Betting Tips for Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona), Sunday 10th May on BBC1

Will Massa take to the podium in the Spanish Grand Prix 10th May, 2009, and live on BBC1

Betting on the Spanish Grand Prix is brisk and the start of the race could be the most interesting Grand Prix start this season. With Jenson Button on pole you might expect him to be leading into the first corner and subsequently go on to be leading at the end of the first lap since overtaking is so difficult at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. But thats without reckoning on either car weights or Kers and for the second time this season, we may see the pole position car overtaken to the first corner and still behind at the end of the first lap. Whilst Jenson Button is 1.4 on Betfair to be leading at the end of the first lap, it would be very tempting to back either Massa in a Ferrari (with Kers) at 4-1 or Vettel at 5-1 to beat him to the first corner and be leading after lap one and despite Massa’s Kers advantage, my own preference is for Vettel at 6.6 @ Betfair, since Massa would have to leap frog both the Brawn car and the Red Bull car.

Following qualification the first two cars, driven by Button (Brawn) and Vettel (Red Bull) reduced dramatically in price to be the eventual winners of the race, with Button available at 4-6 at William Hill and Vettel available at 10-3 and despite Massa being available at 9-1 and Barrichello at 8-1, we think the eventual winner will come from the the front two on the grid.

My own preference is for Vettel, the new innovation of publishing the weights of the cars introduced this season tells us that Vettel will go 17 laps before pitting for the first time, whilst Button will pit after 14 laps, Barrichello after 15 laps and Massa after 16 laps so Vettel pits last of the leading four drivers and if this puts him back out at the head of the race (assuming that he gets to the first corner first!) then it will be difficult for the other drivers to pass him.

It is ineteresting that Button thinks the Ferrari is fast, he said “Ferrari are closing very, very quickly” and “they’re one to watch over the next few races, for sure” and we take Massa for the third place on the podium at 5/4 with William Hill for his first points of the season.