Formula 1: Japanese Grand Prix – Copybet
The 2026 Formula 1 world championship continues with the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on Sunday, 29 March.
There has been no shortage of action in the first two races of the 2026 F1 season and Mercedes have made an impressive start, winning the first two races through George Russell in Australia and teenage star Kimi Antonelli in China.
Ferrari have also begun well, finishing third and fourth at each of the first two rounds, while McLaren and Red Bull have plenty of ground to make up after some early struggles.
After the Sprint weekend in China, it's back to the traditional schedule for the Japanese Grand Prix, which will be the last race until the teams visit Miami in May.
Max Verstappen has won this race from pole position in each of the last four seasons, but the former champion's tough start to the year provides an opportunity for a new name on the trophy this time.
Japanese Grand Prix
Mercedes have finished first and second at each of the first two races of the season, with a Ferrari in third place, and it's hard to see that pattern changing, at least until the teams have a chance to make major changes in the upcoming five-week break until the Miami Grand Prix.
Russell won in Australia and also took the Sprint in China before finishing second in the main race as teenager Antonelli recorded the first grand prix win of his career.
The British driver has never finished higher than fifth in Suzuka but he looks the right favourite at a track that could punish any overexuberance from his team mate.
A better value bet, however, may be to back the revitalised Lewis Hamilton to claim another podium finish in third place.
Hamilton has won five times in Japan and looks to have the car to showcase his driving talent again this season after a miserable first season with Ferrari.
The British star was closing in on his teammate Charles Leclerc when they finished within a second of each other in Melbourne and was three seconds ahead as they finished third and fourth in Shanghai.
Keeping the Mercedes pair at bay may prove beyond them but another third-place finish looks well within Hamilton's reach.
Japanese Grand Prix
Alpine's switch from Renault engines to a Mercedes power unit for 2026 was expected to be a major boost for the team, which finished last in the Constructors' Championship last season, and while it didn't seem that way when they managed just one point in Australia, the outlook is much brighter now.
Both Alpine cars were in the top 10 in Shanghai, with Pierre Gasly an excellent sixth while Franco Colapinto was 10th, and the Argentinian driver is a nice price to add to his tally this week.
While it has to be borne in mind that neither McLaren even made it to the start in China, so points will be harder to come by in Japan, there is still scope for Colapinto to make the top 10 again at decent odds of 12/5.
He would have finished even higher last time out if he had not been the victim of an early collision with Esteban Ocon's Haas, so there is scope for him to secure another points finish.