After what has seemed like a longer season than usual despite there being fewer races, the 2020 Formula 1 season will officially come to a close on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. The big question that race fans have coming into this weekend is about what type of race we will see. We have all become accustomed to seeing Lewis Hamilton win every week, and a couple of other familiar names vying for the remaining spots on the podium, but sometimes things don’t go as expected. Last weekend was the perfect example of that, with Sergio Perez winning his first ever race in F1, with Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll rounding out the top 3. Will it be another weekend of surprises or a more familiar podium? Let’s look at the current Formula 1 odds for the favorites.

Formula 1 Betting Analysis for the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton (-280)

There was a rather straightforward reason why Lewis Hamilton was not on the podium last week, and that was because he was not in the race in Bahrain. Hamilton had tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to sit the race out, but word is that he feels much better and will be ready to go in the final race of the season. You do, though, have to wonder just how healthy he will be after dealing with the virus. F1 is a physically draining sport, and if Hamilton has any lingering effects, it could have an impact on his performance, assuming he is good to go. He will need to have a negative test and be ready to run in Saturday’s qualifying section on order to be in the race, so be sure to keep and eye on that situation.

Valtteri Bottas (+350)

It has been a disappointing final few weeks of the season for Bottas, who looks like a driver now just waiting for it all to end. He finished 8^th in Bahrain last weekend, which was all the more surprising when you consider that Hamilton was not in the race. That said, he was 8^th the week before that and 13^th in the race before that one, so he has certainly not been delivering the goods for a while now. It does have to be disappointing to see Hamilton win the World Championship again in such convincing style, but Bottas needs to find a way to dig deep and put on a show for his fans in the final race of the season.

Max Verstappen (+600)

With a shot at moving up and potentially taking over 2^nd in the Formula 1 driver standings, Verstappen again ran into issues and was forced to retire for the 5^th race this season. That outcome is all the more frustrating when you see just how well he has raced when he has been able to get to the finish line. It would still not have been enough to win it all this season, but he could certainly have had his best ever finish with a bit more luck. Verstappen has landed on the podium in each of the last 2 seasons in Abu Dhabi.

If Hamilton cannot go, George Russell will get the nod again. He led much of the way last weekend in his debut before a pit stop error and a puncture derailed him. You can get Russell at +1000 odds right now, so maybe worth a gamble.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?