F1 Betting: Russian GP odds as Hamilton and Vettel do battle

As Sebastian Vettel desperately tries to claw back his 40-point deficit to Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings, the Russian Grand Prix might have arrived at just the wrong time. Mercedes have been utterly dominant in Sochi since its introduction to F1, but what do the odds say about the Silver Arrows hopes this week?

Mercedes have won all four Russian Grands Prix, so it is little surprise to see Hamilton placed as a narrow-odds favourite at 11/10 (2.1), with Vettel in at 5/4 (2.25).

Valtteri Bottas (7/1 – 8.0) and Kimi Raikkonen (8/1 – 9.0) are in the mix on a track that favours power, with both likely to have a headache removed by likely engine penalties for Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, whose chances of winning can largely be counted out saving something truly remarkable happening.

Interestingly, Bottas has never qualified lower than third at the Sochi Autodrom – a run that includes three races with Williams.

The Finn is 9/1 (10.0) to qualify on pole position this weekend, having won here last year, although Hamilton (8/11 – 1.727) and Vettel (6/4 – 2.5) are better favoured.

Red Bull starting from the back of the grid at a track notorious for difficult overtaking could play into the hands of a few midfield drivers.

Force India's Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez, as well as Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean are all valued at 2/1 (3.0) to finish in the top six. With a Ferrari power unit onboard his Sauber, Charles Leclerc's 6-1 (7.0) is a tempter, especially given the Monegasque's sixth-placed finish at a similarly laid out Azerbaijan Grand Prix earlier this season.

Odds sourced from oddschecker.com. All prices correct at time of writing.

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