F1: Picking a favorite for the USGP

With only a handful of races remaining (four to be exact), the 2022 Formula 1 season is all but wrapped up in some respects. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Japan Grand Prix to secure his second Drivers’ World Championship earlier this month, putting a formal end to any drama at the top of the podium (not that there was much).

That’s not to say we don’t have some good action to look forward to though. As fans understand, it’s not uncommon for the Drivers’ Championship to be determined well before the final grand prix. But this does little to sap the remaining races of intrigue or fierce competition. Accordingly, the upcoming U.S. Grand Prix ought to be a thrilling contest. Below, we’ll offer a brief preview of what to expect.

When and where is the USGP?

Formula 1 fans have gotten used to seeing the U.S. Grand Prix contested at the Circuit of the Americas venue in Austin, Texas. And while it may seem to some as if it’s about time for a change of scenery, this is where the race will be in 2022 and moving forward as well. Per a report at the NBC Sports motorsport page earlier this year, F1 and the Circuit of the Americas recently inked a five-year extension. This will keep the event in the same place through 2026.

The 2022 U.S. Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, October 23rd, beginning at 3:00 PM.

Who’s favored to win?

If you’re looking for a surprise from the bookmakers, you won’t find one at this race. According to the very latest Formula 1 racing odds at Coral, 2022 champion Max Verstappen is a considerable favorite to win the U.S Grand Prix. His odds to top the podium are currently at 1/2 (which for those not familiar with sports betting means you’d have to bet $2 to win $1 by correctly picking him to win).

Trailing Verstappen in the odds listings, three men are being given reasonable chances to win in Austin. Charles Leclerc has the second-best odds at 4/1; Sergio Perez is next with an 8/1 chance; and Lewis Hamilton rounds out the top tier at 10/1.

Beyond those three, there’s a significant drop-off to Carlos Sainz (14/1) and George Russell (16/1), and anyone else in the field would be considered a major long shot to win the race.

Which driver should you pick?

If you’re looking to back the favorite, then the odds cited above are clear: Max Verstappen is your man (as he is likely to be at most races for the foreseeable future). Then again, if you’re looking to root for someone aside from the obvious favorite, the next-best choice may actually be the last driver to be the odds-on favorite everywhere he went: Lewis Hamilton.

Once again, the odds suggest that Charles Leclerc has the 2nd best shot at the top of the podium in Austin, and with good reason. But Leclerc has struggled at this circuit in the past. He finished a distant fourth in both 2019 and 2021 (with the race having been canceled due to the pandemic in 2020). That’s not to say he can’t put himself in the mix, and he’s arguably a better driver today than he’s ever been. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear that the Circuit of the Americas is the ideal place to back Ferrari’s number one.

Next up in the odds, as mentioned, is Sergio Perez –– who does appear to be closing out the season on something of a hot streak. Perez was runner-up in Japan (albeit by a fairly distant 27.066 seconds), and he won in Singapore. He was also third in Austin a year ago, and improved since. Even so however, it’s hard to fully back Red Bull’s number two with Verstappen still competing at the top of the field (even if Perez has had his triumphs).

That brings us to Lewis Hamilton, who despite ceding the top spot in F1 to Verstappen of late is still a formidable force at any circuit on Earth. Now, it’s true he’s had a down year, and he hasn’t been on a podium since Hungary; he’s also without a first-place finish all season. But just a year ago at the Circuit of the Americas, Hamilton finished nipping at Verstappen’s heels. As Eurosport’s recap of the race reminds us, the British champion was 14.5 seconds clear of Verstappen more than halfway through the race. He finished behind Verstappen by just 1.33 seconds.

Mind you, this isn’t a suggestion that Hamilton should be favored (he shouldn’t be) nor that you should bet on him (there’s always risk there). But if you’re looking for someone to back aside from the favorite, there is some reason to view this as Hamilton’s last best shot at a first-place finish in 2022.

Whatever happens, we can be sure as always that the action will be fun to watch. Whether we see another Verstappen win or a bit more of a surprise, there will be plenty to enjoy at the Circuit of the Americas.