F1 or Formula 1 racing has really blossomed in popularity in recent years. While it really erupted in the U.S. in the last few years, it has always enjoyed a strong presence here in Canada with the Canadian Grand Prix. This has only grown with the recent emergence of Lance Stroll who many hope can carry on the torch from the Villeneuves.
Also greatly growing in popularity around the world but especially in North America is betting on the sport. F1 betting has become trendy and fun with millions wagered on every race. Here's everything you need to know about betting on F1 plus strategies and tips you can use to finish first.
F1 Betting Markets & Types of Bets
- Race Winner - The most popular betting market for F1 is Race Winner. Just as it sounds, this requires picking the winner of the race. However, with heavy favorites in most races, it is not always easy to get really good odds on your F1 bets.
- Podium Finishes - Also very popular betting market. This requires picking the drivers that will finish in the top three of the race. Not surprisingly, it's also known as a Top 3 bet. Usually, it will not matter what order the drivers finish in, you'll win if your choices all finish in the top three. But some sportsbooks offer markets where you can choose who wins along with the other two drivers to finish at the podium.
- Driver Matchups - Another popular betting type is driver matchups or head-to-head. Here you can bet on one driver to finish better than another driver. This can be a really fun wager especially if you follow Formula 1 and have a favorite driver and one you despise like no other.
- Prop Bets - Part of the attraction of Formula 1 betting is just the sheer amount of prop bets and live in-race bets you can make at the best sportsbooks. This can really enhance one's enjoyment of the race. Props like fastest pit stop or fastest lap or the over/under for number of caution flags waved during the race.
In addition to these are season long F1 betting odds such as which driver will win the championship or which constructor, the team designing the car, will finish first in points.
You would do well to explore which options the different sportsbooks give to figure out where you can have the most fun with betting on Formula 1 in Canada. LeoVegas, Sports Interaction, and Betway scored high in this regard on our ranked list.
F1 Betting Odds
The F1 odds are similar to any other sport. It's just that currently they may be tipped a little heavily to the favorites. For example, current driver odds for the Drivers’ Championship has Max Verstappen at -340. That means to win $100 by betting on him, you'll need to wager $340.
The next closest driver is Fernando Alonso at +1200 odds. This means if you bet $100 on Alonso to win the championship at the end of the year, you'd win a whopping $1,200. Needless to say Verstappen is heavily, heavily considered to win. These odds, of course, could change throughout the season.
You may also see decimal points sometimes in place of the aforementioned F1 odds. 1.80 or 12.00. You just need to multiply by ten to determine what your winnings will be. 1.80 means you'll win $18 on a $10 bet and 12.00 indicates you'll win $120 on a $10 bet.
F1 Betting Features
F1 odds are always important for experienced bettors that like to take in more than they give. You can look at different sportsbooks to see which ones give the best odds to get an idea of where you might get the most value for your wager.
But the best and most useful features for enjoying betting on F1 are the live in-game bets and live streaming. How convenient is it to watch the race unfold before your very eyes while seeing how the odds on certain in-race bets fluctuate?
Maybe you pick up on a trend or due to track or weather conditions a bright idea hits you. But already at your fingertips you have the ability to try your skill at a certain prop bet which you think may hit. Not to mention the exciting vroom, vroom of watching the car race itself.