Formula 1 is the highest class of motorsport – and one of the most popular sports series in the world.
Just like any other sport, you can bet on F1. The regular sportsbooks and exchanges offer markets such as outright winners, pole-sitters, podiums, etc. The sharp bookmakers tend to focus on matchups between two drivers where you have to pick the one who will finish ahead of the other.
If you’re already experienced with F1 betting and simply looking for picks, then go to this page to see our current bets, previous bets, and overall statistics. We share free picks for entertainment on most race weekends.
But if you’re new to Formula 1 betting, we urge you to continue reading this guide so you’re better prepared for gambling on this high-octane sport.
Where to bet on Formula 1
We go more in-depth with F1 bookmaker reviews in this article.
What markets to focus on
Within F1 betting there are multiple markets. The most common one is H2H driver matchups, but some bettors prefer outright markets where you have to predict who wins the race, finishes on the podium, or similar scenarios.
H2H driver matchups
This is our favourite market, as it’s very dynamic.
The bookie will select two drivers and you have to choose the driver (among those two) you think will finish ahead.
Very often, the matchups will be between teammates, but sportsbooks with a large focus on F1 may have more matchups with more unique combinations.
For example, at a bookmaker like Cloudbet, you could see a bet like this ahead of the qualifying session:
Charles Leclerc (1.70) – Lewis Hamilton (2.10)
The question for you would be, who is going to finish ahead? Pick the right one and you win your bet. Only those two drivers matter in terms of your bet, not the rest of the drivers in the field.
Outright markets
When you bet on winners, podiums, point finishers, etc. it’s a more general point of view, rather than the isolated H2H bets.
Outright markets are where you pick a driver to win, or finish in a certain place.
For example, you may be able to bet Max Verstappen to win a specific race at odds 2.00. In this case, Verstappen has to beat everyone and win the race for you to win your bet.
But it could also be another scenario. For instance, you could bet on Nico Hülkenberg to finish in the points (top 10) at odds 2.75. If he scores points, you win. If he doesn’t you lose.
Outrights are simple and well-suited for beginners who are dipping their toes in F1 betting. And sometimes there are good value bets that experienced bettors can take advantage of, too. But after a while, you start to realize that outright markets can be too limited and that H2H markets offer a lot more value.
General betting principles
Finding value
Being selective
Managing your bankroll
Applying Formula 1 statistics
Statistics are frequently used in betting, by bookmakers as well as players.
You can easily find statistics online. Look up any F1 driver’s Wikipedia page, and you can see their number of championships, wins, poles, podiums, etc. You can even get a full overview of their career results.
But! That’s not all there is to it.
As mentioned earlier, F1 betting is often focused on driver matchups where you have to select one driver to finish ahead of another. In this case, you have to compare the two.
Frequently, the H2H matchups will be between teammates. For that reason, we have created a page of H2H statistics among the drivers this season, and it covers both qualifying and races. Additionally, if you check a driver page here on RaceValue, you can view that driver’s full record against all of his previous teammates.
When you bet on a head-to-head matchup where the drivers are not teammates, you have to apply more than just statistics. Car performance will also matter in this case. Here it’s important to look at recent results and statistics to see how the cars have performed. Track tendencies are also relevant. Statistics are more difficult to apply here, but certainly possible if you know what to look for, and if you have access to deep statistical records.