FanDuel update paints grim picture for Formula 1 fans
FanDuel has already introduced a “betting without Max Verstappen” category amid the two-time reigning Formula 1 world champion’s dominance to start the 2023 season.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looks exactly what you’d expect a two-time reigning world champion to look like early in the 2023 Formula 1 season, securing two wins from pole position and a runner-up result from 15th after being hindered by a drive shaft issue in qualifying.
Both of his wins, which bring him to 37 career victories, good for sixth all-time, and 17 in the last 23 races, so far this season have come at tracks where he had never previously won in 14 combined starts, painting an ominous picture for the rest of the field.
Verstappen leads teammate Sergio Perez, the only other winner so far this season, by 15 points in the driver standings after three of 23 races on the schedule, so the title battle is far from over.
But given the overall stat comparison between the two since they became teammates in 2021, it is going to take a Herculean effort for Perez to stay in the fight.
FanDuel is already prepared for Verstappen to coast to a third straight Formula 1 world championship.
FanDuel Sportsbook has already introduced a “betting without Max Verstappen” category, in anticipation of a potentially record-breaking championship-winning margin for the 25-year-old Dutchman.
Unless you’re a huge Verstappen fan, this update isn’t what you want to see, assuming you’re hoping for a close championship fight. Perez is currently the betting favorite in this category, which includes only six drivers.
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull: -250
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin: +350
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: +500
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: +3200
- George Russell, Mercedes: +3200
- Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari: +7000
Take advantage of the sportsbook’s current promo and get in on the action now!
Note that this category is still valid even if Verstappen doesn’t win the championship; it is not necessarily a “second place” category. The winner is literally the driver not named Verstappen who finishes highest in points.
Full current standings can be found here.
To compare, this option wasn’t offered by sportsbooks until late last season. Then again, at this point last year, Verstappen was 46 points out of the lead, a deficit more than three times wider than any margin he faced throughout his maiden championship-winning season in 2021.
The 2023 Formula 1 season’s fourth race is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 30. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Baku City Circuit beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss it!
