Experience the Speed & Precision of Formula 1
Formula 1 Racing
How to bet and understand the odds
Formula 1 racing is one of the most prestigious sports in the world, as well as one of the most exciting. The races involve 10 teams with two drivers each competing on racetracks throughout the world for racing’s most sought after trophy: The Formula 1 Driver’s Championship.
Formula 1 goes all around the world through Spain, Monaco, Germany, Russia, Austria, England, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and more. Racers have the opportunity to show their abilities to fans all over the globe and expose sports fans to one of the most awe-inspiring sports ever created.
In Formula 1 each time a driver wins a race they are awarded 25 points, second place is awarded 18, and third place is awarded 15. The top ten drivers are awarded points in each race, as are their teams.
How do F1 odds work?
Formula 1 betting odds come in different categories, and there are plenty of different ways to wager money on F1 racing. The most commonly bet odds are those for outright race winners, Driver’s Championship winners, and Constructors Championship winners (team championship).
F1 betting odds will change very often due to the nature of the sport. After each practice session, each qualifying session, and before the race the odds will change to reflect how each driver has performed. Make sure to use insidersbettingdigest.com to get all the best F1 betting picks.
Types Of Bets You Can Make On F1
There are countless different types of bets you can make on Formula 1 so you should do some research before deciding what kind of bet to place. Luckily all the information you’ll need is right here. Read below to find out the different types of Formula 1 betting lines as well as examples of said lines.
To-Win Bet
To win bets are exactly what they sound like; You are betting on a racer to win an individual race. To-Win bets are the most common and straightforward bets in F1 odds and often produce the most consistent results.
To-Win bets are the most common because it’s the most simple bet you can make and often can pay very well, especially when throwing on an underdog. Example: Max Verstappen to win: +100
Podium Finish
Podium finish bets are bets that are placed on individual drivers to finish on the podium, or in the top three. While podium bets for favorites can be risky due to crashes, more often than not a heavy line for a driver to finish in the top three will hit.
Podium finishes can happen from anywhere on the grid, so picking a midfield racer to throw on to make the podium can be a lucky hit sometimes. If you really want to know who’s going to podium, look at race results to find who’s been top three consistently throughout the season.
Example: Charles Leclerc to the podium: -300
Driver Matchups
Driver Matchups are one of the more unique and intriguing ways to bet on Formula 1. F1 betting picks often only show which driver is expected to win, but what about driver vs driver matchups? These betting lines allow for more typical odds due to the nature of the 1v1 battle. Instead of picking a racer to win the whole race, you can bet on individual drivers to beat other individual drivers. This allows for excitement even when the driver you bet on isn’t winning the race. Example: George Russell -180 vs Lando Norris +150.
Prop Bets
Prop bets in Formula 1 are similar to prop bets in other sports. Think of any random thing to happen in a race and you can probably bet on it. Examples include; first driver to retire their car, which driver will be leading after lap one, teams to have both drivers finish in the points, or what position the winning driver will start the race in.
Prop bets in F1 are tough and should be avoided unless you’re willing to really risk your money. Formula 1 is one of the sports in which anything can happen at any moment, so hitting a bet on such a small and random thing to happen is very unlikely.
Example: Pole Position driver will win the race: -110
Which car will win the race?
F1 picks made on ‘Which car will win?’ are bets trying to determine what team’s car will win the race. This means that instead of betting on Max Verstappen to win or Lewis Hamilton to win, you’ll be betting on Red Bull or Mercedes to win.
This type of bet can be a lot of fun, especially when picking a team that has two top drivers. Betting on a team to win a race instead of a driver gives you steeper odds often but can also be a good way to hedge.
Example: Which Car will win the race?: Mclaren +800
What country will the winner hail from?
F1 betting odds for the country of winner bets are normally very similar to the individual race winner betting odds. This is because if a driver is the only one from his country, his individual odds and nationality odds should be virtually identical.
For example, Max Verstappen is currently the only driver on the grid from the Netherlands. This means that his outright race odds should be the same as the Netherlands’ nationality of winner odds.
Example: What country will the winner hail from? Spain +1000
Pole Position
In Formula 1 pole position refers to the driver that starts the race on the front of the grid, meaning the driver starting in first place. When a driver has pole position it is a good indicator that he is prepared for the track and the team has put a good car around him.
One of the most fun bets to play is the Pole Position bet. This bet is wagering on who will start the race on Sunday in first position. Usually, this spot belongs to Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, or Lewis Hamilton.
Example: Daniel Ricciardo to have Pole Position: +25000
Live Betting on Formula 1
Live betting in Formula 1 is one of the most fun and exciting ways to bet on any sport. Races in Formula 1 are high speed, high intensity, and high risk. At any moment a driver can drop out of the race or catch a lucky break and come from the back of the pack to the front.
In F1 live betting more than any other sport, you have to be quick. Lines change at a moment’s notice and if you can stay focused on the line movement you may be able to make some quick money due to a crash or weather changes.
Example: Live bet, Esteban Ocon, to win +7000. Rain and inclement weather hits the circuit and a big crash occurs. Ocon moves to the front of the race and wins. (2021 Hungarian Grand Prix)
F1 Qualifying Betting
When betting on Formula 1, most people just think about betting on the race. The fact of the matter is there are three practice sessions and three qualifying sessions before the race that can help you make your decision for the race. In fact, you can bet on the results of the practice and qualifying sessions.
Betting on Qualifying sessions is a fun way to gauge the field before the race occurs. Qualifying is when the race order is determined and selecting a driver to win qualifying can be a fun way to go two-for-two with your F1 betting picks.
Example: Kevin Magnussen to qualify top ten: -150
Futures Bets
Future Bets are arguably the most popular F1 betting picks in all of Formula 1 betting. Future bets are those bets that are placed on future odds, most commonly on the Driver’s Championship and Constructors Championship winners. Each season the driver that finishes with the most points is awarded the Drivers Championship, and the team with the most points is awarded the Constructors Championship.
In Formula 1, everytime a race occurs, and the final season odds change. This means every week people are betting on their choice of driver to win the Championship at different odds. When a driver loses a race his odds will go down and that is the best time to place a future bet if you think your chosen driver can bounce back and still finish the season with the most points.
Formula 1 Betting Strategies and Tips
When it comes to betting, you should always have a strategy. That rings especially true when it comes to F1 due to the inherent wildness that comes with the sport. Whatever your strategy is, make sure to check out the strategies listed below to make sure you’re getting the most out of your bets.
Favorite betting: Favorite betting in Formula 1 is common because it works. Betting on favorites isn’t always the most fun or exciting, but often those bets hit. Choosing the best racer in each season to win each race is a solid way to start betting on Formula 1. It also allows you to assess the F1 odds everytime someone surprises the field.
Underdog betting: Underdog betting in Formula 1 is very difficult. Due to the fact that there are 20 drivers in each race, choosing one of the midfield racers to surpass the pack and beat the favorites is very unlikely. That being said, the odds for underdogs are often extremely favorable for the bettor because the top drivers are such heavy favorites each week.
Team betting: With F1 betting odds, most people focus on individual winners. There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact, many people profit off of outright winners all the time. However, a strategy that could be intriguing for new bettors and fans could be Team Betting.
Team betting is when you strategize and focus on which team is going to win the race. This allows for a more open assessment of the drivers because you aren’t focused on just one individual. Team betting is a great way to go if you don’t know individual drivers and want to learn more about the sport and F1 picks.
F1 Records
In Formula 1 a driver’s record is very important. Each season is determined by the results of each race and a driver’s record through the season determines his standings. Max Verstappen has a great win record through the 2022 season having won three of five races. Despite this, Verstappen does not rank among the top ten for all drivers in win percentage.
In F1 history Lewis Hamilton has the third-best win percentage of any driver at 35.76%. This is extremely impressive considering Hamilton has also had the most race wins of any driver and has been driving in Formula 1 for over 15 years now.
In Formula 1 betting, always look at a driver’s individual and all-time record. It will show you trends in their dominance and can give you insight into what team is doing well and what drivers are currently performing at the best of their abilities.
How to read F1 odds
Usually F1 betting odds are listed in standard American odds. This means a favorite is listed as “minus money” or -150, which would be $150 bet to win $100. Usually, F1 betting lines for outright winners start around -120 for the favorite, +110 for the second favorite, and grow exponentially from there. The bottom driver in the F1 betting odds is normally listed at around +75000 to win the race.
How to win with F1 betting
The best ways to win with F1 betting include similar strategies to other sports betting. Read below for the five best ways to win with F1 betting.
- Pick the favorite- In Formula 1 the favorite according to the F1 betting odds is usually a very safe bet. Favorites in F1 are normally not too heavy and can be live bet as well.
- Bet on qualifying- Qualifying is a good time to place early bets and get ahead of the game. Betting on the previous race winner to qualify first is a strategic bet.
- Avoid fastest lap bets- Fastest lap goes to the driver who had the fastest lap. This might seem straightforward but, because the fastest lap is worth one point, teams will sometimes bail on a race result in order to gain the fastest lap point. The fastest lap is too unpredictable and is an easy way to lose money.
- Top Six finish bets- Top Six bets are unique because they don’t involve all the point sitters and also don’t include just the podium winners. Top Six can vary from race to race, often more than the podium places, and those bets can be a good way to make money each week.
- Team bets- Betting on teams instead of individuals can be a good way to make money on F1 betting lines. Choosing a team to win instead of a driver gives you a greater chance to win and often is overlooked by bettors.
The most common wager on Formula 1 is the outright winner bet. Outright winner bets are bets that are placed on an individual to win a race. Outright winner bets are common because they are the equivalent of a moneyline bet on a driver to win.
The best bet types for Formula 1 are outright winner, podium, and team bets. Each of these types has the most consistent results. In particular team, bets are overlooked by many but produce very good results. Try picking a top team and betting on them each week to get a consistent ROI.
The safest bet in F1 is the favorite outright winner. It’s not the most exciting bet or the most fun bet, but it’s easily the safest. Drivers that are dominant are favorites for a reason and without a doubt picking the favorite as an outright winner is the safest bet in F1.
F1 betting can be intimidating, but an easy way to get started is by just picking a team. Do some research on the Formula 1 teams and their history and pick one that you feel has a good chance to win the current season. Place a few bets on them to win a race here and there and see how you like it.
The best race to bet on in Formula 1 is the Belgium Grand Prix. No driver has won the Belgium GP in back-to-back years since Kimi Räikkönen did it in 2004-2005. The course is exciting and always provides for a great race, so no matter what it’s always a fun race to bet on.