The markets are still forming in advance of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix so I’ve been scouting around on oddschecker for some early value.

Safety Car

According to my records we have only seen one Safety Car in Hungary in the last ten years (in 2006). On that occasion morning drizzle at the track saw the drivers racing on wet tyres. With the long range forecast (weather.com) predicting a dry weekend, I am surprised to see SkyBet go 5/6 either way on the Safety Car being deployed.

Lap of First Retirement

A spate of first lap retirements at the start of this season has seen this market shift downwards. For Sunday’s race Bet365 are offering the following odds:

Lap of First Retirement
Under 1.5 Laps @ 4/7
Over 1.5 Laps @ 5/4

Following Hockenheim, the average number of laps completed before the first of retirement in 2008 is seven. In the last ten years at the Hungaroring only three races have seen a retirement in the first two laps and on average 8.5 laps have been completed before the first driver begins the walk back to the pits. Have Bet365 got their prices wrong?

Honda

Jenson Button recorded his first (and so far only) win around here in a Honda and generally this is a circuit where the Japanese team have gone well. Since 2004 the team (both in the final year of BAR and as the factory outfit) have managed to place six cars in the points from eight attempts.

The Budapest circuit requires the cars to be set up with a significant amount of downforce and it is in this trim that we have probably seen the Honda to its best effect this season – sixth in Monaco and seventh in Canada – discounting the wet race at Silverstone.

Extrabet make both Honda drivers 5/1 shots to record a points-paying finish, or of course 5/2 coupled.