Paddy Power: It's all in the tyres

The weather at Magny Cours, although often stiflingly hot, can also be iffy. Remember Frentzen's win for Jordan in the rain in '99? Despite those Bridgestones you can still get Frentzen at 150-1 for France. Even as an each-way bet that's 30 times your money, which has to be worth a look. A long shot admittedly, but why not take him to score points? If Arrows is there, of course...

Along the same lines, Giancarlo Fisichellla's odds (100-1) are not as attractive, but still interesting.

In the 'betting without Michael Schumacher', the in-form Montoya looks good value at 2-1. That is, if he wins or finishes second to Michael. Rubens Barrichello, you suspect, is the only spoiler there, so maybe cover him at
11-8.

Or, if you suspect that McLaren might be close to Williams in France due to tyres, a Michael win with Kimi Raikkonen second is available at 25-1.

If conservatism is your bag, Michael at 1-5 for the podium is effectively a bet on Ferrari's stunning reliability continuing. If so, you get a 20% return on your money, which has to be a lot better than the stock market lately!