When it comes to sports betting, it’s fair to say that F1 isn’t high on the list for many. Instead, bettors choose football, cricket, basketball, and several other sports before even thinking of F1. In truth, this is a shame because there are many fantastic betting opportunities for this sport.
Short History of F1
Starting in the 1950s, F1 has always had a special place in the hearts of thrill-seekers. Over the years, the design of cars has changed dramatically. While some changes have been for increased performance, others have been introduced for safety. For example, we recently saw the addition of a ‘halo’ on top of the car to protect drivers from any debris (something that was called for after Felipe Massa was struck on top of the head by a spring in 2009). The spring came off of Rubens Barrichello’s car and hit Massa on the helmet above the left eye.
Over the many decades, several events like this have called for improved safety features; Niki Lauda’s terrifying fire in 1976 was another example. Now, F1 cars are much safer and deaths in the sport are rare. Though features like the halo might not look pretty, they keep drivers safe (and this is the most important factor!).
In terms of famous drivers, most debates will have a few common names at the top as to the ‘best driver of all time’:
- Lewis Hamilton
- Michael Schumacher
- Juan Manual Fangio
- Alain Prost
- Ayrton Senna
- Jim Clark
While Schumacher might have seven world titles, Hamilton now has six and is pushing to equal Michael’s record in 2020 and beyond. With more races on the calendar than ever before (something affected by COVID-19 in 2020), the betting opportunities are rife.
Common F1 Bets
Here are some of the most common selections in the world of F1 betting and something you need to consider when comparing F1 betting sites:
- Outright and Each Way – Just like a horse race, we can bet on an outright winner or a driver to place. Nowadays, place betting is less common than the next option.
- Podium, Top 6, Points – Here, you will bet on a driver to finish on the podium, finish in the top six, or get a ‘points finish’ (top 10). While the Mercedes will have low odds to finish on the podium, maybe you fancy one of the midfield teams to get 3rd at a certain track? Maybe luck will go your way and both Mercedes will retire leaving space for different cars on the podium?
- Qualifying and Practice – Of course, an F1 race weekend is more than just the race itself. There are three practice sessions (two on Friday and one on Saturday morning) and then qualifying on a Saturday afternoon. With three qualifying sessions, you can bet on drivers to get eliminated in Q1 or Q2, for example.
- Winning Margin or Fastest Lap – Will the winner finish more than ten seconds ahead of second place? You can guess a winning margin and even times between the winner and 3rd, 5th, 10th, and other positions. Alternatively, there’s a World Championship point at stake for the fastest lap these days – this adds some fun to the betting experience.
- Winning Grid Position – The person in pole position is in the best seat for a win, but we all know that F1 doesn’t work like this. If Lewis Hamilton gets a penalty and starts in 6th, for instance, you can bet on 6th place to win if you think he can battle through to victory.
Other popular betting markets include:
- Safety car appearances
- Constructor markets
- Driver and team specials
- Drivers to retire
- Season-long bets
- Handicap betting
With races sometimes lasting up to two hours, there are plenty of in-play markets to get stuck into too. Depending on the different F1 betting sites, you’ll have anywhere up to 100 unique markets for live betting. This includes the next retirement, next safety car, next pit stop, length of pit stop, yellow flags, and more. For those watching the event unfold live, you can even bet from lap to lap.
Unfortunately, no betting platform has the rights to stream F1. Therefore, you will need to watch live on Sky Sports (Channel 4 has the British GP each year). Also, the F1 website and app have live classifications and other ways to follow along.
