Gambling Blog

As news begins to filter through the sport that Lewis Hamilton has signed a £36 million contract which will see him remain with the McLaren team until 2012, there are many who think this is one of the largest gambles McLaren have ever taken.  There are some in the sport who feel that Hamilton was in the right place at the right time last year (even though he was just piped at the post) and he failed to deliver when the pressure began to mount.  So is it really a gamble?

While a contract of this size in any sport is a major gamble, McLaren chairman Ron Dennis is a man who does his own thing, something which has brought him great success in and outside of the sport.  He is a man who has a gut feeling for situations, stars and the potential of his team and team members.  At the height of team problems last year it was evident that he thought Hamilton was the man for the future as he seemed to side with his “rookie” over the then reigning world champion Fernando Alonso.

The interesting thing about the Lewis Hamilton story is the fact that he did do so well in his first year, and he did take the championship to the wire.  Many people are judging the flying machine as someone who has been on the scene for years when, as he admits himself, he is still very much learning the sport.  Those with an in depth knowledge of the sport will know that Hamilton has been mentioned at the top table for many years, ever since he emerged in junior racing, and he has been ear marked by Ron Dennis for some time.

The new season starts on March 16th with the traditional Australian race to kick off what promises to be a very interesting and very competitive year!

While officially team orders are not allowed in F1 racing, with both drivers of each team supposed to be given equal opportunity to win, does this really work, or are �team orders� effecting the outcome of some races?

For those of you who watched the final F1 race in Brazil, you would have seen the two Ferrari�s swap places after different pit stop strategies, conveniently giving the lead to Kimi Raikkonen and eventually seeing him provisionally claim the Drivers Championship.�

While there is an appeal from McLaren about the fuel temperature of three cars which finished just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, many are now asking if it really was worth betting on the Felipe Massa, the second placed Ferrari driver who was leading the race for so long.

The rules of F1 state that team orders are not allowed, and while officially they are not discussed, this is not the first time we have seen suspected �team orders� effect the overall outcome of� a race, to the detriment of many gamblers.� Should betting on F1 be allowed? Is it really fair?

Despite much promise of tightening the rules and regulations, the F1 authorities are not really able to control so called team orders, with cases against various teams difficult to prove.� In a sport which generates millions of dollars for a whole variety of associations and companies throughout the world, there is little chance of the authorities �rocking the boat�.�

You also need to consider the fact that each team does have a number one driver, and if they are seen as the more skilful of the drivers available to the team, then it would be crazy not to give them special attention.� However, it does become a little more difficult when you see a so called number two driver, such as Lewis Hamilton, in serious contention to win the Drivers Championship.� It seems that the gap between number one and number two drivers has reduced of late, giving the F1 set-up a major headache.

As we approach the weekend, we can all look forward to one of the most action packed few days on the sporting calendar (and gamblers calendar) with a whole host of events taking place.� Feast your eyes on this array of top sporting events :-

Euro 2008 Qualifying Continues

As we near the crunch with regard to Euro 2008 qualification, it is Scotland who have stolen a march on England, but who will be in the driving seat come Sunday? England take on Estonia at Wembley on Saturday, while Scotland entertain the Ukraine on the same day.� Can Scotland pull further away at the top of their qualifying table, will England stutter again, the joys of big match football await us!

World Cup Rugby Semi Finals

England carry the hopes of the �home� nations with a much awaited match against the French on Saturday.� These have always been fiery affairs and this one should prove no different, with both teams vying for a place in the Final, after shaky starts.� Can the Lion roar once more?

After a difficult period for both the Rugby and Football teams, it seems that both have the chance to improve their battered reputations,� The rugby team more than any other have been written off by nearly every �expert� in the sport, but they keep battling and last weekends shock victory over Australia showed what they can do.

While a win for the football team on Saturday would be a great boost ahead of their Russia game next week, it is difficult not to think of the make or break Russian game next week.� what chance a double win or a double defeat by England?

For those with an interest in F1, the battle for the Drivers Championship will go to wire at the final GP of the year - 21st October, Brazil.� Will Hamilton keep his cool, will Alonso sneak in, or will the Ferrari of Raikkonen finish off a mad cap season in style? All will be revealed very soon…….

It has to be said that �F1� racing is the ultimate glamour sport, attracting the rich and famous, making grown men and woman drool at the speeds reached on the tightest of tracks, and coining the phrase �Pit Lane Babes�.� It really does seem to have everything, speed, money and glamour!

However, there seems to be a potential flaw in the racing / gambling side of the industry, a flaw which can often be exploited - not all of the time, but at opportune moments - but what is it?

For many years we have seen the F1 teams work on team orders, which effectively means that �unofficially� one of their drivers holds �number one� drive status, something which is vital when trying to secure a big name - and the big sponsorship deals.� We have seen situations in the past where this team status has been used to ensure that the �number one� driver has the best chance in each race, something which can, and has, effected the outcome of races and ultimately gambling wins.

In the current F1 series we saw �rookie� drive Lewis Hamilton contacted by his team mid race, and told to �pull back� to allow team mate, and �number one� driver Fernando Alonso a clear shot at wining the Monaco GP - Alonso finished first with Hamilton second.� There was uproar in the gambling industry, with many unhappy punters calling for an investigation.� An official investigation was held and the McLaren team were cleared of any wrong doing, with the authorities claiming their tactics were legitimate and did not effect the outcome of the race.

The fact that the F1 authorities have effectively �rubber stamped� the idea of �team orders� may offer some interesting gambling opportunities in the future, something that any F1 enthusiast should look out for.