Mexico F1 Grand Prix 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines
The Formula One world championships have been claimed by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, but that does not mean the drama is gone from the season's final three races. After all, this is Formula One.
Verstappen sits on pole for Sunday's Mexico Grand Prix, but his continued dominance was not the main headline from Saturday's qualifying session.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell placed Mercedes in second and third place on the grid in front of Sergio Pérez in the other Red Bull and both Ferraris.
A win has escaped Mercedes all season long, but it looks like the team is getting closer to one, and it could happen in the final three races.
There will be multiple fights to watch beneath the top three teams in the field because of how tight the races for fourth, sixth and eighth are in the constructors' championship.
Valtteri Bottas produced the best qualifying run of any driver on the other seven teams. There should be plenty of competition between Bottas and the Ferraris to stay in sixth place, and between the McLaren and Alpine cars at the back end of the top 10.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Max Verstappen (-145; bet $145 to win $100)
Lewis Hamilton (+350; bet $100 to win $350)
George Russell (+475)
Sergio Pérez (+850)
Charles Leclerc (+2200)
Carlos Sainz Jr. (+3500)
Valtteri Bottas (+20000)
Lando Norris (+25000)
Fernando Alonso (+30000)
All other drivers (+50000)
Lewis Hamilton came so close to grabbing his elusive first win in 2022 last week in Austin, Texas.
Hamilton was in the lead during the second half of the race before Max Verstappen overtook him and went on to win his 13th race of the season.
Mercedes has come a long way since its early-season struggles, and it appears to be in its best position yet to snag a victory in Mexico City.
Hamilton and George Russell qualified behind Verstappen, and they can work together to keep Sergio Pérez away from the front of the field at the start of the race. That will be a hard task because Pérez will be racing on his home track, but Mercedes proved it has the pace on Saturday.
Mercedes could be in a better position to strike against Red Bull because the top team in Formula One has nothing else to race for. Verstappen won the drivers' championship two races ago in Japan and the constructors' championship in Texas last weekend.
Red Bull showed a rare bit of vulnerability last week when a Verstappen pit stop cost him a few more places than usual. A quicker pit stop or two could be the difference Mercedes needs to hold off the Red Bull threat on Sunday.
If Mercedes can't win in Mexico, its chase for a race victory could come dry. Red Bull had the advantage at Brazil and Abu Dhabi last season. That is where the last two races of the season take place.
Red Bull locked up first place in the constructors' championship last weekend, but that does not mean the entire table in set in stone.
Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes are expected to finish in that order, but then the standings become a lot tighter.
Alpine holds a nine-point edge over McLaren for fourth place. Alfa Romeo leads Aston Martin by three points for sixth. Haas is up by one point on AlphaTauri for eighth.
One swing in results this late in the season could confirm that one team finishes ahead of its closest rival in the standings. Additional prize money comes with every higher place in the constructors' championship.
Alpine and McLaren will be involved in a battle from the start. McLaren has Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in eighth and 11th. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon are sandwiched in between them in the Alpine cars.
Alpine has six double point finishes in the last nine races, while McLaren has five double point finishes for the entire season.
Valtteri Bottas has a chance to give Alfa Romeo some separation from Aston Martin since he starts in sixth place. The race results have not been good enough for Alfa Romeo. The Italian team has one top-10 finish in the last 10 races. Aston Martin closed the gap to sixth place by taking points in seven of the last eight events. Aston Martin starts 17th and 18th on Sunday.
AlphaTauri and Haas start their cars on the two rows in front of Aston Martin. It will be an uphill climb for any of those four cars to earn points on Sunday because of their starting positions.
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