally impressive margin. At 5/6, they are not exactly a value betting proposition but it is easy to understand why the majority of punters believe they are the only sensible choice.
- McLaren Mercedes – finishing in the top 3 every year since 2005, except in 2007 when they were disqualified for a breach of the rules, McLaren is a solid performer that are always there or thereabouts at the end of the season. Available at 7/2 for 2013, there could be some value in these odds. They are probably slightly more generous than they would otherwise be, due to Lewis Hamilton leaving at the end of last season to join Mercedes. However, his replacement, Sergio Pérez, impressed many observers when he achieved his first podium finish at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing just 2.263 seconds behind Fernando Alonso, in second place. If you believe he has what it takes to perform consistently at the top level with a leading team, McLaren could be worth a punt in 2013.
- Ferrari – with a top 3 finish every year since 1994, including 8 first places during that time, Ferrari are one of the most consistent performers in Formula 1 and 2013 is likely to be another good year for them. With Fernando Alonso having driven for them for the last 3 seasons and Felipe Massa since 2006, they have a settled line up that between them managed 15 podium finishes last year. However, Felipe Massa only managed to contribute 2 to this total, with a 2nd place in Japan and a 3rd place in the final race of the season in Brazil. It was not until the sixth race of the season, in Monaco, that he achieved a top six finish and in 2011 he had a disappointing season too. It is Massa’s apparent inconsistency that may put many punters off backing them to win the 2013 constructors’ championship but, having said that, he is a capable driver who came second in the 2008 drivers’ championship and a return to this kind of form would make a big difference to Ferrari’s chances of winning this year at 3/1.
There are of course many other teams participating in the 2013 season, but in my opinion the above three are the only ones with a realistic chance of winning the constructors’ championship.
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