The 2022 F1 season is finally here with GP Bahrein

The 2022 F1 season will begin Sunday morning with GP Bahrein in Sakhir. Preseason testing has been riddled with rule changes and testing, so we will see who’s at the front of the pack come Sunday. Grand Prix betting can be difficult, so here are some statistics from the first weekend’s qualifying.

During qualifying Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished P1, with reigning World Champion Max Verstappen coming in at P2, just .123 behind the Monegasque. The other Ferrari, driven by Carlos Sainz, was just behind Verstappen by .006 seconds. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton will be starting fourth and fifth respectively.

As we head into the season there is a lot to be wary of. The car designs are new and only lightly tested, as well as there are rule changes and new drivers on the track. Keep reading to find out the best F1 betting odds and predictions for Sunday’s race and the rest of the season.

Verstappen’s Looking to Repeat

Last year Max Verstappen became the first driver besides Lewis Hamilton to win the Drivers’ Championship since 2016. This year he’ll be in Red Bull’s lightning-fast RB18 and will look to repeat as world champion. 

During preseason testing, Verstappen was +200 to win GP Bahrein as well as +200 to win the Drivers’ Championship. Those odds were so juicy that I had to jump on them.

After seeing that Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes is significantly slower than the Red Bulls and Ferraris, Vegas changed those odds. Verstappen is now -110 to win GP Bahrein and is +125 to win the Drivers’ Championship.

Max certainly has a phenomenal shot to take home the trophy, both this weekend and at the end of the year. While I don’t like -110 as much as +200, I do think those are the best odds you’ll get all year.

If Max wins this race handily he’ll be at least a -300 favorite in the next five races or so, barring a spectacular meltdown. So why not take the -110 and cash in on an extremely likely race result?

Team Battle for Constructors’ Championship

Formula 1 betting can be difficult because you can choose to bet on individual races, qualifying, lap times, head-to-head battles, and much more. One of the more popular things to bet on is the winner of the Team Championship, referred to in Formula 1 as the Constructors Championship. 

The battle for the Constructors Championship will be a much different and closer battle this year. Ferrari and Red Bull already appear to be favorites over Mercedes, even though the silver arrows are eight-time reigning world champions.

Mercedes and Red Bull are +140 and +150 respectively to win the Constructors Championship while Ferrari is sitting at +250. I love these odds but the problem is teams have the ability to modify and upgrade their car throughout the season. 

It’s very likely by the time race three comes around that Mercedes will have improved their car tremendously. I have no problem placing a bet at +140 on the eight-time reigning world champions. Ferrari is also not a bad bet at +250.

GP Bahrein will show us where each team stands and what drivers are at the top of their game. My best bet for this weekend is Max Verstappen to win GP Bahrein at -110. Also, look at Mercedes to win Constructors at +140.