An interesting sports betting feature of Formula 1 racing that sets it apart from the majority of the other sports is that only some of the teams that compete have a legitimate chance at winning. The top three constructors (Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari) are the ones chasing the wins each week, while the next three teams are often referred to as the “midfield,” and then the bottom tier consists of the developmental teams for the top constructors. This explains why there is so much diversity among the odds to win the drivers’ championship. This time around, Mercedes, perennially the dominant constructor, has provided a vehicle for Lewis Hamilton to win multtiple drivers’ championships. This year, Mercedes’ car has performed so poorly that Hamilton was lapped at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday by Max Verstappen. The problem comes from “porpoising,” or bouncing that the cars go through while going fast and straight. Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, had back and chest pain after the race, although he was able to finish fourth. Let’s look at the latest F1 odds for each driver in the series to win the championship this season.
Formula 1 News: Drivers’ Championship Odds after Week 4
| Drivers’ Championship Odds | |
|---|---|
| Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen | +100 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +3300 |
| Carlos Sainz, George Russell | +5000 |
| Sergio Perez | +8000 |
| Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo | +50000 |
| Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Mick Schumacher | +100000 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +200000 |
| Guanyu Zhou, Alex Albon, Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi | +400000 |
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are the two co-favorites as they sit 1-2 atop the drivers’ standings. Coming into 2022, Ferrari felt a great deal of optimism with its pair of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Leclerc leads Verstappen by 27 points despite the fact that a spin late in the race kept Leclerc from grabbing some crucial points. Leclerc would be doing even better if he had the dominant car that Red Bull has, but his skill has him in the lead at this point.
Verstappen dominated 2021, particularly the second half, leading to his snagging the title away from Lewis Hamilton in the last race of the season. In 2022, he won in Saudi Arabia, but powertrain issues kept him from finishing in Bahrain and Australia. The win in Italy, though, has him right back at the top of the odds list.
So what is the issue with Lewis Hamilton? Yes, team principal Toto Wolff apologized to Hamilton after the seven-time world champion finished 13th at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but the car can’t be the only problem as George Russell, running in the same car, came in fourth. Russell has finished ahead of Hamilton in three straight races, and Russell has a 21-point lead on the storied driver.
Russell also finished a lap better than Hamilton and had a 40-second lead on his teammate when they entered Lap 62. One major difference was the starts: Russell started in 11th, zipping past Mick Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in the opening 200 meters and then zipping to the outside line driving toward Turn 1. Daniel Ricciardo touched Carlos Sainz, pushing both drivers wide and blocking Valtteri Bottas. Russell was able to get around the incident using the outside edge of the corner, and he was sixth by the next chicane. Hamilton started in 14th but had to hesitate as Schumacher almost collided with Yuki Tsunoda. So the start differential was essential, but Russell also made a masterful pass of Magnussen at the Variante Alta, which is rarely a successful passing point. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll, while driving one of the slowest cars in the field, was able to keep Hamilton from moving around him. Hamilton also came in for replacement tires a lap later than he should, and Esteban Ocon was released just ahead of him, and he also fell behind Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. The track started to dry, which meant that it was harder to pass others. Even with all of these technical issues, though, the real problem for Hamilton and Russell is their car, even though Russell ran a much, much better race than Hamilton did.
Formula 1 Betting Odds
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