Bookmakers not so sure about Verstappen title after Hungarian GP

Sparks dont just fly on track in the ongoing power struggle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, which is so close it could reasonably still go either way. Even when you ask the leading bookmakers, no one seems quite sure which driver will take the coveted title this year.

As a recent analysis by Compare.bet shows, the title chances of the two drivers changed dramatically over the course of the first half of the season. At the start of 2021 defending champion Hamilton enjoyed a slight advantage, his chances of winning the title were estimated at around 60% when measured on April 8, shortly after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

After a dip at the Spanish Grand Prix, when Verstappen was only thought to have a 27% chance of winning the title, the Dutchman started a catch up-effort. A number of strong weekends resulted in Verstappen being given an 80% chance of winning the Drivers' Championship in early July. This was measured after the two consecutive Grands Prix in Austria, where Verstappen and Red Bull reigned supreme.

Fluctuations again

Currently, however, Hamilton's title chances are on the rise again. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, bookmakers are again giving the advantage to the Brit. It is estimated that he currently has a 59% chance of winning his eighth world title this year. Nevertheless, this advantage is once again minimal, and with a whole half of the season still to go, everything is still to play for.