United States Grand Prix: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The 2024 F1 season has delivered more excitement than expected already and the tension is set to ramp up further as the United States Grand Prix kicks off the final six rounds of the world championship.

Defending champion Max Verstappen's advantage in the standings has been reduced to 52 points after closest rival Lando Norris won in Singapore last month, and with extra points available in Saturday's sprint race, the McLaren man could take a big chunk out of the Red Bull star's lead if he gets it right this week.

Verstappen has won at the Circuit of the Americas in each of the last three seasons, but Norris already has one win in the United States this year after his breakthrough success in the Miami Grand Prix in May.

United States Grand Prix betting picks and predictions

Lando Norris to win (+100)

Max Verstappen has dominated the United States Grand Prix in each of his three championship seasons and beat Lando Norris by just over 10 seconds in last season's race, but the balance of power between the leading teams is now very different to what it was 12 months ago.

Verstappen was winning for the 13th time in 14 races when he took the checkered flag in Austin last year, but this weekend he will be seeking his first grand prix success in nine attempts, with his latest victory coming in the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

The Red Bull ace has done well to limit the damage his title rivals, and Norris in particular, have been able to inflict, with runner-up finishes in his home race in the Netherlands and in Singapore last time out.

His team has had three weeks to figure out the balance issues that have hindered them through the summer too, but in advance of any improvement the champion might show in practice, Norris has to be the pick for the race victory. The British driver has finished ahead of Verstappen in the last four races.

While his young teammate Oscar Piastri also has two recent successes in Budapest and Baku, the Australian will now be obliged to settle for second place if the McLarens are in the leading two positions, with the team doing all they can to help Norris catch his championship rival.

Norris has a solid record in Austin, finishing sixth in 2022 before taking fourth in the sprint and second in the main race last year. In his current form, he looks the right favorite to land his fourth win of the season and crank up the pressure on Verstappen in the title race. 

Charles Leclerc to finish 3rd (+333)

With only two realistic contenders for the world title, there is a danger of the rest of the field being overlooked but they can still make their mark on a race-by-race basis.

Ferrari and Mercedes have won six races between them, with Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lewis Hamilton and George Russell all successful at least once, although McLaren have won four of the last six rounds. 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is well suited to the Austin track and showed up well in Texas last season, finishing first and second in the two qualifying sessions before coming third in the sprint, but he was disqualified from the grand prix for a technical infringement.

Leclerc had three previous top-four finishes at Circuit of the Americas and his fifth place in Singapore before the mini-break was his worst finish in six races. 

Whether he proves to be best of the rest behind the two McLarens or has the best view of a Norris vs. Verstappen battle, Leclerc looks to have value at +333 odds to finish third, as he has done twice in the last five races.

Alex Albon points finish (+125)

Williams appears to be a team on the rise after several years at the back of the field and the recent progress made by the British squad has persuaded Carlos Sainz Jr. to join them next season after losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton.

The team's progress has been highlighted by some points-scoring finishes from Alex Albon in particular. After the team failed to score a point in the first seven races of the season, the Thai driver has made the top 10 four times, including twice in the last three races.

Albon was ninth in the Austin race last season and had previously finished fifth at the track in his time with Red Bull. He looks worth an interest at plus-money odds to secure a points finish.

United States Grand Prix outright odds

Lando Norris	+100
Max Verstappen	+450
Oscar Piastri	+500
Charles Leclerc	+650
George Russell	+1600
Lewis Hamilton	+1600
Carlos Sainz Jr.	+1600
Sergio Perez	+5000

Read the latest F1 news on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.