The 2022 Formula 1 season is right around the corner, which means it’s time to place some future bets. In Formula 1, there are two markets that you can bet in the preseason, and both have solid value with less than one month before the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Constructor Championship is given to the best team in the sport, and the Driver Championship is awarded to the best racer. Typically, the winning driver is a championship team member, but this is not always the case, as we saw in 2021.
Let’s break down some of the best bets in both markets ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix!
Landscape is Changing
It’s important to remember that the landscape of Formula One is changing drastically. The racing league established many new rules to make races more competitive this season. In the past, money won races because there was a lot of leeway with the cars.
This is much different than American racing leagues like NASCAR and IndyCar. There is still wiggle room for teams, and money will ultimately prevail, but we should have closer races in 2022.
Team Haas could not score a single point last season because their cars were terrible every week. The new rules should allow bad teams to be somewhat competitive for points in various races.
It’s also important to remember that Mercedes was knocked off the top of the Driver Championship last season by Max Verstappen. Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull, was the first non-Mercedes victor since 2013.
Lewis Hamilton, who is rumored to be retiring in the coming seasons, won all those titles except in 2016 when his teammate Nico Rosberg took home the top spot. When it comes to the Constructor Championship, Mercedes is still the team to beat.
This will be obvious when I break down the odds, but if you were wondering, they have won every Constructor Championship since 2014. Why check out the Bparlay.com learning sports betting guides & resources for some useful insights.
Constructor Championship Best Bets
The only issue with betting Mercedes to win the Constructor Championship is the price. You can buy the Formula 1 juggernaut for -170, which means you need to risk $170 to win $100.
Since Mercedes has won every Constructor Championship since 2014, this is a safe bet. They have the best driver in the world in Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell will play an excellent supporting role for the team as driver number two.
The other teams to look at are Red Bull at +350 and Ferrari at +430. And Red Bull lost the Constructor Championship by 28 points, but they will have a tough time being back in the mix.
Red Bull rose to prominence because of Honda engines, but the manufacturer has walked away from Formula 1. We believe Red Bull will still use Honda engine technology, but they lost a lot of money and support.
This could allow Ferrari to climb the ranks and potentially pull an upset. Ferrari had a great offseason, and their cars have been tremendous throughout testing. As much as I love Ferrari’s price, I would tend to side with consistency, and this is Mercedes.
Driver Championship Odds
The Driver Championship is more open than the Constructor title. I would take Lewis Hamilton at +125 because it will be very hard to secure him at this price once the season starts. Hamilton has shown he wins, and I do not think Verstappen will repeat his 2021 campaign without Honda engines.
Another two tremendous bets are Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. They are +650 and +750, respectively. Since the Ferrari cars have looked strong, they are great risk bets to win the series.
Although, based on history, Hamilton is the right call to win the Driver Championship.
