Formula 1 2020 Russian Grand Prix Grand Prix Odds & Picks
By Daniel Coyle in Racing
Published:
- Lewis Hamilton sits as a massive favorite to claim a fifth career win at the Russian Grand Prix
- Hamilton returned to the top of the podium in Tuscany after his worst outing of the season in Italy but is likely to face a challenge from Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas
- We’ve got you covered with all the odds and best bets ahead of Sunday morning’s running of the Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom
After rebounding from his shakiest outing of the season with yet another impressive victory at the Tuscan Grand Prix two weeks ago, Lewis Hamilton travels to Sochi perched this weekend as a massive -250 favorite in the odds to win the 2020 Russian Grand Prix.
Odds to Win 2020 Russian Grand Prix
| Driver | Odds to Win | Odds to Finish Top Three | Odds to Finish Top Six | Odds to Finish Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | -250 | -600 | -800 | -1150 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +330 | -270 | -550 | -700 |
| Max Verstappen | +550 | -175 | -440 | -550 |
| Sergio Perez | +3200 | +350 | -185 | -300 |
| Lance Stroll | +5000 | +550 | -185 | -270 |
| Alex Albon | +7000 | +350 | -160 | -270 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | +7000 | +650 | -160 | -250 |
| Carlos Sainz | +11000 | +850 | -150 | -230 |
| Charles Leclerc | +11000 | +1100 | +185 | -230 |
| Lando Norris | +11000 | +1100 | +185 | -200 |
| Pierre Gasly | +14000 | +1800 | +270 | -200 |
| Antonio Giovinazzi | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +650 |
| Daniil Kvyat | +20000 | +2800 | +2000 | -105 |
| Esteban Ocon | +20000 | +1800 | +300 | -185 |
| George Russell | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +500 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +500 |
| Kimi Raikkonen | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +350 |
| Romain Grosjean | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +650 |
| Sebastian Vettel | +20000 | +2200 | +1300 | -160 |
| Nicholas Latifi | +20000 | +10000 | +10000 | +1100 |
Odds taken Sept 23 at DraftKings
Hamilton Running Away with F1 Title
Now sporting a rapidly growing 55-point lead over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Standings as the second half of the 2020 campaign gets underway, Hamilton looks to be unstoppable in his quest for a seventh career F1 title.
DRIVER STANDINGS: ROUND 9 🏆@LewisHamilton extends his lead at the top after winning at Mugello
P4 to P10 is up for grabs with eight races left to go in the 2020 season 👀#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/tTMMvdEADb
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 14, 2020
And with a steady track record of success on the track at the Sochi Autodrom, where he has claimed victory in four of the past six editions of the Russian Grand Prix, it is likely to take a titanic effort to slow him down in Sunday morning’s race.
Bottas a Threat in Sochi
However, with Mercedes dominating since the Russian Grand Prix returned six years ago, Bottas is likely best positioned to challenge Hamilton in this weekend’s race. Fresh off a second-place finish at the Tuscan Grand Prix, Bottas sits second to Hamilton as a +330 bet in the Russian Grand Prix odds. In addition to reaching the podium on seven occasions this season, including his season-opening victory in Austria, the 31-year-old Finn has also turned in steady results in past appearances in Sochi, finishing top two in each of the past three years, including a victory back in 2017.
Russian Grand Prix 2017: Valtteri Bottas wins his first F1 race ahead of Sebastian Vettel https://t.co/SGxLgLzM9g pic.twitter.com/j2fdv43NRF
— Formula One World (@FormulaOneWorld) May 3, 2017
Bottas has also captured the pole once in his six previous appearances at this event and has recorded the fastest lap on two occasions, adding value to the generous +250 odds of turning in the fastest lap this time around.
Verstappen on the Rebound
However, Bottas is likely to face a stiff challenge from his other principal rival, Max Verstappen, who looks to Sunday sporting +550 odds. It has been a difficult month for the Red Bull Racing driver, who was forced to retire at both the Tuscan and Italian Grands Prix. While Verstappen’s longest stretch of futility in three years has devastated his hopes to close the gap on Hamilton in the F1 Drivers Standings, he is well-positioned to rebound in Sochi, where he has finished among the top five in each of his past three appearances.
https://twitter.com/FeikoDijkstra/status/1305170534729216001?s=20
In addition, a good run in Sunday’s race would also give Verstappen a big lift in his bid to close the 25-point gap separating him and Bottas in the race for second in standings. However, the 22-year-old remains a lengthy +300 underdog in the odds to finish ahead of Bottas this season.
Russian Grand Prix Recent Winners
| Year | Driver | Margin of Victory | Pole Position | Fastest Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes | 3.829 sec | Charles Leclerc – Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes |
| 2018 | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes | 2.545 sec | Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes | Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes |
| 2017 | Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes | 0.617 sec | Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari | Kimi Raikkonen – Ferrari |
| 2016 | Nico Rosberg – Mercedes | 25.022 sec | Nico Rosberg – Mercedes | Nico Rosberg – Mercedes |
| 2015 | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes | 5.953 sec | Nico Rosberg – Mercedes | Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari |
| 2014 | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes | 13.657 sec | Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes | Valtteri Bottas – Williams-Mercedes |
Stroll, Perez Offer Value
Further down the Russian Grand Prix odds, Sergio Perez leads the best of the rest at +3200, well ahead of Canadian teammate Lance Stroll at +5000, while Alexander Albon joins Daniel Ricciardo at +7000.
Hobbled earlier in the summer while battling COVID-19, Perez showed a return to form in Tuscany with a fifth-place performance, but his first trip to the podium since 2018 has eluded him so far this season. Despite his struggles, Perez sports solid -185 odds of finishing among the top six.
Montrealer Lance Stroll gets second career podium finish at Italian Grand Prix https://t.co/I5LuqjtExX pic.twitter.com/jhl5sxRwSn
— CTV Montreal (@CTVMontreal) September 6, 2020
Conversely, Stroll will be aiming to build on his first podium finish of 2020 at the Italian Grand Prix. The 21-year-old Montreal native followed up his successful run by failing to finish in Tuscany but offers considerable value with +550 odds of finishing among the top three in Sochi.
Pole Sitters Fare Poorly in Sochi
With the pole-sitter failing to take home the checkered flag in each of the past three editions of this race, some intriguing options exist for the winner of Sunday’s race coming from out of the pack. Two of the past three winners of this race started from third or fourth place, a position that pays out on +500 odds this time around, while a drive to victory after starting from second place is pegged as a +270 bet.
Picks: Valtteri Bottas to win (+400); Lance Stroll podium finish (+550); Grid position of winner: third or fourth (+500)
Sports Writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
