Spanish Grand Prix betting tips and F1 predictions: Podium finish beckons for Hamilton

Where to watch the Spanish Grand Prix

Sky Sports F1, 2pm Sunday

Best bets

Winning margin over ten seconds
2pts 4-6 bet365

Lewis Hamilton to finish on the podium
1pt Evs bet365

Spanish Grand Prix race predictions

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was the setting for an era-defining moment in 2016 when an 18-year-old Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix on his Red Bull debut.

A lot has changed since then, with Verstappen well on his way to a third consecutive World Drivers’ Championship, and the fresh-faced - and often brash - youngster is now a hardened veteran of the Formula One roadshow.

Verstappen has developed into the complete driver, as capable of blistering qualifying laps as he is at managing his race pace, protecting his tyres and pulling off daring passes, although he has not needed much of the latter this season.

The Dutchman produced a phenomenal lap in Q3, securing pole position by almost half-a-second and having the luxury of being able to abandon his final push lap. Teammate Sergio Perez enduring a tough time, qualifying 11th, it and it would be a miracle if anybody stops Verstappen driving off into the Catalan sunset on Sunday.

He won by 27 seconds in Monaco last weekend and the race winner has finished at least 20 seconds ahead of the closest non-Red Bull car in four of the six races this year. He was on track for a similar margin in Australia before a late red flag cut the margin, so expect Verstappen to have another lonely day out front.

Another man with fond memories of this circuit is Lewis Hamilton, who has won the Spanish Grand Prix a joint-record six times and, up until last year, had won five in a row.

The seven-time world champion looked close to qualifying on the front row and while the final qualifying runs shunted him down to fifth, he was less than a tenth off Carlos Sainz in second and is likely to start in fourth with Pierre Gasly’s grid penalties looming.

After finishing fourth in Monaco last week, Hamilton has the racecraft to go one better in Barcelona and secure his second podium of the season.

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