Punt on Perez breaking his duck in Japan

Suzuka is tailor made for the Saubers of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi so they are the unheralded competitors on whom to focus your attention in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton has dominated the headlines in the lead up to the 15th race of this year`s Formula One championship with news breaking of his move to Mercedes for next season. But the Sauber drivers, particularly Perez, could be the top stories after the race in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Perez is not a player in the Formula One championship race - the Mexican is in ninth position, 128 points behind current leader and reigning champion Fernando Alonso - but he has the ability to feature prominently in one-off races which suit the Sauber that he will drive until the end of this season before moving to McLaren to replace Hamilton.

Nicknamed the Mexican Wunderkind because of his precocious performances, Perez has registered three podium finishes during what is only his second Formula One campaign, with second places in Malaysia and Italy and a third place in Canada. Furthermore, he was primed to challenge in the Belgian Grand Prix for which he had qualified fifth but Romain Grosjean wiped out him and others at the start.

Perez was the fastest man on the track in Malaysia, Italy and Canada because he was able to maintain grip levels as the tyres of his rivals deteriorated. The Sauber is easily the best car on the grid when it comes to maximising the usefulness of its wheels and this has enabled the Mexican driver to post superb in-race lap times at tough circuits.

Suzuka is one of the most demanding on the Formula One calendar and, therefore, one can expect Perez to be in the shake-up. Bookmakers are quoting him at around 6-1 to make the podium and at around 40-1 to win the race. Both odds are wrong but one represents better value than the other.

Back Perez each way at 40-1 and try to find a bookmaker who bet 1/4 odds the first three rather than the general 1/5 odds. Even at 1/5 odds one would be getting 8-1 about the Mexican placing in the first three and the 40-1 odds about him winning his first grand prix are just too big to miss.

If one would prefer to back one of the Japanese Grand Prix favourites - 40-1 each-way bets are not to everyone`s taste - last year`s Suzuka master, Button, is an interesting proposition for a podium finish at around 9-4.

Bookmakers have gone out on a limb about Button because of his five-place Japanese Grand Prix grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change after the Singapore Grand Prix. McLaren discovered following the race that the gearbox of Button`s car had the same problem that forced Hamilton to retire while leading so they made the swap out of turn.

Button`s penalty is not the end of the world, he loves the Suzuka track and, if McLaren`s technology is as superior as it has been in each of the last four races, he will have an excellent chance of working his way through the pack.

Go To bet365

#Ad

04/10/2012     © Frixo 2024