F1: A beginners’ guide for Formula One betting

Formula One is one of the most popular sports in the world and its reach spans all corners of the globe with races in almost every continent. Figures such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have provided box-office entertainment in recent years, none more so than the last campaign when the battle for the Drivers’ Championship was decided on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the climax of the season.

MAX VERSTAPPEN. WORLD CHAMPION!!!

A stunning season by an extraordinary talent#HistoryMade #F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/FxT9W69xJe

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021

The 2022 campaign promises to be just as exciting as Hamilton seeks to earn revenge for his narrow defeat at the hands of Verstappen. There will be plenty of intriguing betting odds for the 2022 Drivers’ Championship and each individual Grand Prix over the course of the season. If you’re new to the sport and wondering how to bet on motorsports, we’ll now give you a brief background into wagering on the F1 season.

Championship Bets

The first type of bet you will want to consider are wagers on the Drivers’ Championship, predicting which driver will win the title in the 2022 season, and the Constructors’ Championship, selecting which team will win their respective crown in the campaign. The time to find the best odds is before the start of the season where you will discover decent prices for backing Hamilton or Verstappen to triumph in the Drivers’ Championship.

If you wait for the season to declare itself after five or so races, you will find that the value of the odds will drift from the price at the start of the campaign. It is not necessarily a negative as a slow start from either Hamilton or Verstappen may improve their price for a potential surge in the second half of the season. Finding the right time to wager is crucial in getting the best value on your odds, especially when F1 is concerned.

Current 2022 F1 Championship Odds

Numbers shown is the payout on a $100 bet.  So for Lewis Hamilton, it is $135 dollars currently.

Race Bets

The first race bet is to line up is your prediction for who will win the race. More often than not this market is dominated by Hamilton and Verstappen, but if you have a hunch there could be drama, you can find great value on the other drivers in the field such as George Russell and Charles Leclerc. Another good betting option is for a driver to finish on the podium, and this is where you can find premium value as drivers lower down the pecking order can place within the top three with a strong outing. If you track their performances over the course of the week, there could be money to be made with a pick on an outsider to flourish.

The parameters can also be changed for a top-six or top-10 finish depending on the bookmaker you choose, although your value will be affected the more places you add. Now the fastest laps have greater importance in the race, with the winner earning a valuable point to their Drivers’ Championship tally, the market for picking the driver can be lucrative. Hamilton and Verstappen do not control the market all the time, therefore, picking your options from the field can be a wise choice. You are spoiled for options when it comes to betting markets on Grand Prix day.

Current Bahrain GP Odds

Numbers shown is the payout on a $100 bet.  So for Max Verstappen it is $175 dollars currently.

Other Bets

You cannot ignore one of the most important bets of the Grand Prix week, which is who will claim pole position during qualifying. It falls under the same umbrella as the race winner as Hamilton and Verstappen claimed pole position in all but four of the 22 races last term. There are also prop bets available such as whether the safety car will be deployed over the course of the race and the first driver to retire. There are a lot of intriguing markets when it comes to prop bets on Formula 1, so it does pay to perform background research, and become an intelligent sports fan, before placing your stake as it could be a fruitful wager.