Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines

The Brazilian Grand Prix represents the second-to-last opportunity for Formula One teams to achieve their season-long goals.

Mercedes enters Sunday's race in Sao Paolo under the most pressure to finally deliver a strong result before the season concludes next week in Abu Dhabi.

The Silver Arrows put themselves in a fantastic position to win on Sunday by taking two of the top three spots in Saturday's sprint race. George Russell won the sprint race to earn pole position, while Lewis Hamilton came in third.

Russell and Hamilton blocked out the Red Bull cars of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez from starting in the first three positions, but the constructors' championship winner is far from eliminated from a race victory.

Red Bull has had the best pace all season long, and it could get the best of Mercedes and Ferrari over the duration of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The top three teams will be in focus at the top of the grid, but there are two teams in the middle and back of the standings that will be under the microscope as well.

Brazilian Grand Prix Odds

AP Photo/Andre Penner

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of The Netherlands, steers his car during the Sprint Race qualifying session at the Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Max Verstappen (+140; bet $100 to win $140)

Lewis Hamilton (+200)

George Russell (+200)

Charles Leclerc (+2200)

Sergio Perez (+2200)

Carlos Sainz (+3500)

Lando Norris (+20000)

All other drivers (+50000 or above)

Can Mercedes Finally Get a Win in 2022?

Nelson Almeida/Pool via AP

Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, steers his car during the Sprint Race qualifying session at the Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov.12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (Nelson Almeida/Pool via AP)

Mercedes delivered a bit of a statement Saturday, as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton took first and third, respectively, in the sprint race.

Russell overtook Max Verstappen after a multilap battle with the Red Bull driver. Hamilton got past Verstappen after the drivers' championship winner suffered some damage.

Russell's head-to-head victory against Verstappen suggests Mercedes can compete with Red Bull throughout Sunday's race.

Verstappen may be better equipped to win the battles with Mercedes on Sunday. He was on the medium tire, while the rest of the field was on soft tires for the sprint race.

Red Bull should have a better tire strategy in place, and it has proved to have the best long-term speed on the grid.

Mercedes has been inching closer to a win lately and it appears that Russell and Hamilton have better pace in their cars compared to previous weeks.

Russell and Hamilton both need strong starts to prevent Red Bull from taking over early, and if they do that, Mercedes could not only win, but put two cars in the podium positions.

How Does Alpine Recover from Disastrous Sprint Race?

AP Photo/Andre Penner

Alpine driver Fernando Alonso, of Spain, steers his car during a qualifying session for the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Alpine had the worst day of any team during Saturday's sprint race.

Contact between teammates Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon at the start of the race sent Alonso to the back of the race because of front wing damage.

Alonso recovered a bit to finish in 15th, but then Ocon dropped way down the leaderboard himself. The Frenchman finished in 18th place.

The disastrous Saturday leaves Alpine with a ton of work to do in its battle for fourth place in the constructors' championship with McLaren.

Alpine holds a seven-point edge on McLaren, but its two cars will start behind Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who go off in seventh and 11th, respectively, for McLaren.

Alonso and Ocon can use overtakes to consolidate the damage early in the race and it can't afford another race like Saturday in case McLaren lands both cars in the top 10.

Haas Trying to Finish Off Great Weekend

EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images

Haas F1 Team's Danish driver Kevin Magnussen races during the second practice session for the Formula One Brazil Grand Prix at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace racetrack, also known as Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 12, 2022. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP) (Photo by EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images)

Haas unexpectedly found itself in the spotlight on Friday when Kevin Magnussen won the pole for the sprint race.

Magnussen fell down the field after leading the first two laps of the sprint race, but he still picked up a point in eighth place.

Magnussen's positive pace in qualifying combined with Mick Schumacher's run from 20th to 12th suggest the American team is in for its best weekend of the season.

While Magnussen has been in the spotlight in Brazil, Schumacher is the driver to watch on Sunday afternoon.

Haas has not announced its second driver for the 2023 season, and Schumacher could use Sunday's race as one final audition to keep his seat.

Haas could also use the points potentially gained by Schumacher and Magnussen because it is one point ahead of AlphaTauri for eighth place in the constructors' championship. An extra point or two could make all the difference with two races remaining.

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