2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Betting Preview and Predictions

The Sports Geek

25 July 2023

2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Betting Preview and Predictions

F1 betting is back for another weekend of action and it’s no surprise to report that Max Verstappen is the favorite among sportsbooks to win the Belgian Grand Prix.

However, the fact we have a Sprint race this Saturday means there are more opportunities for bettors to make profits away from the lead car.

Dutchman Verstappen is crushing the field this year with nine wins from 11 races. We’re almost at the halfway stage of the 2023 F1 season and no one is stopping Red Bull. Many sportsbooks have already closed their lines on Verstappen winning the championship come November.

Of course, Red Bull’s superior driver is again the favorite to win this weekend. But can anyone stop him? Lewis Hamilton showed he had the pace to rival Verstappen in qualifying last week, while Lando Norris only finished 33 seconds behind the Dutchman. Yes, Verstappen should win here on Sunday, but bettors will be looking for value here and could find it on other F1 props.

Belgium’s Spa racetrack often throws up some surprises, and Saturday’s sprint race should be a thriller. So, let’s take a look at the top F1 betting sites to see what F1 bets may be worth your time and money this weekend.

It's RACE WEEK again! ��
With some added #F1Sprint action ✨#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/numXLWiXUg
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 24, 2023

2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, Race Schedule

Practice 1 — Friday, July 28 (Track Time: 12:30 ESPN2)
Qualifying — Friday, July 28 (Track Time: 16:00 ESPN2)
Sprint Shootout — Saturday, July 29 (Track Time: 11:00 ESPN2)
Sprint Race — Saturday, July 29 (Track Time: 15:30 ESPN)
Belgian Grand Prix — Sunday, July 30 (Track Time: 14:00 ESPN)

Fans who plan to bet on F1 over the weekend have a lot of options at their fingertips. The presence of Saturday’s Sprint Shootout and Sprint means qualifying for the actual grand prix is pushed back to Friday. It also reduces the practice time teams have with their cars to just one session.

The result?

Expect to see more crashes and more erratic drives this weekend. Practice sessions aren’t exactly exciting but they’re important for providing consistency between teams, drivers and their cars. Lose out on practice and drivers need to race more with their instinct.

That’s what makes Saturday sprint races all the more exciting when they’re scheduled for race weekends.

At Spa, the presence of the long Kemmel Straight should make for excellent overtaking during the sprint, as well as the actual grand prix. So, while Verstappen is all set to be victorious on Sunday, there’s a wider range of bet outcomes available on the Saturday.

Get Exclusive Access to Winning Sports Betting Picks for Free

2023 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Betting Preview

Betting on the Belgian Grand Prix is skewed by Verstappen’s presence. His domination of this sport over the past 18 months has been amazing to witness, and it’s made some bettors very happy. Verstappen’s odds to win F1 races are now incredibly small, yet they’re still paying out.

With Verstappen in full flow, it’s likely that bettors will look to other props and also the Saturday sprint race for wagers at better odds. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t throw Verstappen’s moneyline win onto a parlay wager. But don’t bank on winning huge sums unless you’re willing to risk a lot of cash on the Dutchman.

Belgium will be all about speed this weekend. Spa has a faster average mph than the Hungaroring last weekend, and that will only please McLaren.

The team was not expected to perform as well as the Mercedes, Ferraris, and Aston Martins in Hungary, but outshone them all. McLaren insists they’re keeping expectations low, but there’s a very real chance Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could be on the podium this weekend.

Raw pace will also favor Aston Martin over Mercedes and Ferrari, while Alpine will be desperate to recover from last weekend’s disastrous race and mingle in the top six here.

Below are three prop bets to consider for the race weekend. These F1 props can be found at MyBookie.

Consider The Field over Verstappen

This preview talks a lot about Verstappen winning the Belgian Grand Prix. It’s likely to happen, we know that. However, if you want to bet anywhere else but Verstappen, then consider a prop on the field.

Verstappen is fallible just like any other driver and he’s been lucky his car hasn’t let him down yet. But over a 23-race season there are going to be issues, even for the lead driver.

Spa is a long, arduous track and can’t be raced at half speed. The Dutchman will push his car to the limit. The odds that it fails him this time are just too tempting.

The Bet

Back the Field over Verstappen

Alpine to Score Points

It’s been a bad few weeks for Alpine. Since Aston Martin, Mercedes and now McLaren released their car updates, the French team has been falling further and further back in the midfield. But Spa could be different and we might see both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in the top 10.

It's not just any race week… It's �� race week ��#Alpine #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/3nT55okupq
— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) July 25, 2023

Ocon has finished between 5th and 7th in each of his last four Spa races. Gasly has finished between 6th and 9th. Consistency on this circuit is paramount and Alpine need their drivers to perform this weekend. They should deliver.

Norris Fastest Lap in Sprint

The Red Bulls should dominate Saturday’s sprint race, but keep an eye on Norris in the McLaren here. We’re not quite sure how well McLaren will face in the grand prix but the sprint should play into this car’s strengths.

Norris is driving exceptionally well right now and his car has the balance right to rival Red Bull for speed over one lap at Spa. BetUS considers him the third favorite after the two Red Bull drivers to set the fastest lap time in the sprint. It’s a wager worth considering.

The Bet

Lando Norris Top Lap Time During Sprint

2023 Belgian Grand Prix Odds

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

Betting on the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix can be split into two halves. The first is a focus on Saturday’s sprint race, while the second looks towards Sunday’s grand prix.

The sprint is the perfect stage for a driver other than Verstappen to shine. However, it also causes complications for the Dutchman. He needs to come through unscathed and be mentally ready for the Sunday, where the big points are available.

Friday Qualifying

Verstappen is favorite to top Friday’s qualifying session, but bettors should keep an eye on Hamilton. He topped qualifying in Hungary the previous week and remains the most skilled driver on the circuit. Mercedes can rival Red Bull over one lap – the issue for them is doing it across an entire race weekend.

Saturday Sprint

Saturday begins with sprint qualifying and ends with the race. Sprints are a great addition to the schedule, but F1 betting fans can find it difficult to pick a winner here.

After all, variables associated with a grand prix aren’t always relevant here. Look out for the likes of Alpine and Ferrari trying to mingle with the faster cars here, and don’t be surprised if a Haas or Alfa Romeo mingles with the dirt.

Max Verstappen's 2023 season so far ��
We could be witnessing the greatest #F1 season of all time �� pic.twitter.com/WeVB8Q1aMK
— Crash F1 (@CRASH_NET_F1) July 17, 2023

2023 Belgian Grand Prix Winner

The big race on Sunday consists of just 44 laps due to the exceptionally long track at Spa. This means tyre strategies will be key and most teams will be on a one-stop plan.

Getting it right from the start will be important because there won’t be many chances to undercut rivals via stops. Verstappen should win Spa easily – as he has done the last two years – but McLaren will be targeting podium places once more.

2023 Belgian Grand Prix Parlay Card

Last week, it looked certain that Verstappen would win in Hungary and Norris get on the podium. Our three-bet parlay that included Piastri in the Top Six paid out at odds of +1500. This weekend, it’s tempting to go with the same combination, but McLaren are likely to find it harder in Belgium.

One of the big reasons for this is Sergio Perez, who is due a good race. If the Red Bulls dominate on this speed-friendly circuit then that closes the door for McLaren or Mercedes to truly shine.

Norris should have the better of the Ferraris but may not be able to beat Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin on a one-stop strategy.

Therefore, the ideal parlay here is to focus on the Red Bulls and bank on Perez fulfilling his car’s potential. The following three-leg F1 parlay card has odds of +566: