With the 2019 Formula 1 season heading to China for its third race of the year, now is a great time to find out whether reigning F1 champion Lewis Hamilton can extend his record for success in the Chinese Grand Prix or whether the now, legendary Brit will be beaten out in his quest for an unprecedented sixth Chinese Grand Prix title.
2019 Chinese Grand Prix Odds, Picks & Predictions
He’s had more wins than any other driver at the #ChineseGP 🇨🇳
But @LewisHamilton was left scratching his head after finishing well off the pace in FP2 on Friday⏱️#Race1000 https://t.co/yOG0Xy2opw — Formula 1 (@F1) April 12, 2019
Let’s get started with a look at the current odds to win in China, followed by my expert betting analysis and predictions n who will find their way into the winner’s circle this coming weekend. The Chinese Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday, April 14 at 1:10 AM ET.
Chinese Grand Prix Past Winners
- 2018 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-TAG Heuer
- 2017 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
- 2016 Nico Rosberg Mercedes
- 2015 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
- 2014 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
Odds to Win 2019 Chinese Grand Prix
- Charles Leclerc +175
- Sebastian Vettel +175
- Lewis Hamilton +250
- Valterri Bottas +1000
- Max Verstappen +2000
- Pierre Gasly +10000
- Carlos Sainz Jr. +100000
- Daniel Ricciardo +100000
Daniel Ricciardo
I know 29-year-old Daniel Ricciardo has struggled with a pair of retirements in his first two races after joining Renault this year, but the Australian won this race a year ago while finishing fourth in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Sebastian Vettel
Well, this clearly isn’t the start that Sebastian Vettel wanted or the start he got off to a year ago when he opened with wins in Australia and Bahrain, but the 31-year-old German is my No. 5 pick to win in China for a few reasons. First, Vettel won here in 2009 and that means he’s capable of winning again. Next, Vettel is definitely looking to pick up the pace after finishing fourth in Melbourne and fifth in Bahrain. Not only that, but Vettel is also looking to rebound after a disappointing eight place finish a year ago despite starting at the pole.
Charles Leclerc
Sure, Leclerc saw a sure-fire win slip out of his grasp a week ago because of a crushing cylinder failure, but the 21-year-old is clearly ‘super gifted’ and rising to elite status, if he isn’t quite there yet. Leclerc finished fifth in Australia and settled for a third place finish a week ago, but he’s just too talented to not contend in this event, which is why he’s now listed as the favorite in China and my No. 3 pick to win despite making just his second appearance here and finishing 19th a year ago.
Max Verstappen
I’m going with talented 21-year-old Max Verstappen as my No. 2 pick to win in China. The young Belgian finished third here in 2017 and originally finished in fourth place a year ago before having ten seconds added to his race time for causing an avoidable collision, to finish fifth. With a pair of Top 5 finishes in China the last two years, along with a third place finish in Australia and a fourth place finish in Bahrain, Verstappen is looking like a great value-packed ‘upset’ pick in this race.
Lewis Hamilton
Speaking of drivers that are just too talented to not challenge on a weekly basis and there is no one better than the 34-year-old Lewis Hamilton. The record-breaking Hamilton is second on the all-time career Formula 1 championship list with five titles that ranks second to only the legendary Michael Schumacher. Not only that, but Hamilton has won this race a record five times, including three of the last five overall.
More importantly, Lewis has taken home the checkered flag in nine of his past 13 race appearances dating back to last season, including last week’s win in Bahrain. Hamilton will also be highly motivated to get back in the winner’s circle here after finishing fourth in this race a year ago and that’s why he’s my top pick to win the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix.
