Formula One 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Odds & Picks

• Lewis Hamilton prepares for Hungarian Grand Prix as a +100 favorite despite battling the lingering effects of an undisclosed illness
• Max Verstappen looking to build on his second win of the season last weekend in Germany, and closely trails Hamilton as a +275 second favorite
• Sebastian Vettel is coming off his strongest performance of the season in Germany, and offers value as a +700 wager

Lewis Hamilton turned in his weakest performance in over a year at what was a wild day on the track at last weekend’s German Grand Prix. But despite finishing ninth at Hockenheimring, and entering the week battling an illness that has forced him to limit race week activities, the 34-year-old leads the way on the odds to win Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, sporting short +100 odds on the motor sports futures.

Odds to Win 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix

*Odds taken 07/30/19

Illness Forcing Hamilton to Limit Race Week Activites

Hamilton led early in Sunday’s race, but was one of several drivers to encounter problems on the wet track at Hockenheimring. The five-time Formula One champion quickly tumbled to the back of the pack after spinning off the track and colliding with the fence. Battling through an undisclosed illness, Hamilton pleaded with his crew to let him retire from the race before hanging on for ninth-place, marking the worst finish in a race he has completed since his ninth-place run at the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

"The illness put me back to being a human… ultimately I had a really terrible disastrous day" – Lewis Hamilton #F1 pic.twitter.com/E5QlNySd1i

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) July 28, 2019

Hamilton has now finished off the podium in two of the past three races, including a fifth-place performance at Austria, but continues to hold a wide 41-point lead over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas atop the Formula One Drivers Standings, and remains perched as -3300 chalk to claim this year’s title.

The Englishman also owns a solid track record in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which he has won on six previous occasions, including two of the past three years. However, with Hamilton’s lingering health issues remaining a concern, opportunity may be knocking for drivers who have shown steady improvement over the course of the season, most notably Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen.

Verstappen Continues Steady Rise with Second Win of the Season

Seizing the opportunity presented by Hamilton’s struggles, as well as the collisions that ended last Sunday’s race for Bottas and Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc, Verstappen powered to his second win in three races at Hockenheimring, and now travels to Hungary pegged as a strong +275 second favorite. The 21-year-old has been the most consistent driver on the Formula One circuit this season, finishing no worse than fifth through the first 11 races, while claiming a spot on the podium on four occasions.

Last 20 F1 races: @Max33Verstappen 

🇧🇪 P3
🇮🇹 P5
🇸🇬 P2
🇷🇺 P5
🇯🇵 P3
🇺🇸 P2
🇲🇽 P1
🇧🇷 P2
🇦🇪 P3

🇦🇺 P3
🇧🇭 P4
🇨🇳 P4
🇦🇿 P4
🇪🇸 P3
🇲🇨 P4
🇨🇦 P5
🇫🇷 P4
🇦🇹 P1
🇬🇧 P5
🇩🇪 P1

Still only 21 years old 🤩#F1 #F1FastFact pic.twitter.com/vmm7ivtdkg

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2019

Verstappen’s efforts leave him firmly entrenched third place on the F1 Drivers Standings, just 22 points back of Bottas. And while he likely needs at least three victories over the final 10 races of the season to have a shot at catching Hamilton, Verstappen has started to attract interest as a lucrative +2000 wager to claim his first F1 title.

2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Fastest Lap Odds

Verstappen still has a lot to prove in his return this weekend to Hungaroring, where he was forced to retire on lap 5 of last year’s race after suffering engine failure, and has finished no better than fifth in four previous appearances.

However, Verstappen still has a lot to prove in his return this weekend to Hungaroring, where he was forced to retire on lap 5 of last year’s race after suffering engine failure, and has finished no better than fifth in four previous appearances.

But there is no doubting that Verstappen clearly carries the momentum into the Hungarian Grand Prix following his two recent wins. Verstappen has also recorded the fastest lap in each of his two victories, lifting him alongside Hamilton as a +350 co-favorite to do it again this weekend in Hungary.

Bottas Looks to Rebound After Crashing Out in Germany

Further down the Hungarian Grand Prix odds, Bottas sits third at +550, ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who is listed at +700 following a strong performance in Germany, while Leclerc lags at +800.

Hungarian Grand Prix Recent Winners

Bottas was strongly positioned to challenge Verstappen at Hockenheimring before slamming into the fence to end a run of three straight trips to the podium, and nine total on the season. The 29-year-old Finn has finished top five in his past two appearances in Hungary, and claimed the No. 2 spot on the starting grid a year ago.

A day to forget if you're a Mercedes fan with Lewis Hamilton finishing 11th and Valtteri Bottas crashing out in the final few laps 😕 pic.twitter.com/75RZhcTQUz

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 28, 2019

With Hamilton’s fitness in question, Mercedes could elect to throw greater resources behind Bottas at Hungaroring, adding appeal to the +500 odds of him grabbing the pole position for the fifth time this season.

Vettel Aiming to Build on Strong Performance at Hockenheimring

While Vettel was forced to settle second-place for the third time this season in last weekend’s race, he also turned in arguably his best performance of the season, avoiding any costly mishaps to power his way to the podium after starting from No. 20 on the starting grid. Vettel has also reached the podium in three of his past appearances at Hungary.

Start: P20

Finish: P2

An incredible drive by Sebastian Vettel in front of his home fans

And that final push to the second step of the podium was unforgettable#F1 #GermanGP 🇩🇪 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/mzh2nkPfu1

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 28, 2019

The same cannot be said of Leclerc, who led early on at Hockenheimring before seeing his day end following a collision with the fence. Snakebitten throughout the season, Leclerc has managed to reach the podium in four straight races ahead of Germany, and despite his shaky luck, and occasional shaky driving, is worthy of consideration as a +100 wager to finish top three on Sunday.

Picks: Verstappen to win Hungarian Grand Prix (+275), Leclerc to finish top three (+100)