F1 Odds: Monaco Grand Prix favourites as Lewis Hamilton bids to end long wait for a win

Lewis Hamilton saw his odds of a first F1 victory in just under two years fade on Saturday as he qualified only third for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The 41-year-old seven-time world champion came into race weekend in the principality on the crest of a wave after his best result yet since moving to Ferrari - second place last time out in Canada.

Things also looked good on Friday as Hamilton topped the timesheets in Free Practice 2, but on Saturday he was unable to repeat the trick.

Hamilton - watched for the first time in person by girlfriend Kim Kardashian - could qualify only third on the grid and is now 13/2 third favourite to win for the first time since Belgium back in July 2024.

Brilliant Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli is the red-hot favourite to claim victory on Sunday after roaring to pole for Mercedes. The championship leader is now 1/2 to win a race which has been claimed 33 times by the driver in pole position, and he could also become the youngest ever winner in Monaco.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen will start on the front row just behind Antonelli after a brilliant Qualifying performance saw him claim P2 for Red Bull. He is 5/2 to win on Sunday.

Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc had been favourite to claim pole on Saturday, but could only manage fourth on the grid. The hometown Monegasque hero is a 12/1 shot to claim an unlikely victory.

It was another tough day at the office for pre-season championship favourite George Russell. The Mercedes star won the season opener in Australia but now trails Antonelli by 43 points after the Italian grabbed victories in the next four races.

Russell is a distant 66/1 to win on Sunday after qualifying only sixth.

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Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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