Mr. Consistency And The Inconsistent Ferrari Turbochargers: Formula 1 Betting News And Notes

The 2022 Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships have found their place amongst Red Bull’s trophy cabinet, but we have two more races on the Formula 1 calendar, one of which features the final sprint race of 2022. How will Ferrari turbochargers finish out?

Mr. Consistency And The Inconsistent Ferrari Turbochargers: Formula 1 Betting News And Notes

Sadly, we’re one double-header away from hiding from winter and waiting for 2023 testing to begin, leaving our F1 focus to sim racing and whatever news comes up during the long, cold winter. And we’ll have plenty of time to discuss the consequences of the restrictions on aerodynamic and CFD testing handed down to Red Bull from the FIA and the sources of the cost cap overspending.

With one week before the Saõ Paulo Grand Prix at the legendary Ingeralagos Circuit, we’ve got other news to address. Last year, Lewis Hamilton and the “spicy” Mercedes W-12 power unit passed almost the entire grid TWICE over the 2021 Saõ Paulo Sprint Race and the Grand Prix itself to win the entire Grand Prix weekend.

While Hamilton and Mercedes aren’t likely to win in Saõ Paulo in 2022, we’re starting at Mercedes for our hot lap around Formula 1’s betting news and notes.

Mercedes Back to the Front? Not So Fast…

Mercedes have been on a very successful run of form, constantly improving on the flawed W-13’s aerodynamic and suspension architecture that has led to Mercedes’ having a terrible ride quality at most circuits and high-drag car.

However, don’t be deceived by their recent form, thinking they can fight with Red Bull to get Mercedes’ elusive first win of the season. The W-13 has been flattered by the recent circuits, which have emphasized the strengths of the Mercedes package.

However, with a higher aerodynamic and CFD testing allotment, and a rumored new concept for the W-14, you can expect Mercedes to start 2023 with a significantly better car and determination to regain their World Championship form. As for Mercedes in 2022, we hope that picking George Russell to finish in the Top 6 has paid off for you.

And if you haven’t been picking “Mr. Consistency” George Russell to finish in the top 6 this season, you’ve got two chances to cash in on Russell’s consistency. How consistent has Russell been at finishing in the top 6? Russell has finished in the top 6 in seventeen of twenty races in 2022. That’s almost as much of a betting lock as picking Max Verstappen to beat the entire world in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s Turbocharger Issues Are Likely to Continue at Interlagos

Do you remember the Austrian Grand Prix and Carlos Sainz’s old-school, fiery power unit failure? Well, a contributing factor to that failure was the Ferrari turbocharger operation at altitude. We’ve seen Ferrari turbos and power units fail all year, and we expect more Ferrari power unit issues at Interlagos.

Interlagos is near the same altitude as the Red Bull Ring in Austria and much lower than Mexico City. The Ferrari turbos won’t whine as they did in Mexico, but they will struggle with the altitude. And the issue is entirely due to the construction of the turbocharger.

Ferrari’s turbocharger is unlike any other on the grid. Unlike the Honda (Red Bull Powertrains) power unit’s large turbocharger concept, Ferrari turbocharger is designed to be small and to wind up quickly. This gives the Ferrari an incredible corner exit speed but makes the turbochargers extremely fragile.

You won’t see Ferrari being a threat and winning a race until the final round at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.

Up Next

A busy three-day weekend in Brazil is next on the Formula 1 calendar. Friday has qualifying, Saturday has the final sprint race of the season, and Sunday features another Max Verstappen win and a George Russell top-6 finish. The Saõ Paulo Grand Prix takes place from November 11-13 in Saõ Paulo, Brazil.