The 2022 Formula 1 season gets underway this weekend with the running of the Bahrain Grand Prix. As expected, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen as he begins the defence of his first career F1 championship title. However, the Red Bull driver opens the new campaign lagging behind his chief rival Lewis Hamilton, who opens the campaign perched as a slim 2.50 favourite at Betway to win a record eight career Formula 1 Driver Championship.
CanadianBettingSites takes a look at all the odds and trends as Formula 1 racing returns. Sports bettors can check out our guides to the best online sportsbook reviews and online casinos in Canada to learn all they need to know to get the best out of their motorsports betting experience.
2022 Formula 1 Drivers Championship Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Lewis Hamilton | 2.50 | 2.75 |
Max Verstappen | 2.87 | 2.75 |
Charles Leclerc | 8.00 | 8.50 |
George Russell | 8.50 | 8.00 |
Carlos Sainz Jr. | 13.00 | 15.00 |
Lando Norris | 23.00 | 17.00 |
Daniel Ricciardo | 41.00 | 26.00 |
Sergio Perez | 51.00 | 51.00 |
Fernando Alonso | 67.00 | 67.00 |
Esteban Ocon | 126.00 | 67.00 |
Sebastian Vettel | 151.00 | 151.00 |
Pierre Gasly | 201.00 | 201.00 |
Lance Stroll | 251.00 | 301.00 |
Alex Albon | 301.00 | 301.00 |
Kevin Magnussen | 501.00 | 301.00 |
Mick Schumacher | 501.00 | 301.00 |
Valtteri Bottas | 501.00 | 501.00 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 501.00 | 301.00 |
Guanyu Zhou | 751.00 | 501.00 |
Nicholas Latifi | 751.00 | 501.00 |
Hamilton Seeking Vengeance
Lewis Hamilton will have no shortage of motivation when he returns to the track in Bahrain for the first race of the season. The 37-year-old Englishman remains surly after seeing his bid to repeat as champion slip away in a controversial fashion in the final race of the 2021 campaign. Locked in a tight two-way battle for the title in the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton was unable to hold off a late charge by Verstappen that clinched him his first crown.
Former Formula 1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck says race director Michael Masi didn’t follow the rules in Abu Dhabi, and without his decisions Max Verstappen “would never have been able to drive past Hamilton”.#F1 #AbuDhabiGPhttps://t.co/Hn8UPbR5hG
— Mercedes F1 News – SilverArrows.Net (@SilverArrowsNet) December 19, 2021
Hamilton and his Mercedes team subsequently made a failed appeal of the decision by F1 race director Michael Masi to allow several lapped cars to change position with a safety car on the track, enabling Verstappen to make his successful bid for the win. But while Masi has since departed F1, the bitterness remains in the Mercedes camp, along with a desire to reclaim lost glory this season.
Max Verstappen’s last 30 race finishes:
P1, P2, P2, P2, P1, P1, P2, P2, P1, P1, P9, P1, P1, P1, P1, P2, P2, P1, P2, P1, P2, P6, P3, P2, P2, P3, P2, P1, P2, P2.
28/30 of his last race finishes were in the podium positions. No driver came close to matching that.
— ً (@KoolKam_) March 16, 2022
However, topping Verstappen will be easier said than done. The 24-year-old is just entering his prime, and his rise to the top of F1 last season was no fluke. Verstappen finished among the top two in 18 of the 20 races he finished last season and returns to action deadlocked with Hamilton as a +275 co-favourite on the F1 futures at 888Sport.
Perez Playing Key Role at Red Bull
And in addition to his growing maturity behind the wheel, it is tough to overstate the importance of the role played by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. The talented Mexican sits well off the pace as a 51.00 bet on the F1 championship odds despite finishing fourth overall in the F1 Drivers standings. However, unlike Verstappen’s previous Red Bull teammates, “Checo” stepped up as needed, running interference for Verstappen in his duels with Mercedes, and tallying five podium finishes in the process.
Max Verstappen reveals Sergio Perez’s new nickname after Abu Dhabi heroics https://t.co/MXLgOQqPnm
— The Independent (@Independent) January 2, 2022
In addition, Valtteri Bottas’ departure from Mercedes for Alfa Romeo creates questions for Hamilton and the German automaker. Like Perez, Bottas played an important role as Hamilton’s understudy. However, it remains to be seen whether his replacement George Russell will be happy playing second fiddle.
Russell Ready for Prime Time?
Sporting odds as short as 8.00 ahead of his Mercedes debut, Russell has paid his dues during his three-season stint at Williams. And while he has yet to threaten for a podium spot, he didn’t disappoint in one previous ride with Mercedes, finishing ninth while filling in for Hamilton at the 202 Sakhir Grand Prix. Indeed, Russell’s arrival at Mercedes could spark a fierce rivalry between teammates that could benefit Verstappen and Red Bull.
What. A. Move.
Bit of class in Bahrain from @GeorgeRussell63 👌#F1 pic.twitter.com/Gc8dZim7WR
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2022
Rounding out the top of the odds is Charles Leclerc, who is pegged as an 8.00 bet at Betway. The Monte Carlo native has failed to take home the checkered flag in two years. But that lack of success has more to do with a rash of technical problems plaguing his Ferrari ride than his skill. And with Ferrari turning heads with its performance in preseason testing, Leclerc could be poised for a breakthrough in 2022. The question is will it be enough to lift him past his Mercedes and Red Bull rivals.
Best Bet: Max Verstappen (2.87) at Betway
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