Vettel better value for race than pole

What began as the most competitive Formula One season in a long time has developed into a benefit for Sebastien Vettel and the Red Bull driver is short odds to win the Indian Grand Prix and make it four race victories in a row.

Seven different drivers took out the first seven grands prix of the 2012 championship - in race order, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Vettel, Pastor Maldonado, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton - but the reigning world champion has won the last three races, with either him or Webber putting a Red Bull car on pole position twice.

Vettel`s winning run began in Singapore when he made the most of Hamilton`s gearbox failure to take the lead on lap 23, an advantage that he maintained until the end of the 59-lap contest, finishing nearly nine seconds ahead of Button, with Alonso completing the podium line-up.

In Japan, Vettel went from strength to strength, qualifying for the race in pole position - his fourth successive Suzuka pole - and leading the main event from start to finish, taking the chequered flag more than 20 seconds in front of Felipe Massa, with Kamui Kobayashi taking third place.

And Vettel overtook pole sitter Webber at the first corner of the Korean Grand Prix en route to being waved home by Gangnam Style rapper Psy, with his winning margin being greatly reduced because his Red Bull mechanics told him to take it easy in the final few laps to preserve his tyres.

Twelve months ago, the first Indian Grand Prix was all about Vettel. By quite some distance he was the quickest driver during both the second and third parts of qualifying, with his pole position-securing lap almost three-tenths of a second faster than the best of the rest. He led the race from beginning to end and recorded Sunday`s fastest lap in the process of racing home ahead of Button and Alonso.

The challenge to betting on this year`s Indian Grand Prix is to work out the best way to side with Vettel. Bookmakers are quoting him at around 11-10 to take out the race, while he is odds on at around 4-5 to start from pole. One of those betting options makes much more appeal than the other.

Back Vettel at odds against to win the Indian Grand Prix and do not bother with the odds-on quotes about him qualifying fastest. Red Bull team orders will not apply on Saturday so Webber has a chance of outperforming his colleague. However, they will be in operation on Sunday given the state of the Formula One championship so Webber is no chance of beating Vettel unless the German has to retire from the contest.

An interesting special market concerns what bookmakers call the Indian Grand Prix hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and race win. Vettel is trading at around 5-1 to accomplish the feat that he achieved at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida in 2011.

Vettel did the Bahrain Grand Prix hat-trick in April 2012 and the Japanese Grand Prix hat-trick earlier this month. Such is the dominance of the Red Bull car right now, there is something to be said for snapping up the 5-1 offer.

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25/10/2012     © Frixo 2024