Steve Starr
- Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (-120) is the favorite to claim his second-straight F1 Drivers’ Championship after winning his third race of the season in Miami
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (+120) is still 19 points up on the Red Bull driver in the standings
- The 2022 Spanish Grand Prix will take place in Barcelona on Sunday, May 22
The Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship betting futures have seen a seismic shift following the first two months of the racing season. A favorite back in March, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is now +3300 and buried in the drivers’ standings.
Meanwhile, reigning champ Max Verstappen sits just 19 points back of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after winning the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. Before looking at the latest odds, here’s where you can find the top betting sites for Formula 1 in 2022.
2022 Drivers’ World Championship
 | May 9/22 | March 14/2022 |
| Max Verstappen | -120 | +275 |
| Charles Leclerc | +120 | +600 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +3300 | +125 |
| George Russell | +4000 | +550 |
| Carlos Sainz | +5000 | +1200 |
| Sergio Perez | +6600 | +6600 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | +100000 | +4000 |
| Fernando Alonso | +100000 | +6600 |
| Lando Norris | +100000 | +1200 |
| Esteban Ocon | +200000 | +8000 |
Verstappen vs Leclerc
Just like last year, the Formula 1 season comes down to a two-man race. Except this time, Max Verstappen (-120) will be battling it out with Charles Leclerc (+120) rather than Lewis Hamilton (+3300), whose misery with Mercedes continued at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday with a sixth-place finish.
Verstappen has won three races versus Leclerc’s two this year, but remains 19 points back in the drivers’ standings because of two DNFs. With Red Bull’s car problems seemingly behind them, oddsmakers have made the Dutchman the slight favorite to defend his title heading into the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, May 22.
Max Verstappen has won every single race he's finished this season 💪 pic.twitter.com/4CWeSED6KA
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 8, 2022
Other early-season developments
While George Russell’s odds to win the Drivers’ Championship have slipped from +550 to +4000 since the start of the F1 season, he has performed rather admirably. As the only driver to place inside the top five in every race this year, the Brit is fourth in the standings, 23 points up on teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes expressed a lot of optimism heading into Miami after conducting significant work in the wind tunnel and CFD, however, Russell couldn’t match his practice pace on race day and said afterward that “we’re still a long way off.” If the Silver Arrows ever figure things out, that would add a lot of drama to the remaining 17 events on the F1 calendar. But, Russell (+4000) is probably a better bet than Hamilton (+3300) at this point.
"That’s what your job is! Make the decision for me."
Lewis Hamilton questions Mercedes' strategy as George Russell finishes ahead again. #MiamiGrandPrix https://t.co/6aH7QLlP2s
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) May 9, 2022
After placing third in Miami, Carlos Sainz (+5000) now has three podiums on the season. Sergio Perez (+6600) believes he would’ve secured his third-straight second-place finish if his car didn’t suffer a power issue on lap 18. The Mexican driver settled for fourth and now has four top-five placements through five events. Either way, it’s hard to imagine either Ferrari’s No. 2 or Red Bull’s No. 2 mounting a challenge to their teammates this season.
Best Bet
This might be your last chance to get Max Verstappen (-120) at near even odds. If the 24-year-old wins his third-consecutive race in Barcelona and moves ahead of Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, the line will likely shift near -200.
When he was only 18 years old, the Dutchman became the youngest winner in Formula 1 history when he claimed the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix in his Red Bull Racing debut. Hamilton has won every Spanish GP since (five in a row) but given his struggles this season, Verstappen is poised to finally top the podium again in 2022.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best sign up bonus one for you:
