Formula One is the main racing event on a global scale, which gathers the best drivers on the planet and attracts the lion's share of all motorsport money.
Not surprisingly, betting on this sport is extremely popular. Bookmakers are also interested in the multi-billion dollar industry, so there is probably not a single bookmaker which would not accept bets on the "royal races" series.
Race regulations
The typical Formula One season includes about 20 Grands Prix and lasts from March to November. Every year the number of Grands Prix and their composition change, and new circuits appear. However, there are several Grands Prix that are considered classic and are held every year. For example, every team dreams of winning a race in Monaco, Belgium or Italy, so races in these countries are always extraordinary. In 2021, the start of the season is scheduled for March 28, with the Grand Prix in Bahrain.
Every Grand Prix has three free practice sessions, during which racers get used to the track, a qualifying session on Saturday, which determines the starting order, and a Sunday race. The first ten drivers to finish the race are awarded points.
Usually, the race involves 10 teams, each of which has two cars. Teams have their own chassis, and therefore cars are driven differently. It is believed that the most powerful and reliable engines are made by Mercedes. Ferrari constructors are breathing down their neck. The young Honda is closing the top three teams. The French Renault mechanics are also striving to get closer to the leaders.
The circuits also differ in type. There are slow, medium-speed, and high-speed circuits. When betting on Formula 1 events, it is important to consider the type of track, the engine power, and the chassis. When the speed on the circuit is above average, the engine power becomes of great importance, and therefore it is worth paying attention to the Mercedes cars. Chassis come to the fore on slow tracks. In this case, one should focus on Honda and Renault customers. Medium-speed tracks are tamed by those race cars that combine a powerful engine and good aerodynamics.
Types of bets on Formula 1
Bookmakers, whose reviews and ratings are presented on the bookmaker-ratings.com portal, offer bettors three types of Formula 1 bets. These are bets on the season, qualifying and race.
Betting on the season involves predicting the winner of the racing championship and of the Constructor's Championship. The 72nd World Championship season kicks off in March 2021. The current champion in the 2020 season is Lewis Hamilton, and the Constructor's Championship winner is Mercedes.
Betting on qualifying is often narrowed down to comparing drivers and determining the winner of the rounds. Doing so, most often one compares the drivers of the same team. Usually, it is easy to identify the favourite by the odds. A driver's proficiency plays the main role when they drive almost similar cars.
The widest line offered by bookmakers is for the race. One can also bet on the comparison of teammates. The winner will be that driver who has a higher position in the final standings. A refund of the wager is possible if the driver falls out of the race as a result of a collision with another car.
Options for determining the place that a particular driver will take at the end of the race - from the 1st to the 3rd, from the 1st to 6th, or from the 1st to the 10th - are also sought by bettors. Wagers on the outcomes are popular too - one can bet whether a certain driver will get into the final classification. Bets are also made on the total of the finishers.
Formula 1 is a rather difficult sport to bet on. The result of the race can be influenced by the weather, extent of wear of a vehicle's parts, chosen race tactics, physical and psychological condition of drivers and mechanics, fines, and lots of other unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, in F1, bettors try not to bet with small odds. It is better to select outcomes with odds around 2.00.
More often, experienced bettors use one of the two strategies for F1 and bet either before qualifying or after it. In the first case, they can choose outcomes with the prediction of the total of the finishing drivers or other general bets that do not concern the order of the participants in the qualifying.
Post-qualifying bets are a great opportunity to bet successfully on a strong driver who, for example, was fined and lost his place on the starting grid. In this case, the odds will be higher than for favourites, and the probability of winning a bet is not much lower.
