Ferrari/McLaren stranglehold at US Grand Prix suggests Alonso win

The American Grand Prix may have been absent from the Formula One calendar for a few years here and there, as well as changing venues on a couple of occasions, but one constant has been the utter dominance of both the Ferrari and McLaren teams in taking the chequered flag.

So, disregarding the almighty struggles of McLaren Mercedes this season – who have not been able to provide a single podium finish to date – that only really leaves one man who is capable of halting world champion Sebastian Vettel’s attempts to win an eighth straight F1 race in Texas.

Felipe Massa’s odds of 150/1 to take the flag suggest he is not that man, especially as the Brazilian has already lost his Ferrari seat to Kimi Raikkonen for the start of next season.

It is of course two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who is a tantalisingly long 25/1 shot with Ladbrokes, after finishing third at the Austin circuit last season.

His rather lengthy price can be attributed to Ferrari’s struggles to pick up a podium in the last four Grand Prix and the fact that he is carrying a slight back injury into the race after being forced to run wide in Abu Dhabi at speeds of 150mph.

Nevertheless, Alonso has pledged his full commitment to the Ferrari cause in the USA, as his Italian team are still locked in a battle with Mercedes and Lotus-Renault to claim second in the constructors’ championship.

There are only 37 points separating the three teams, with Ferrari sandwiched in the middle and looking to overhaul Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes outfit.

It’s 8/1 a Mercedes car wins in Austin, 10/1 a Lotus driver wins it and a 20/1 call that one of the Ferrari cars is first over the line ahead of practice for the Grand Prix.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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