Formula 1 is the most prestigious auto racing series in sports history, it has fans worldwide who are drawn to the excitement of the competition.
Betting on the F1 series is a good idea if you know exactly what you’re doing. The strategies you will take to better your odds of winning will involve a deep knowledge of F1 and how it works. However, even a beginner can master these simple tips and make a profitable win.
How Formula 1 Works
In Formula 1, there are 21 Grand Prix races that are contested by 10 teams who compete to produce two winning cars, eligible for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Drivers must qualify by first participating in three Free Practice sessions and a Qualifying session.
For the big event, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place are awarded 25, 18 and 15 points respectively. The drivers who finish after will have further points distributed to them.
The driver who will accumulate the most points at the end of the season will win the FIA Formula One World Drivers Championship. Here are some tips and strategies on how to win money in F1 betting:
1. F1 Betting allows wagers on Multiple Drivers in the Same Race
As a beginner, you may assume that you have to bet on one driver who will win a race or the entire championship. This doesn’t have to be the case. Any experienced sports gambler knows that to increase your chances of winning money, bet on multiple drivers in the same race.
F1 betting odds are pretty generous, so you will have an opportunity to bet on multiple drivers and still make money if one of the drivers you choose wins.
Here’s an example that will help you understand this better. Say drivers A and B both display a good chance of winning a race, and the odds are;
- Driver A, +450
- Driver B, +300
If you bet £50 on each of them, you can make a good profit if either wins. If driver A wins, you make a profit of £450 – £100 = £350. If driver B wins, you make a profit of £300 – £100 = £200.
As long as they allow you to select one individual driver, the payouts will be pretty decent. However, the higher the payout, the less likely that player will win. If the race has a driver with significantly higher odds, you can still bet on them to minimise your losses.
Also, you can adjust your bet size depending on the drivers you choose. You can place less money on the driver with higher odds because they are less likely to win. The point is, strategically betting on many drivers in one race will increase your profits while minimising losses.
2. Understand the Race Tracks’ History
Just because a particular driver is good at maneuvering hairpin turns doesn’t mean they will be good at a circuit with mostly straightaways. To get an idea of how each driver will perform in every race, research how they have been fairing at different types of circuits.
You can start by checking their race results in the previous years. You can also check the available race footage to see how they tackle different courses, weather conditions and starting grid positions.
Most F1 fans know that overtaking at the Monaco Grand Prix is difficult. This means that the driver in pole position has an advantage. However, there is enough room for overtaking at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada.
Drivers famous for their expert overtaking skills like Michael Schumacher have won a record-breaking number of wins in this race track. Every driver has a unique skill set that may favour them at a particular race track. Having this in consideration, place your bets accordingly.
3. Pay Attention to Free Practice and Qualifying Sessions
Betting on Free Practice sessions is not a good idea, but they can help you place your bets on the big races. They give the drivers a chance to warm up before the Qualifying and consecutive races.
They provide a good indication of how a driver is likely to perform later on, his strengths and weaknesses on a particular circuit and any engineering problems his car is expected to have.
Free practice sessions can also help you predict pole positions and weather conditions influence. Heavy rains in previous Grand Prix races have led to unexpected results.
The Qualifying sessions also can be a great way to source information on how a particular driver or team could perform. You may or may not decide to bet at this stage.
Qualifying sessions can be very revealing when choosing a winner for the final race. You will get a chance to weigh all the strategies mentioned here and make informed decisions when betting.
4. Consider the Teammate
Each driver in F1 racing works with a teammate to help them figure out race setups, track information, drafting and any other relevant information that could help them win.
Therefore, the driver with a solid and able partner is more likely to get that special edge needed to finish first. This is an excellent strategy if the margins are so close and you don’t know who to root for.
Responsible F1 betting can be very profitable if you do it properly. Having the right strategies will ensure you get the best outcomes out of every race.