How to bet on F1

• Formula 1
• Racing
• Sports Betting

How to get acquainted with betting on F1

If you’ve ever wondered how to bet on F1, then you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve put together the ultimate guide to wagering on this high-octane sport. Governed by the FIA, F1 is generally viewed as the pinnacle of motor racing and has a sizeable following around the world. The season typically gets underway in late March/early April and stages races in a variety of locations, including Bahrain, Australia, Brazil, and the UK.

Although F1 isn’t as popular as basketball, baseball or football when it comes to betting, there are still ample markets and odds available throughout the season. Our guide on how to bet on F1 will help you get to grips with wagering on the sport. Fans are also able to bet live each race-day with pre-season wagers also now available with the majority of online betting sites.

Each race week, 10 or 11 teams will take part in three practice sessions followed by qualifying before competing in the race itself. With markets available across the four days, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a wager on the sport.

With many of the best F1 betting sites pricing up hundreds of markets each week, and detailed statistics and numbers easily accessible online, there’s never been a better time to enjoy an F1 wager.

F1 Races and Markets to Bet On 

If you take a look at the F1 betting 2020, you'll find a variety of different markets and sports odds currently listed. At the beginning of the season, bettors can wager on the Championship winner as well as the Championship-Winning team/constructor. However, you won't be paid out until the season has reached its conclusion. 

The most common way of betting on F1 is on a race-by-race basis. Examples of F1 betting markets include race winner, top six finish, top 10 finish, grid position of the winner, and fastest lap. 

You can even wager on whether the safety car will make a mid-race appearance. If you're just learning how to bet on F1, it's strongly advised to stick to more conventional betting markets to begin with. 

There are 22 opportunities to bet on the race winner throughout the season. You can also bet on qualifying and practice sessions, although this will depend on your chosen online betting site. If you're F1 betting at William Hill, they will also price up live markets for the majority of these pre-race events. 

F1 Betting Types

Races take place approximately every couple of weeks, which offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy a wager on the sport. The best F1 betting sites will offer various markets ahead of each race, and many of them will also offer opportunities to have a season-long bet. 

Championship Winner

Ahead of the season getting underway, the majority of F1 2020 bets will focus on the winning driver. Each competitor is awarded points for finishing inside the top 10 with the driver managing to accumulate the highest number of points crowned the Championship winner in December. Realistically, one of the top five drivers in the Championship winner betting market tends to prevail in this market. 

Winning Constructor 

Each constructor will be represented by two drivers, and their total points will be added up at the end of the season. The team with the highest number of points will be awarded the Constructors Championship. 

This market is also relatively popular and is usually listed alongside the F1 Championship betting odds. Drivers will often sign new contracts or move between constructors during the winter. This gives you plenty of time to assess each team's strengths and weaknesses prior to the season getting underway. 

Pole Position 

At the beginning of each race, the best performing driver in qualifying will start at the front of the grid. If you are wagering on this market, you must correctly predict which driver will achieve this feat. 

Race Winner

This is the simplest market to understand and is the best place to start for those who are learning how to bet on F1. You must select a driver to win the race and take the checkered flag. Your chosen driver must finish clear of the remainder of the field for you to be paid out. 

Podium Finish 

After the race has finished, drivers who picked up first, second and third position will take their place on the podium. You can wager on any competitor in the race to finish in these positions. 

Some drivers regularly achieve a podium finish without managing to win many races, and this is always something to keep an eye on when it comes to this specific F1 betting market. 

Fastest Lap 

In 2019, F1 authorities decided to offer an extra point for the driver who achieved the fastest lap during each contest. This market is available with a variety of F1 betting sites and will require you to successfully predict which driver will complete the fastest lap. Your driver does not necessarily have to win or achieve a podium finish for you to be paid out. 

Top Six/Top Ten Finish

This market is an excellent way of backing one of the underdogs to finish strongly. Most F1 betting odds for 2020 will include markets for drivers to achieve a top six or top 10 finish. 

Favored drivers such as Lewis Hamilton are expected to be challenging and will, therefore, be priced up at short odds. However, if you can find an unfancied driver who has the potential to overachieve, this is the best way to utilize this market.

Driver vs. Driver (Race Bet)

This is a fun bet which will pitch two closely matched drivers against one another. The F1 odds with Skybet and William Hill will offer fans the chance to predict which of the two drivers will achieve a higher finish. 

Your chosen driver does not need to finish in the top six – they must simply finish ahead of their market rival. 

For example:

  • Match Bet – Carlos Sainz vs. Lando Norris

You wager $10 on Carlos Sainz to finish ahead of his teammate.

Result:

  • Carlos Sainz finishes 12th
  • Lando Norris finishes 14th.

Your bet is a winner! 

If Norris overtakes Sainz and finishes ahead of his teammate, your wager will not be successful. 

Where to Bet on F1

Now that you've learned how to bet F1 and have familiarized yourself with the various betting markets, you'll want to know which bookmakers currently offer odds and markets on the sport. 

Some online betting sites will have a separate section for F1, although others may place these markets within the "Motorsport" section of their site. 

F1 Betting Tips and Strategy

If you're wagering on motorsport for the first time or you've been wondering how to bet on F1 for a while, then our F1 betting tips will help you improve your profitability in the future. 

Some drivers will flourish at particular venues

Although some drivers will tend to dominate throughout the season and rack up copious podium finishes, it is also important to pay attention to those drivers with a lower profile. Some competitors' driving style will suit certain tracks while others will simply improve their performance whenever they find themselves in familiar surroundings. 

A driver who is likely to be roared on by a partisan home crowd is likely to outperform their odds as a result. Some constructors' vehicles may also favor a particular track layout. 

Tip: Focus on the driver's past performances at each track/region. If they are making their debut in the sport, conduct some research into their previous outings in other areas of motor racing at this particular venue. 

Don't rule out tactical maneuvers 

Each constructors' motive is to put as many points on the board as possible throughout the season. With each team being responsible for two drivers, tactics may come into play at any given point. 

If one of the drivers needs to achieve a podium finish to stay competitive at the top of the driver's Championship, team orders may dictate that their teammate allow them to pass. There will often be a plan in place to enable the best-positioned team representative to finish strongly, and if you can predict when this may happen, it will inevitably prove to be a profitable experience. 

Explore Alternative Bets

With so many F1 betting sites to choose from, there are ample wagering opportunities ahead of each race. Although it is tempting to stick to simple bets such as race winner or fastest lap, it is highly recommended that you explore alternative betting markets. 

If you know your motorsport, you'll be able to take advantage of the top six/top 10 odds as well as the driver vs. driver markets. If you look at the F1 betting on Oddschecker, you'll see that there are often major discrepancies between many online betting sites. 

When it comes to the minor markets, taking the time to delve through each of these will help you unearth some value. 

With the majority of bettors simply focusing on the drivers who are likely to achieve a podium finish, this is your opportunity to take advantage of alternative betting markets and pick out a potentially underpriced driver. 

Use Stats 

The internet is full of sporting statistics and data, and F1 betting experts will use these to their advantage. Race times, lap times, and the number of the podium finishes at each track are all easily accessible, and these can be used to make F1 betting predictions ahead of each race. 

It becomes slightly trickier when a track is making its debut on the F1 calendar; however, generally speaking, you can find a breakdown of each circuit online, and this should help you plot the potential outcome of each contest. 

Track stats are arguably the most important. Some circuits are ripe for overtaking while others have exceptionally tight turns, and this means that grid positions are likely to play a very important role. 

Always Check the Weather Forecast

Those who are still learning how to bet on F1 may be unaware of just how much the weather conditions can impact the final result. Some constructors' vehicles are far better suited to treacherous conditions, while perfectly timed tire changes can also help skew the result in your favor. 
Tip: Do your research and analyze how each driver/team has coped with similar weather conditions during previous seasons. This will help you determine how they'll perform this time around and is likely to have a significant impact on any potential wagers.

How to Bet on F1 FAQ

What happens if my chosen driver is crashed into?
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If your chosen driver does not manage to complete the race, then your bet is a loser. Even if the incident which caused them to crash clearly wasn't their fault, you would not receive your money back.
How important is insider information?
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You're likely to come across plenty of so-called "insider information" during your pre-race research, and it's important to take every quote with a pinch of salt. In standardized pre-race previews, information is likely to quite generic and widely circulated, so it won't particularly benefit you when it comes to F1 betting. However, if you have genuine information that you have picked up from other sources – your own contacts/translated articles/social media posts, this could prove invaluable.
Should I watch every F1 race?
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Although it's not absolutely necessary to follow every single minute of the F1 season, it's strongly advised to watch as much as you possibly can. You may spot something worth noting ahead of the next race, and it will also give a better idea of each drivers' racing style. All races are available for streaming, so it's simple to catch up. If you aren't able to watch the race itself, ensure that you read as many post-race debriefs as possible.
Are there many shocks in F1?
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There are many discussions about the sport's greatest shocks on the F1 betting Reddit forums, with Max Verstappen's 2016 victory currently ranking very high. He was the sport's youngest-ever winner, and although he was headed for a bright future, he wasn't expected to be victorious so early in his career. Shocks do happen, but there are only a handful of tracks that tend to produce these.