F1Punter

Add another feather in the cap of Bwin as they are first out with prices for the Monaco Grand Prix. Even more impressively they have already priced up 52 markets across qualifying and the race. Their odds for the race winner are as follows:

Not that I would necessarily advise taking those prices at this stage. The outright market is so competitive I would expect some bigger quotes to be available on the exchanges before race day. They are useful for predicting how the market will form though.

One price that I am not expecting to get much bigger is that of Lewis Hamilton. I can see him being the focus of much of the press coverage in the build up to the Monte Carlo race. As the feat of him leading the World Championship in his rookie season begins to sink in, attention will turn to his goals for Monaco and also his record there.

A quick look through his racing history and I have found three occasions when he has competed at Monaco; twice in the F3 Euroseries (same weekend) and once in GP2. These forays have resulted in two pole positions and three victories. I expect it to be the unbeaten factor that the press and the public latch on to.

Lewis himself seems fairly confident. When asked in the Spanish GP Post Race Press Conference how he would prepare for the lottery of Monaco, the Brit replied:

I don’t see it as a lottery. Monaco has always been a very strong race for me and I was saying to Felipe that one day we will get you and you never know whether it’s that one or… …but I think we’ll be very strong in Monaco, so I’m looking forward to it. Again, that’s one where we’re going to be pushing hard to get as many points as we can but for sure, I’m going to be going in for a win.

Of course talk by the media or the man himself is one thing, winning around Monaco is quite another. Whilst lottery is perhaps stretching it, there is little doubt that it is one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar.

Has anyone else got any early thoughts about the race?