Sebastian Vettel is fancied to again cut down Button’s lead

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chickendinner loves a British success story as much as anyone but we weren’t looking forward to the prospect of Jenson Button winning nearly every race with Schumacher style dominance. Sadly for the Brit, his worst result of the season was saved for Silverstone (sixth) and while he is still 25 points ahead of winner Sebastian Vettel, the German is a strong favourite to win on home soil this weekend. Here are five stats about the first German Grand Prix to be held at the Nurburgring (the European and, slightly more dubiously, the Luxembourg Grands Prix have been held there since though) since 1985:

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1. Four of the last seven German Grands Prix have been one by German drivers, as have five of the last eight races at the Nurburgring.

2. On the last three occasions that a British or German driver has triumphed at Silverstone - Michael Schumacher in 2002 and 2004 and Lewis Hamilton in 2008 - they have gone on to win the German Grand Prix.

3. However, over the last six years just seven drivers have recorded victories

Posted: July 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Hamilton’s Bahrain GP price is halved after first practise

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Last season chickendinner enjoyed a lot of success by using past results to analyse whether it would be Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa or Kimi Raikkonen standing on the top step of the podium. However, this year has proven a lottery so far. Last weekend’s stats suggested that Ferrari would improve in China but it never materialised while the unpredictability surrounding this weekend’s race has seen Lewis Hamilton’s Betfair price crash from 22 to 11 after going fastest in first practise. Here are some Bahrain GP stats:

» Felipe Massa has won the last two Bahrain Grands Prix and Fernando Alonso the two before that but the only driver to have finished on the podium in each of the last four is Kimi Raikkonen.

» Sebastien Vettel, the winner in China last weekend, retired after one lap in Bahrain last year.

Posted: April 24th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Ferrari have a chance to kick start their season in Shanghai

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Ferrari have had a miserable start to the season, failing to score a single half-point in either of the opening two races. With the Brawn cars receiving a thumbs-up from the FIA, they will be expected to dominate again in Shanghai but here’s why it might be worth betting on Kimi Raikkonen or Felipe Massa being the best-placed driver besides Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello at 8/1 and 10/1 with Sky Bet:

» Massa failed to score points in either of the first two races last season before winning the third and he scored more points than any other driver outside of Australia and Malaysia in 2008.

» Since joining Ferrari in 2006, the Brazilian has never finished three straight races outside of the points.

Posted: April 16th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Button is 2/1 to win in Sepang and replicate Schumacher

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Over the last ten years only one man has won the first two races of a Formula One season and that was Michael Schumacher, who was so good that he did it three times (2000, 2001 and 2004). By pricing Jenson Button at 2/1 to win in Malaysia, Bet365 and Paddy Power obviously believe he can follow in the German’s footsteps:

» Ferrari have won five of the ten races previously held in Sepang and last year’s winner Kimi Raikkonen - 7/1 with Boylesports - was the fastest in Friday practise.

» Kimi Raikkonen has won twice in Malaysia, including his first ever Grand Prix win in 2003. However he has only once ever won the same race two years running (Belgium 2004 and 2005) and has gone 15 races without winning.

» Felipe Massa has raced six times in Sepang without ever finishing higher than fifth.

Posted: April 4th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

The reigning F1 champion is 33/1 to win the opening race

Ten stats about the unpredictable opening race in Australia

Formula One still constantly has to defend itself from accusations of being boring despite the Drivers’ Championship being won by a point at the final race for the second season running. However, a series of rule changes designed to shake up the sport and level the playing field means that this has the potential to be the most unpredictable season ever, as reflected by the odds for the opening race. Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton, who won this race last year, is 33/1 to triumph with Ladbrokes while the 7/2 favourite is Jenson Button, who picked up just three points throughout last season and until last month was in danger of not even having a seat this year.

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» The reigning world champion has won the opening race in just four of the last thirteen seasons (and on three of those occasions it was Michael Schumacher), so even if Hamilton was happy with his car he would struggle.

» If Button lives up to his billing as race favourite, he must be taken seriously as a title contender. In 15 of the last 19 seasons, including each of the last three, the winner of the opening race has gone on to win the Championship.

Posted: March 27th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment