Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton shown major disrespect in Hungary odds?

Lewis Hamilton is listed as the underdog for Sunday’s Formula 1 race at the Hungaroring, a track where he is an eight-time winner.

Albeit in controversial fashion, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ended what was his longest Formula 1 win drought since the end of the 2017 season and the start of the 2018 season by winning the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit two Sundays ago.

His win, which was his fourth through 10 races this season and just his first in his last six starts, came after opening lap contact with championship rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull knocked the 23-year-old Dutchman out of the race.

Hamilton overcame the 10-second penalty he was issued for causing the collision, but it came down to the final laps before he was able to overtake erstwhile race leader Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to secure the victory. Now he trails Verstappen by just eight points in the driver standings after entering the British Grand Prix 32 points in arrears.

And now he is heading to one of his best tracks.

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When Hamilton won the British Grand Prix, he became an eight-time winner of the race, having also won it in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

There had only been two previous instances of a driver winning a single race eight times, and Hamilton accounted for one of them when he secured his eighth career Hungarian Grand Prix win at the Hungaroring last year, having also won the race in 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Before he pulled this off, the only eight-time winner of a Formula 1 race was fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. Schumacher won the French Grand Prix at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006.

And next up on the schedule is the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Yet Hamilton is listed as the underdog for this 70-lap race around the 14-turn, 2.722-mile (4.381-kilometer) road course in Mogyoród, Hungary.

WynnBET lists Verstappen as the favorite at -115 while Hamilton is listed as the second favorite at +150.

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Is this a bit of disrespect toward the man who has won the Hungarian Grand Prix in each of the last three seasons and a record eight times throughout his legendary career?

It has been clear that Verstappen and Red Bull have had the upper hand as of late, but with Hamilton and Mercedes having just ended a five-race win drought — and having done so after Hamilton actually topped the speed charts in the traditional three-round, knockout qualifying session — there is promise for the Silver Arrows.

They brought some pretty significant upgrades to the British Grand Prix, and while they weren’t able to test them in combat with Verstappen during the race — unless the biggest and best upgrade involved Hamilton’s ability to drive into the side of the RB16B and cause $1.8 million in crash damage — the weekend as a whole was a promising one for the Brackley-based outfit.

However, to say that Hamilton is being shown “disrespect” by not being listed as the favorite is probably going too far.

Verstappen has been performing on another level as of late, and while Mercedes did appear to make gains on the Milton Keynes-based team at Silverstone Circuit, Red Bull still seemed to have the upper hand, with Verstappen leading every lap of the sprint qualifying race despite having not started it from the pole position.

ESPN is set to broadcast Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix live from the Hungaroring beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.

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