Formula One Betting Tips
By instantly recognizing who is on the short list of drivers with a realistic chance of winning both a race and the overall Drivers’ Championship, you’ve already taken a huge step toward becoming a successful Formula One bettor and increasing your potential earnings from the sport. Let’s look some other helpful hints that can drive you toward that winning wager.
For starters, pay attention to which driver is starting with the pole position. In most forms of auto racing, being on the pole is not that significant, but in F1, more often than not, due to the limited passing opportunities available at many of the F1 Grand Prix circuits, it can translate into victory.
Another key factor to keep in mind is the assigned pecking order on F1 teams. Teammates in IndyCar and NASCAR stop being teammates once the green flag flies. That usually isn’t the case in F1. There is an A and a B driver on each team and drivers are under what is known on the circuit as team orders. The B driver is to let the A driver pass him to win a race, and a B driver is never to pass the A driver for a race win, even if he is at the wheel of the superior car on that given day. This especially holds true if the A driver is in the hunt for the world title. That’s why it’s vital to know who the Alpha Dog is on all of the top F1 teams before you bet on the race.
Types Of Formula One Bets
Along with the atypical straight win bet, there are a variety of wagers in play at anytime when it comes to Formula One racing. Betting on who will end up as the fastest qualifier is an option offered prior to every race, and much like the race itself, the list of contenders is generally a short one. In 2023, for example, pole positions for the 20 races were shared between no fewer than five drivers – Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Lewiss Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
There is also a wealth of prop bets on offer each race week. You can wager on the nationality of the winning driver, and on which driver will be the first to retire from the race. There are enticing prices offered on the odds of each driver finishing in the top six for a particular race and thus gaining points in the world championship standings. There are bets on the board as to which driver will turn the fastest lap during a race, and often sports books will put forth a prop asking you to speculate on an exact finish of a particular driver in a particular race.
You will also discover a number of future bets on F1 racing, including which driver will win the points title, known as the Drivers’ Championship, and which team will garner the Constructors’ Championship. As the season progresses and clear favorites emerge, some sports books will put forth an either/or wager pitting the current leader against the field.
These are the two most commonly made bets on F1 racing when taking the entirety of the season into consideration and it will come as no surprise to see that defending champion Max Verstappen comes into the 2024 season as the overwhelming favourite to defend his individual crown. Having won 11 races last season, the German driver is priced at just -380 to defend his crown after such an impressive display in the previous campaign.
As has been the case over the last few seasons, his closest rival is likely to come in the shape of Lewis Hamilton. The British driver had an excellent 2023 campaign. Hamilton comes in at +1000 to finish top of the pile and he will have his work cut out to do so – greater consistency will be needed.
And one name to keep an eye on will be Lando Norris. The 24-year-old is the most exciting up and coming driver on the circuit and after winning two Grand Prix races last season could well go on to bigger and better things this season. He is priced at +900 to win the drivers’ title.
Then there is the constructors’ championship, and again it will hardly be a shock that it mirrors the drivers’ championship. Red Bull, whom Verstappen drives for, are the favourites for the title at -400, while Hamilton's old team McLaren come in second at +550.