Formula One Betting

Betting on F1 is incredibly popular these days, as it is so competitive and wildly unpredictable - the slightest mistake by a driver rarely goes unpunished and could result in them being overtook or even crash out of the race altogether - Which if course adds an added level of excitement to the F1 betting experience. You can bet on a huge variety of markets within Formula One, including of course the long bets such as Driver’s Championship and Constructor’s Championship.

You can also bet on a number of different markets during the race weekend - From who will take Pole Position in Qualifying, to who will win the Grand Prix (Driver and Team betting on this market are normally available). In a similar way to place betting on horse racing, you can also bet on a driver finishing on the Podium (i.e. a top 3 finish). Several other bets are normally available closer to the race, and you should check out the bookmakers websites for these bets and the latest Grand Prix betting odds. Give yourself an edge by subscribing to our exclusive FREE Formula One betting previews.

Latest Grand Prix Betting Odds
Who will win the Driver’s Championship?
Who will win the Constructor’s Championship?

Bet on the next Grand Prix race at Bet 365, Blue Square or VC Bet

F1 Turkish Grand Prix - Sunday 11th May 2008 - Latest Betting odds

May 10, 2008

FORMULA ONE BETTING – F1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX SUNDAY 11TH MAY 2008, 1PM BST START

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Ferrari scored a solid one-two at the last round in Spain, but both McLaren and BMW Sauber came away from the Circuit de Catalunya, having finished third and fourth, feeling encouraged, and both expect to challenge the red cars in Istanbul this weekend.

Heikki Kovalainen has been cleared by doctors to race in the Turkish Grand Prix, giving McLaren a boost as it aims to snap Ferrari’s winning streak. The 26-year-old Finn was given a go-ahead for the race after undergoing medical checks by governing body FIA on Thursday, following his violent crash in Spain. A wheel failure caused a tyre on Kovalainen’s car to explode and send him barrelling into a wall at high speed. The crash left him in a hospital overnight with slight injuries, including concussion.

Written by John Lamerton · Filed Under Formula One | Leave a Comment

Monaco Grand Prix Betting preview

April 10, 2008

MOTOR RACING – May 25 – MONACO GRAND PRIX

HISTORY
As with several other European Grands Prix, the Monaco race predates the current World Championship. The principality’s first Grand Prix was organised in 1929 by Anthony Noghès, under the auspices of Prince Louis II, through the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM). In order to attain full national status, Noghès proposed the creation of an automobile Grand Prix in the streets of Monte Carlo.
The first Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco was an invitation only event, but not all the invitees decided to attend. Maserati and Alfa Romeo drivers decided not to compete but Bugatti was well represented. Mercedes sent their leading driver, Rudolf Caracciola, to drive a Mercedes SSK. Caracciola drove a fighting race, bringing his SSK up to second position at the end of the race, despite starting in fifteenth. The race was won by “Williams” (pseudonym of expatriate Briton William Grover-Williams) driving a Bugatti Type 35B painted in what would become the famous British racing green.

Britain’s Graham Hill won the race five times in the 1960s and became known as “King of Monaco.” The 1965 race is considered to have been his best performance. Having gained pole position, Hill led from the start. On lap 25, to avoid a slow backmarker, he detoured via an escape road, and rejoined the race in fifth place. Hill then proceeded to set several new lap records on the way to winning the race. The race was also notable for the debut of Honda in the World Championship, and for Paul Hawkins’ Lotus ending up in the harbour!

For the decade from 1984 to 1993, the race was won by only two drivers - Frenchman Prost and Brazilian Ayrton Senna. Prost gained his first Monaco win in 1984. The race was delayed by 45 minutes, following heavy rain. Prost led briefly before Nigel Mansell overtook him on lap 11. Mansell crashed out five laps later, letting Prost back into the lead. On lap 27, Prost led from Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof. Senna was catching Prost and Bellof was catching both of them. However on lap 31, the race was controversially stopped. Later, FISA fined the clerk of the course, Jacky Ickx, $6,000 and suspended his licence for not consulting the stewards before stopping the race. The drivers received only half of the points that would usually be awarded, as the race had been stopped before two thirds of the intended race distance had been completed. Prost lost that year’s championship by only half a point, less than the points lost by the early stoppage of the race.Senna holds the record for the most victories in Monaco, with six, including five between 1989 and 1993, as well as eight podium finishes in ten starts.

THE MONACO GRAND PRIX TODAY
In 1996, Michael Schumacher took pole position before crashing out on the first lap. Damon Hill led the first 40 laps before his engine expired in the tunnel. Jean Alesi took the lead, but suffered suspension failure 20 laps later. Olivier Panis, who started in 14th place, moved into the lead and stayed there until the end of the race, being pushed all the way by David Coulthard. It was Panis’ only win, and the last for his Ligier team. Only four cars finished the race. Seven-time world champion Schumacher would eventually win the race five times, matching Graham Hill’s record. In his last appearance, at the 2006 event, he attracted criticism while provisionally holding pole position with the qualifying session drawing to a close, by stopping his car at the Rascasse hairpin, blocking the track. A result of this was that yellow flags were waved, so that competitors were obliged to slow down, thus meaning they would not be able to beat Schumacher’s lap time. Although Schumacher claimed it was a genuine accident, the FIA disagreed and Schumacher was sent to the back of the grid.

Recent Winners
2007 Fernando Alonso, McLaren Mercedes
2006 Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2005 Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren Mercedes
2004 Jarno Trulli, McLaren Mercedes
2003 Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW
2002 David Coulthard, McLaren Mercedes
2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2000 David Coulthard, McLaren Mercedes

The 2008 race, scheduled for 25th May, forms the sixth leg of this season’s eighteen-race championship.

BETTING ON THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
Some interesting statistics are that three of the four winners at Bahrain since the race was first held in 2004 have gone on to win the Drivers’ Championship, while seven of the last ten winners in Spain have won the World Championship. Contrastingly, only three of the last ten Monaco winners have gone on to win the World Championship. The Monaco Grand Prix is the undoubtedly one of the showpieces of the Formula One motor racing season. Drivers would not necessarily agree due to the difficulty of the track. Only the British Grand Prix generates as much UK betting interest. Qualifying is critical. Position on the starting grid will have a great bearing on the race outcome and hence any online bets placed thereon. The narrow 3.34 kilometre circuit, in the streets of Monte Carlo, is notorious for the difficulty of overtaking, and is rated the most difficult test for drivers in Formula One.

As with any other race, there are many online betting markets associated with the Monaco Grand Prix. Betting on the outright winning driver is the most popular market, but the punter can find added interest in markets such as winning constructor, podium finish, points finish, number of finishers, first retirement, amongst an array of others. The Monaco Grand Prix is an excellent vehicle for Grand Prix “in running” online betting since things can (and often do!) change very quickly.

Written by Jason Tynan · Filed Under Formula One | Leave a Comment

Turkish Grand Prix Betting Preview

April 6, 2008

MOTOR RACING – May 11 – TURKISH GRAND PRIX

HISTORY
The Turkish Grand Prix is a Formula One race that made its debut in the Formula One calendar on August 21, 2005 at the newly built Istanbul Park Circuit. Constructed by famous German civil engineer Hermann Tilke, the circuit is only the third “left-handed” Formula One circuit, along with Italy and Brazil.

THE TURKISH GRAND PRIX TODAY

Winners
2007 Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2006 Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2005 Kimi Raikonnen, McLaren-Mercedes

2007 Race Review
Felipe Massa’s Ferrari led from pole from team-mate Kimi Raikkonen who had jumped McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton off the grid to take second place. Reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso’s start from fourth was even worse than teammate Hamilton’s as he fell behind both the BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, dropping back into sixth place. However, BMW’s strategy early pit stops allowed Alonso to regain both places after the first round of stops. Massa stopped after Raikkonen to retain the lead. Lewis Hamilton stopped later than both Ferraris and made up several seconds. Meanwhile, Kubica’s strategy had not only dropped him behind Heidfeld and Alonso, but Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen too. Massa stopped later than Raikkonen again at the second pit stop, and therefore retained the lead as Ferrari called the race between teammates off at this point. Hamilton may have emerged ahead of Raikkonen, but a puncture in his front tyre dropped him to fifth behind Heidfeld and Alonso. Damage to his front wing led to Kovalainen catching him, but the Finn was unable to pass Hamilton. Kubica lost a place to Nico Rosberg through strategy finishing eighth. Massa eventually won his second consecutive Turkish Grand Prix, and his fifth Grand Prix win overall, all of which came from pole position. He had secured his eighth pole in qualifying. Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing was the only retirement, with hydraulic failure. Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi ended a run of nine consecutive retirements stretching back to the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.The 2008 race takes place on 11th May, as the fifth leg of this year’s championship.

BETTING ON THE TURKISH GRAND PRIX
As the Turkish Grand Prix is the fifth event of the current Formula One season, a picture may be forming of the likely contenders for this season’s honours. Despite the poor performance of Ferrari (and to a lesser extent, Renault) in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, they seem sure to remain forces to be reckoned with. Lewis Hamilton won the accident-ridden race in his McLaren Mercedes. Hamilton fans should note that seven of the last ten winners of the Australian Grand Prix have gone on to win the World Drivers’ Championship. Only once in the last thirteen seasons has a driver clinched the Driver’s Championship and his team not clinched the Constructor’s Championship. So any online punter fancying Lewis Hamilton for the Drivers’ title would do well to include a double with McLaren winning the Constructors’ Championship. However, no driver has ever won the Driver’s Championship in their second full season. The quickest was Michael Schumacher, winning the title in his third full season in 1994. It has also been twelve years since any British driver won the Drivers’ title (Damon Hill, 1996).

No prices are currently available for the Turkish Grand Prix. However, most online betting sites are sure to offering a range of markets on the event.

In the interim, skybet have managed to come up with some of the daftest online bets seen for some time, namely:

Clean Sweep
Will any driver win every race of the 2008 season?
100/1 – Kimi Raikkonen
200/1 – Lewis Hamilton
250/1 – Fernando Alonso

Always on Pole
Will any driver start every race from Pole Position?
150/1 – Kimi Raikkonen
250/1 – Lewis Hamilton
300/1 – Fernando Alonso

Nearer the race date, more sensible online bets are likely to include:

Outright Betting, both prior to the race and in-running.
Winning Constructor
Driver Match Bets
Points Finish
Podium Finish
Number of Finishers

Written by John Lamerton · Filed Under Formula One | Leave a Comment

Spanish Grand Prix 2008 Betting

March 5, 2008

FORMULA ONE: SPANISH GRAND PRIX
The Spanish Grand Prix has been held, since 1991, at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, as part of the Formula One Championship.

History
The Spanish Grand Prix has had something of a troubled past. Following the Civil War, Spain returned to the Formula One calendar in 1951, at the Pedralbes circuit, near Barcelona. The course hosted two Formula One Grands Prix, but the Le Mans Disaster of 1955 meant stricter safety rules and the Pedralbes Circuit was permanently retired as a racing venue. In the 1960s, Spain returned to international motor racing, commissioning a new circuit north of Madrid at Jarama, and refurbishing the Montjuich circuit in Barcelona. Following the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama, it was agreed that the race would alternate between Jarama and Montjuich. The 1975 Grand Prix at Montjuich was marked by tragedy. There had been safety concerns during practice, with dual winner Emerson Fittipaldi retiring in protest after just one lap. On the 26th lap, Rolf Stommelen’s car lost a rear wing and crashed, killing four spectators.

THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX AT CATALUNYA
Work on the Circuit de Catalunya was underway north of Barcelona, and in 1991, the event moved to this new track, where it has remained since. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as one of the sport’s most important testing grounds. The Circuit de Catalunya is often referred to as “Barcelona” in racing circles, despite the fact that it is located in Montmelo, and should not be confused with Montjuich.

The Catalunya circuit has seen some memorable moments. In the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell duelled for second place all down the straight, with Mansell eventually gaining the position and subsequently winning the race. In the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher managed to finish in second place, despite driving over half the race distance with only fifth gear. Two years later, in the 1996 renewal, Schumacher took his first win as a Ferrari driver with an assertive performance in the rain. In 2001, Mika Hakkinen suffered a clutch failure while leading the race on the last lap, handing the win to Schumacher. At the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso became the first Spanish Formula One driver to win his home Grand Prix. Since the race moved to Catalunya, the most successful driver has been Michael Schumacher, and the most successful constructor Ferrari, with six wins each.

Recent Winners
2007 Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
2006 Fernando Alonso (Renault)
2005 Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes)
2004 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2003 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2002 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2001 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2000 Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes)

The 2008 event is scheduled for the 27th April, the fourth race of the Grand Prix season.

BETTING ON THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
Formula One is the major form of gambling on motor racing. Online betting sites offer some good betting options for the shrewd punter. Successful Formula One betting obviously involves the study of the drivers, but also requires knowledge of the teams and tracks, along with Formula One racing statistics. Each of these criteria is important and has its own relevance for a punter to evaluate. It is also important to keep track of the latest gossip and potential personnel changes. Information is freely available on some excellent Formula One websites. As with any sport, Formula One often throws up an odd result and it is important for punters to be careful and have a balanced approach to their betting. It is impossible to continually back favourites and hope to make money. Formula One offers some good opportunities for punters that are willing to take the time to acquire good information. Along with good research, an in-depth knowledge of the types of bet available can prove a valuable tool.

Types of Bet Available

Winning Driver
Most online betting sites offer prices on the winning driver in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Each-way 1/5 the odds 1, 2, 3.

Winning Constructor
Win only. Available from BetFred, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power.

Highest Scoring Constructor
Since constructors run two cars per race, online prices are offered on the constructor to score the greatest aggregate points. This bet is available from William Hill.

Podium Finish
Driver to finish in the first three places. Available from BetFred, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill.

Finish in Points
Driver to finish “in the points,” i.e. the first eight places. Prices are about one-tenth of the outright win odds. This bet is also available from BetFred, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill.

Number of Finishers
Prices on the number of cars completing the full distance of the race are offered by William Hill and Paddy Power.

Winning Margin
Prices on the winning margin are offered by Bet365.

First Driver to Retire
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power offers prices on this market.

Number of cars to Retire without Completing One Lap
Also offered by Paddy Power.

Match Bets
Drivers with similar chances are matched against each other, the winner being the one who finishes in the higher position, or in the case of retirements, completes the greatest number of laps. Various matches are available from most online betting sites.

“In-running” Betting
Prices are available on the race winner, whilst it is in progress, from most online bookmakers. Each-way terms may be available, dependent on the state of the race.

Qualifying
Although most interest is on the race itself, prices are available on the previous day’s qualifying sessions, e.g. Pole Position. William Hill, BetFred, Bet365 and Ladbrokes offer prices related to qualifying.

Written by Jason Tynan · Filed Under Formula One | Leave a Comment

Bahrain Grand Prix 2008 Betting

February 23, 2008

FORMULA ONE: BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
The Bahrain Grand Prix forms part of the Formula One World Championship. Its inaugural running was at the Bahrain International Circuit, at Sakhir, in April 2004. The race was the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East. Bahrain overcame stiff competition from Egypt, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates in order to secure the race. In the short history of the race, Bahrain has created an award-winning event, becoming one of only a handful of Grands Prix to attract a capacity crowd. Critics have remarked that the Sakhir circuit’s huge run-off areas fail to sufficiently penalise drivers who fail to stay on the track. However, the upside is that Bahrain is one of the world’s safest tracks. For 2004 and 2005, Bahrain was the third race of the Formula One season. In the 2006 season, it was run as the curtain-raiser to the season, as the Commonwealth Games were held in Australia close to the date for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race was won by German Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso won the second Bahrain Grand Prix in 2005, and then became the first repeat winner of the Middle Eastern race in 2006, after a thrilling race-long battle with Michael Schumacher. In 2007, Brazilian Felipe Massa won the race for Ferrari. In 2007, Bahrain was announced as the host of the opening event for the 2008 season. However, when the official 2008 calendar was released, Bahrain had been “relegated” to the season’s third race, following Australia and Malaysia.

Unlike neighbouring countries, alcohol is legal in Bahrain. However, the Formula One drivers don’t spray champagne on the podium. Instead, they spray “waard,” a non-alcoholic rosewater drink. The Bahrain circuit is exploring the possibility of staging its Formula One Grand Prix at night. Bahrain International Circuit chief operating officer, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, said that the benefits of holding the country’s biggest event at a later time are already being researched. A night-time Grand Prix in Bahrain would benefit the local fans since Formula One races are run on Sundays, which is a regular weekday in the kingdom. Potentially, it could lead to increased revenue from ticket sales, as the race would be run after working / school hours. It would also prove of benefit to the teams, allowing them to take advantage of the cooler evening temperatures. Unlike the extreme heat of the day, such lower temperatures would put less strain on both cars and drivers alike. Furthermore, a later start should only minimally affect the live television coverage of the race, watched by millions of Formula One’s (mainly European) audience.

The 2008 renewal is scheduled for 4th-6th April.

Reigning champions Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari are most popular with the fans, and whether he or his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa can deliver a third victory in Bahrain for the Italian team will be a question on many fans’ lips. With Briton Lewis Hamilton heading the McLaren-Mercedes squad and double world champion Fernando Alonso with Renault likely to be among Ferrari’s closest rivals, the stage seems set for another entertaining battle.

BETTING ON THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
There are currently no online prices available on the Bahrain Grand Prix. The betting picture is likely to become clearer after the Grands Prix in Australia and Malaysia, when both drivers and constructors have come to terms with new equipment, different car set-ups etc. However, it seems likely that the above named drivers and teams are likely to be prominent in the betting.