F1 Betting Tips – Expert Guide and How to Bet

Formula 1 is the crème de la crème of motorsport racing, with a fanbase that spans the globe.

Here’s how to bet on F1, what you can bet on, and some F1 betting tips and strategies to make you much more profitable.

How to Bet on F1

Before you get close to making your first bet on F1, you’ll need to pick a sports betting site and create an account.

When you sign up to an online sportsbook for the first time you’ll almost always be given a generous welcome bonus, so be sure to make the most of that.

When you have made it to the lobby, navigate to the F1 section. For new players, picking a GP winner is a good place to start.

After making a few bets on F1, you can use the betting tips and strategies outlined on this page to make more complex bets such as qualifying leader, podium finish, prop bets, future bets, live betting and more.

F1 Betting Tips – Example Bet

Here we will look into a real-world example so you can see exactly how an F1 bet works.

The sportsbook we’ve opted for is BetOnline, but you’ll find a host of different sports betting sites that cover the same F1 betting markets so it’s always worth shopping around to find the best odds.

At the time of writing we are well into the 2024 F1 season, and about to head into Mexican GP weekend.

Though Max Verstappen and his Red Bull are heavy favorites to win the drivers’ championship at the end of the season, his title challenger Lando Norris is a favorite to win in Mexico at +250.

This means a bet of $100 on Norris will return $350 ($250 winnings plus your original stake)

Both Leclerc and Norris are at much bigger odds but with presents a good opportunity to try and capitalize. There are still five races left in the season and a shock result in one or two could upend the market.

How to Bet on F1 – Step-by-Step Guide

Here will walk you through the process of how to bet on F1 races, from initially signing up and registering for your account to making that all-important first bet.

We have gone with BetOnline as our sportsbook in this example, but you’ll tend to find the process very similar regardless of which sports betting site you opt for.

1. Register at BetOnline

Unless you already have an account with the sportsbook, you’ll need to register for one. To do so hit the ‘Join’ button in the top right-hand corner of the site.

2. Open an Account

You’ll need to choose a password, and enter details like your name, date of birth, and current address.

3. Make a Deposit

Head to the cashier section and make a deposit using your chosen payment method. Be sure to make the most of any welcome bonus offered by the sportsbook for signing up.

4. Navigate to F1 Betting Markets

When you’ve added funds to your account, you’re ready to make that first F1 bet. From the sports homepage, scan down the sports menu on the left-hand side until you reach ‘Formula 1’ and click on it.

5. Place Your Bet

Once you’ve decided which F1 betting market you want to wager on, it’s time to make that bet. To make a selection simply click on the odds box next to the choice, which will add it to your bet slip. Place the bet and return to your account to check on any open bets.

Formula 1 Betting Options

The best online sportsbooks offer a range of different F1 betting markets as well as options for other motorsports betting options.

In this section, we will give you some F1 betting tips and look at the various types of wagers available to F1 bettors.

Race Winner

The most common type of F1 bet is to predict who will win a certain Grand Prix.

Usually only a small number of drivers have a realistic chance of winning a race – in the 2023 season there were only three winning drivers (Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Carlos Sainz Jr.).

It’s been a different story in 2024, which has seen seven different drivers win races so far.

This is great for grand prix winner markets as the odds available are far more enticing, though races are tougher to predict.

For example, at the upcoming Mexican GP the three favorites have odds of +250 (Norris), and +275 (Verstappen and Leclerc).

Podium Finish

Podium finish bets are when you back a driver to finish in either first, second or third place.

You won’t get anywhere near the same odds as you would for a driver to win the race outright, but your bet will win regardless of which of the three positions your driver finishes in.

There is no difference in how much you win depending on where your driver finishes either, as long as they secure a podium spot with one of the top three positions.

Podium finish bets are great if there are a number of close challengers to win a race and you want some insurance in case your selection doesn’t win outright, or if you are backing a lesser driver who might just nick third spot.

Pole Position

The starting grid for an F1 race is determined by qualifying, which takes place on the days before the Grand Prix.

Backing a driver for pole position means they will have the best qualifying time and will start the race first. This is a huge advantage so naturally the best drivers will be looking to secure pole position.

Prop Bets

F1 has a great selection of prop bets, also known as specials. You can bet on things like:

• Whether the safety car will appear.
• Whether a driver will finish in the top 10 positions (the only ones that earn world championship points).
• What country will the winning driver be from?
• Will there be over/under a number of cautions during the race?
• Which engine will the winning car have?
• Who will lead the most laps?
• Who will record the fastest lap?

These bets can bring a different dynamic to F1 betting and make races more interesting for casual punters, but serious bettors should be aware that the juice often tends to be higher on prop bets than other types, and they sometimes require more luck than judgment.

Futures

All good sports betting sites should offer futures bets for the F1 Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship.

These are some of the most popular bets on the sport and can be placed weeks or even months before the season starts, or once things are already underway.

In recent years there have often been drivers or constructors that have dominated the competition.

From 2010 to 2013 Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull won every year, while Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won in six of the seven seasons from 2014 to 2020, and Max Verstappen of Red Bull won three world titles from 2021-2023.

Head-to-Head Betting

Some sportsbooks will allow you to bet on a battle between selected drivers during a Grand Prix.

You can pick the one you think will finish ahead of the other and it doesn’t matter where they finish in the overall standings. This is a great option if there is a particular rivalry you are interested in and feel you can extract value from.

Live F1 Betting

Live betting is an exciting new addition to the F1 betting landscape.

Also referred to as in-play betting, these bets require quick decision-making. One of the best methods for live F1 betting is working out when drivers will make their pit stops (drivers must make at least one pit stop during a race), as this can lead to tactical advantages and errors.

Listening to the commentators can be particularly helpful if you are watching F1 live on TV as they will always report the latest times to viewers, while sometimes the TV coverage will pick up the drivers’ radios.

If you think a driver is making a pit stop at the wrong time, this could be a key factor in whether or not you bet on them. Conversely, it may signal a good moment to back their rival to overtake and potentially win the race.

F1 Betting Tips and Strategies

As part of this comprehensive guide, we have drawn up a list of helpful Formula 1 betting tips and strategies to help you make some savvy selections.

1. Do your homework

Make sure you’ve done your research before making any F1 bets, as you’ll be betting against a wealth of knowledge and algorithms when placing a wager at an online sportsbook.

Following F1 news and gossip will put you at an advantage when it comes to trying to unearth lucrative bets. You can follow teams and drivers on social media or check any number of great F1 sites for detailed coverage.

2. Maximize any welcome bonuses or free bets

New players will almost always be welcomed to an F1 betting site with a generous bonus. These can be used to make your first F1 wager, although you’ll usually have to make a deposit and play through any wagering requirements.

3. Steer towards long odds

Backing the clear favorite might be the easiest thing to do in F1 betting, but it definitely isn’t always the most profitable.

Heavily-backed drivers will come with low odds, so you’ll have to stake higher amounts to return worthwhile winnings which ramps up the risk.

Those betting for fun, just starting out or keen on smaller stakes will find more enjoyment in backing underdogs at longer odds, although that shouldn’t stop anyone from backing big favorites if they want to.

4. Back drivers to win at their favorite track

F1 drivers often have a preferred circuit and for whatever reason are just more successful in certain Grands Prix than others.

Ayrton Senna won five times at the Monaco GP from 1989 to 1993, Lewis Hamilton did the same at the Spanish GP from 2017 to 2021, while Michael Schumacher managed four wins in a row at the USA GP from 2003 to 2006.

Be sure to analyze a driver’s recent form before you back them to win on a certain track again, as well as studying their car performance and keeping an eye out for track layout changes.

Alterations are often being made to F1 circuits which could have a big impact on how racers fare on them.

5. Be aware of the weather forecast

Waiting until just before an F1 race starts is usually good practice so you can assess whether the weather will have an impact on proceedings. If it’s going to bucket down with rain that may change how you approach the F1 betting, favoring different drivers who are better in wet conditions for example.

Weather changes also affect tires and fuel consumption as well, in heavy rain or snow teams will often utilize wet-weather tires while really hot or humid conditions will see drivers use more fuel than usual due to increased friction between rubber and road surface.

Also, if winds are exceptionally strong they can cause unexpected swerving from cars and lead to accidents and other problems like tire blowouts.

6. Factor in team dynamics

So many people are behind the driver that you bet on in F1, with large support teams and pit crews working in the background to help secure success. Each team has two drivers and sometimes they can work really well together to finish highly, or they may not get on and decide to actively work against one another.

Team dynamics can have a big impact on rankings so it’s good to know the ins and outs of each operation as best as possible.

Top Formula 1 Betting Races

There are a number of Formula 1 races that stand out when looking at the schedule for a season. Here we’ll look at five of the best in more detail.

British Grand Prix

One of the oldest races in F1 history, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a part of the F1 World Championship every year since 1950.

Taking place every July on the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire, England, nowhere else reliably offers as much wheel-to-wheel action and so many spots where drivers can try to overtake.

Unpredictable British weather also shakes things up too, perhaps explaining why home drivers have fared so well at the British GP. Brit Lewis Hamilton leads the way with eight successes at Silverstone, with Jim Clark on five, and Nigel Mansell on four. Frenchman Alain Prost also has five, while three players share three victories – Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda, and Michael Schumacher.

Monaco Grand Prix

Widely considered the most sophisticated Grand Prix on the F1 circuit, the Monaco Grand Prix along with the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are considered the ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport’.

Every year, prestigious people and celebrities from around the world fly in to witness high-octane racing on the impossibly tight track.

With many elevation changes and close corners, as well as a tunnel, it’s one of the toughest circuits to negotiate in F1.

Italian Grand Prix

With a great motorsport tradition in the country, the Italian Grand Prix has taken place at Monza in every season since F1 started in 1950, with the exception of 1980 when refurbishment work forced a temporary move to Imola.

The layout at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza has changed dramatically over the years with it now considered one of the fastest tracks going.

Held every year in mid-September, the Italian Grand Prix is one of the most competitive races of the season although the large numbers of Tifosi (local Ferrari fanatics) help explain why Ferrari is the leading constructor with 20 wins.

US F1 races

There are three races a year on the Formula 1 calendar, so there are more races in the United States than any other country.

Here we take a look at them in more detail.

United States Grand Prix

Since 2012 the United States GP has found its home at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

F1 has reported crowds of around 400,000 in Austin, proving the interest of the sport is growing in America after previously struggling to capture the attention of motorsport fans.

The track offers an interesting layout providing drivers with plenty of chances to overtake, while off the grid there is a unique vibe with a raft of celebrities mingling in the paddock and cowboy hats given to the podium finishers.

Las Vegas Grand Prix

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar in 2023, taking place on a temporary 3.8-mile street circuit that includes the famous Las Vegas Strip.

The 10pm local start time in Vegas means this new race hits the prime-time audience on the west coast of the United States and be an early-morning event across Europe on Sunday.

The last time there was an F1 event in Las Vegas was the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix, but this race takes place on a brand new street track featuring 17 corners and a 1.181-mile (1.900km) straight.

Miami Grand Prix

Despite proposals for a Grand Prix in Miami being submitted in 2018, the race was only held for the first time during the 2022 season, due to complications with the construction and development of Port Miami.

The circuit was designed and delivered by F1 track designers Apex Circuit Design, purpose-built for the event and created so as not to disrupt local residents.

F1 Calendar For 2025

The 2024 season is almost complete but preparations will already be wall underway for 2025.

There will be 22 different Grands Prix, with the Azerbaijan, Austrian, Belgian, Qatar, United States, and Sao Paulo GPs featuring the sprint format.

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