What Are The Betting Markets In Formula One?

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Sports betting in the US has expanded far beyond the regular sports and markets such as NASCAR and College basketball predictions. Today, you can wager on pretty much everything, from darts to Formula One.

The latter has especially taken on millions of new fans in the US, thanks to its new American ownership Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

But as with any new sport that you want to bet on, it can be quite confusing at first. What do all the names mean, and how do you even decide the smarter bets to place? In this guide, we’ll take you through the various types of bets you can place in F1. 

Futures Markets

Futures markets are the ultimate place to back your speculations before the season begins or even after it has begun. These are types of bets that allow you to speculate on the entire F1 season and what might happen within the season.

To take full advantage, you need to have a working knowledge of the previous season as well as what has gone on during the winter development.

This also encompasses things such as whether the FIA has released new regulations that might change the pecking order.

To place the bet, you can choose between things such as the eventual winner of the Drivers’ Championship or Constructors’ Championship. You can also bet on the number of races you think a driver or team will win throughout the season, or even the total number of poles. 

Race Outcomes

This type of bet allows you to narrow down the entire season and focus on a specific race. Here, the simplest bet you can place is who you think will win the main race.

However, you also get options such as predicting who will take pole position for the race, or even who will win the sprint on sprint weekends.

But while it may sound like a straightforward bet, it’s important to consider the dynamics of F1 racing change from one Grand Prix to the other.

This is because the cars are quite sensitive to things such as track conditions and altitude. A dominant performer from the previous race may struggle in a different circuit, so ensure that you do proper research and analysis.

Individual Performance

Although they can easily be bundled into other types of bets, most sportsbooks offer individual performances as a separate category. These can be season performances or race-by-race performances.

For example, you can bet on whether you think a certain driver will achieve a podium finish in a certain race.

Under the driver’s name, you will also find other things such as a points finish during a race, getting the fastest lap, or the number of laps led. For this, ensure that you analyze the driver’s recent performance and consider the cars they are driving.

Head-to-Head Matchups

One of the most exciting bets in Formula One is comparing how you think drivers will perform against each other. These can be drivers from the same team or even from different teams, but who may be competing around the same area of the field.

The most common bet here is predicting that a driver will score more points than the other during the entire season.

However, depending on the sportsbook you are using, you can also place race-by-race head-to-head matchup bets. These also involve a driver finishing above another, but it can also be about teams gaining more points in a specific race or the course of the season.

Special Prop Bets

If you want a more exotic bet or higher risk with the potential for a higher payout, you can try Formula One’s prop bets. These go beyond simple player or team performances to focus on things that may or may not happen.

For example, will there be a safety car deployed? Who do you think will be the first driver to retire from the race? These are more novelty bets, but they give you a chance to explore more than just speed and increase your chances of winning big.