With all three NASCAR circuits taking the week off, now is the perfect time to introduce you to the fast-paced world of Formula 1 racing. Each week, 20 of the most elite open-wheeled drivers compete in tracks around the globe. Each hoping to pop champagne on the top step of the podium and hear their national anthem echo across the grandstands.
Betting on Formula 1 can be fun considering the sheer volume of markets available. These range from the normal finishing positions to teammates finishing inside the top 10 together. Even more are available for practices and even whether or not a safety car will be deployed during the race.
Formula 1 lines can seem imposing, but you have to know where to look to find the best bets. For instance, Max Verstappen is the favorite to win and is listed at -330 on DraftKings. While you can certainly bet that and it will cash more than it won’t, that is still a lot of juice to lay should something crazy happen and he doesn’t win.
With that in mind, here are three bets to help you dip your toes into the deep well that is Formula 1 betting. Each of them offers some of the best value you can find on the board with some of the greatest shots at cashing.
Carlos Sainz over Charles Leclerc (+110 via BetMGM)
Ferrari has struggled to pace this season and both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have felt the pain. The prancing horse logo graced the podium eight times through the first seven races of last season. This year, a Ferrari driver has stood amongst the best three drivers at the end of the race only once. Leclerc earned that trip in Baku salvaging a third-place finish after starting on the pole.
Despite the struggles, Sainz has outdueled his teammate in five of seven races this season. On top of that, the Spaniard has an average finishing position of 6.4 so far this year. In his first race on this track as a member of the Ferrari garage, Sainz finished runner-up to Verstappen by less than a second.
For some reason, Leclerc has borne the brunt of his manufacturer’s shortcomings. The popular Monégasque driver has two DNFs already this season. To make matters worse, he has an average finish of just over 10th place this season. Leclerc has made three career starts in Montreal with an average finish of sixth place. Last season, he finished three spots behind his teammate, taking the checkered flag in fifth place.
Red Bull Fastest Pit Stop (-150 via DraftKings)
Don’t let the juice scare you on this one. In fact, this is still quite low considering that Red Bull has turned out the quickest pit stops in four of the seven races this season. They have built on their overall title from last season where they topped the charts ten times in this category.
The Red Bull pit crew has clocked the fastest stops in the last two races. They also account for the quickest stop all season sending Sergio Perez back on the track after staying stationary for 2.07 seconds.
This could end up being a one-stop race which gives pit crews fewer attempts to beat Red Bull’s pit times. Also in their favor is the fact that this track offers the least amount of pit loss time all season.
Hamilton to Win Without Max Verstappen (+333 via Caesars)
The books have once again made it all but impossible to make a profit betting on a sixth win for Max Verstappen this season. The points leader is priced as high as -330 on DraftKings and as low as -275 on BetMGM and Caesars. That is still a lot of juice to lay even though it is very likely Max repeats as the winner of this race.
So, to find value in placing a winning bet, turning to the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton to beat the rest of the field behind Verstappen. The seven-time Formula 1 champion has taken the green flag 13 times in Montreal. He has won seven of those races. What’s more, he has failed to reach the podium on just four occasions. Six times his car has started from the pole position. Last season, he finished in third place here.
Hamilton has yet to finish worse than sixth place this season. Last week in Spain, the British superstar enjoyed a runner-up position on the podium marking his best finish of the year. Mercedes has made some big swings over the last few weeks to try and catch up with Red Bull. Those improvements are starting to pay off. You can also feel good about sprinkling something on an outright win for Hamilton who is currently offered at +1200 on FanDuel.
