Hamilton may be worried – but he’s now 1/12 for the F1 title
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Lewis Hamilton is now 1/12 to win this year’s Formula One World Championship.
The three-time champion finished second behind Max Verstappen in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, while title rival Sebastian Vettel came home fourth.
It means Hamilton holds a 34-point lead with just five races to go.
Throughout last weekend however, the 32-year-old expressed concern over Mercedes’ lack of pace.
Despite winning in Singapore and finishing second on Sunday, both Ferrari and Red Bull boasted faster cars in the last two races.
Should this trend continue, then 6/1 outsider Vettel could yet overhaul the deficit.
The German has endured a miserable couple of races. After grabbing pole position in Singapore, his aggressive move off the line saw him crash out on the first lap.
And as Ferrari again looked imperious in Malaysia, a turbo problem forced Vettel to start from the back, ruining any chance of victory.
Vettel could – and perhaps should – be leading this championship by around 20 points at this stage.
He’s on the back foot, but if he wins the remaining five races then he will be world champion, regardless of what Hamilton does.
And the first of those comes this weekend at Suzuka in Japan.
A popular venue, it has been the scene of several iconic moments down the years.
It’s also a circuit Vettel has thrived on in recent times, claiming four wins.
But the title protagonists must also contend with a rejuvenated Red Bull.
Verstappen came home at odds of 16/1 to win last time out, and both he and Daniel Ricciardo could fly on Suzuka’s fast-flowing bends.
The 20-year-old Dutchman is now a 4/1 shot for a second win in a week, while Australian team-mate Ricciardo 5/1.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
