F1 Betting: New Season Preview

We hit the tarmac with a preview of Formula 1, taking a look at the top contenders so far. Who will you back?

Formula 1 is undoubtedly the most glamorous motorsport on the planet, bringing together man and machine to race in more than 20 countries around the world. With big-name drivers like Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton on the grid, each Grand Prix is an exciting, octane-fueled charge for glory.

Two billion people tune in to watch F1 on the TV each year, and a good portion of them lay down a wager on their driver of choice – and a good portion of them cash out from bets on Formula 1, too. With two different championships, one for the drivers and one for the teams, there are plenty of F1 betting opportunities. After an exciting 2021 season that had thrills and spills at every turn, here at Bodog Casino, we’re getting ready for lights out in Bahrain.

F1 Betting: Verstappen or Hamilton?

F1 fans dream of a World Drivers’ Championship that goes down to the wire. Looking on as the title is decided in the final race creates jeopardy and unpredictability, but in 2021, fans may have got a little more than they bargained for. If you’d bet on the Formula 1 futures market last season, your fortunes almost certainly changed on the final lap of the final race.

After a season-long close battle between old-hand and reigning champ, Lewis Hamilton, and the young and hungry upstart, Max Verstappen, the winner of the final race in Abu Dhabi was going to decide which of the two drivers would be crowned World Champion.

Hamilton had the race under control pretty much from the start and looked set to cruise to a record-breaking eight titles. But a late safety car (or pace car for you INDYCAR and NASCAR fans) put a stop to this. In the rush to get the race restarted, the Race Director controversially fast-tracked some processes, setting up a one-lap showdown between Hamilton and Verstappen.

On fresher tyres, Verstappen rocketed past his rival, clinching his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship with half a lap to spare.

Off the back of that incredible spectacle, you might be wondering if F1 in 2022 can live up to the exciting (but controversial) high standards set in 2021. With new rules around the design of the cars coming into force this season, that may very well just happen.

Can Verstappen Defend His Title

This F1 season, Max Verstappen will be the first driver in several years to race with the No. 1 on his car. Hamilton, as the hitherto reigning champ, had opted to bare his standard #44 rather than exercising his franchise-given right to brandish that alpha status in oversized print. But the Dutchman, having gone to the effort, will be fighting to keep the top spot with some early wins.

The new car rules may help him achieve this… or hinder it. For 2022, Formula 1 cars will be designed to generate more of their downforce using the floor of the car, rather than by passing air over the top. This means his Red Bull will be a completely new design, rather than an iterative improvement on last year.

With Adrian Newey, one of Formula 1’s brightest minds, in charge of Red Bull’s car design, few would bet against Verstappen having the right machinery. The last time rule changes of this scale were made, back in 2009, Red Bull were one of the teams that produced the best cars. They are, therefore, expected to do it again in 2022.

Provided that Red Bull can give Verstappen the wings he needs, he could well be flying high in 2022. He will need to adapt to the different feel of these new F1 cars, though that should be no trouble for a driver of his calibre.

Ahead of pre-season testing, Verstappen has the second-best F1 betting odds from Bodog at +225, close behind his Mercedes rival.

Will Hamilton Make It Eight?

Had the late safety car not appeared in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton would have bested Michael Schumacher’s record of seven World Drivers’ Championships by clinching an unprecedented eight.

After losing in such controversial circumstances, the Brit disappeared from the public eye for several months, reappearing only in late February, when his Mercedes team unveiled their new car, to tell the press that he was planning to bring a new level of energy and determination in 2022, with a subtext that he intended to claim what he missed out on in 2021.

But Hamilton is in the exact same position as Verstappen. He’ll also be sitting in an entirely new car that will handle very differently and generate its grip in a completely different way. The last time rules of this calibre were introduced in 2009, Hamilton had just won his first title with McLaren, but his team started the following season on the backfoot, underperforming greatly.

The Brit will be hoping 2022 will be a different story, and his Mercedes team has all the resources it needs to ensure Hamilton’s hopes come true. That’s why Hamilton has F1 betting odds from Bodog of +110.

Let’s look at who’s favourited to get across the finish line.

Constructors Championship Betting

There are more ways to bet on Formula 1 futures beyond which driver will score the most points in a season. A second title is up for grabs, which you might known as the World Constructors’ Championship. This title is awarded to the best-performing two-car team.

More often than not, this honour goes to the team that employs the drivers’ champion, but it isn’t always the case, as we saw in 2021. Last year the championship was won by Mercedes, despite the fact that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was the one who picked up the title.

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes and Red Bull are Bodog’s favourites ahead of the first race with F1 betting odds of -190 and +250 respectively. That could all change though when the cars head out on track in Bahrain.

 

There are scores to be settled, and records to be broken. 2022 is racing towards us as one of the most exciting Formula 1 seasons ever. This will be a championship you won’t want to miss, so make your predictions at Bodog Casino, and get ready for lights out.