Category: Formula 1

Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Betting Preview

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

The Belgian Grand Prix from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is another Sprint Race weekend, giving more F1 betting options across the weekend. While all the teams aim to head into the summer break with positive momentum, Red Bull aims to extend its Grand Prix winning streak, while Max Verstappen pursues win number eight in a row and tenth of the season.

As always, Bangthebook is about finding winning bets up and down the grid and has picks from Verstappen to the back of the grid in our Belgian Grand Prix betting preview.

Max Verstappen Versus the World – Chapter 12: Can Super Max Collect All the Points Again?

During the last Sprint Race weekend in Austria, Super Max collected every point possible, taking the pole and winning both the Sprint Race and Grand Prix while collecting the fastest lap. Last week in Hungary, Verstappen and the RB-19’s Sunday drive was his seventh consecutive Grand Prix win – his ninth of the season – and his eleventh top-two finish of the season, winning by 33.731 seconds.

Verstappen’s win in Hungary was compared to his Spa 2022 performance, where the RB-18 was a rocketship, and Verstappen won by 17.841 seconds over teammate Sergio Pérez and 26.886 seconds over Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

We forgot to mention Max won the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix from 14th, despite taking pole position.

Again, take the free money: take Verstappen (-350) over the field (+275) and Red Bull to win the Sprint Race, Belgian Grand Prix, and for Verstappen (-600) to outqualify Sergio Pérez (+400), with Verstappen holding a 9-2 edge in the head-to-head qualifying battle.

Check out the full Belgian Grand Prix odds over on Bookmaker

The Best Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying Head-To-Head Betting Options

Albon Remains Free Money

The Williams’ low-drag nature will leave us all surprised with their lap times this weekend. We like Alex Albon to score points this weekend, but we’re taking three free money in the Williams qualifying head-to-head battle.

Albon (priced at -800 over at BetOnline) has outqualified rookie teammate Logan Sargeant (+500) in all 11 sessions this season, and that will not change at Spa-Francorchamps.

Ricciardo versus Tsunoda

Daniel Ricciardo might have benefitted from having the Alpha Tauri’s new spec front wing to defeat Tsunoda in qualifying, but he had a great weekend jumping into the Alpha Tauri without any on-track running and defeating Tsunoda.

Ricciardo (-110) should be the faster of the two drivers and should defeat Tsunoda (-120) at Spa.

The Mercedes Battle

Lewis Hamilton is coming off a record-setting pole position in Hungary, giving him the 6-5 head-to-head qualifying advantage over George Russell.

However, Hamilton (-180) has gotten the better of Russell (+150) consistently recently: Hamilton has outqualified Russell in five of the last six races.

The Best Belgian Grand Prix Head-To-Head Betting Option

More Alex Albon Picks?

Yes! We’re so confident that the Williams will be fast at Spa – the home of a few recent Williams highlights – that we’re taking Albon to out-finish Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Albon (-110) has only finished higher than Gasly (-120) twice this season at Montreal and Silverstone: two circuits that reward lower-drag setups similar to Spa-Francorchamps.

Only One Alpha (Alfa?) Can Stay

By 2026, there won’t be an Alpha or Alfa on the grid, but only one can out-finish the other in the Belgian Grand Prix.

An Alpha Tauri has out-finished Zhou Guanyu (-145) in six of the eleven races this season. Ricciardo (+115) out-finished Zhou at the Hungaroring and is likely the fastest of the three drivers who’ve driven the Alpha Tauri this season. We’re taking Ricciardo to make it 2-0 over Zhou.

In the other Alpha/Alfa seats, Valtteri Bottas (-170) and Yuki Tsunoda (+140) were tied 5-5 in the head-to-head battle heading into the Hungaroring. Bottas’ 12th-place finish gave him the 6-5 head-to-head lead, out-finishing Tsunoda in five of the last seven Grand Prix – a trend we think continues.

Mercedes Power Shootout

The upgraded McLaren MCL-60 had us running to put Oscar Piastri in our F1 fantasy team, to great success over the last two races, with Piastri finishing fourth at Silverstone and fifth at the Hungaroring.

Piastri (+105) has finished one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell (-135) since receiving the upgrades, which have McLaren firmly in the fight for the best of the rest. While both drivers have Mercedes power units, we’re taking Piastri in papaya to out-finish Russell.

Bet on the Belgian Grand Prix at Bookmaker!

British Grand Prix Betting Preview

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

No driver has ever had the dominating points gap to second place in the Drivers Standings and lost the World Championship that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen currently holds. After a weekend where Max took home the maximum points possible, it’s a countdown to which race he will claim his third-consecutive Drivers’ World Championship in. 

However, underneath Verstappen’s sublime magnificence in the RB-19, there are battles to be best of the rest, and betting wins to collect, especially in head-to-head betting lines. BangtheBook is searching for winning bets and is giving you quite the slipstream toward winning Formula 1 betting, beyond the Verstappen to win everything possible betting pick we all take every Grand Prix weekend.

Check out British Grand Prix odds on BetUS

Max Verstappen Versus the World – Chapter Ten: Time for a First?

Has Max Verstappen stood atop the podium at the legendary heart and soul of Formula 1, Silverstone? Yes, Max has won a race at Silverstone: the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in 2020.

However, Verstappen has never won a race at Silverstone properly labeled the “British Grand Prix.” Is this the weekend when Verstappen finally achieves a first in his career?

Again, the answer is yes. Verstappen has won five consecutive races and seven races total – not including Sprint Races – finishing second to teammate Sergio Pérez twice on street circuits where Checo is the provisional King.

With that said, let’s load up on Verstappen versus the World picks, shall we? Where and when available, take Red Bull as the winning constructor and Verstappen as the outright race winner. BetOnline has Verstappen listed at -300 over the field (+240) and -600 over Pérez (+400) in the Grand Prix. Verstappen’s odds remain at -600 to outpace Checo in qualifying, which is a lock, considering Verstappen has only been out-qualified twice for a Grand Prix by Pérez, both times with issues compromising Verstappen’s ability to complete a flying lap. 

The Best British Grand Prix Qualifying Head-To-Head Betting Options

A McLaren Shock?

In the McLaren inter-team battle, Lando Norris (-600) has an 8-1 head-to-head qualifying advantage over rookie teammate Oscar Piastri (+400). However, if you are looking for a potential upset, pay attention to Piastri in practice, as he receives the upgrades Norris received last weekend. While not our pick, a good Friday from Piastri could make him our pick for a Saturday shock.

Albon = Free Money

Alex Albon is doing as he should and has out-qualified rookie teammate Logan Sargeant in every race this season. That’s why Albon at -900 is guaranteed money to add a win to your bank roll.

Hülk Smash Quali

Nico Hülkenberg has smashed quali with outstanding one-lap pace in a Haas that fades throughout the race. We’re taking Hülkenberg, who has made Q3 in the last three races and a 7-2 qualifying edge,  at -180 over Kevin Magnussen, who has made Q3 once this season.

The Best British Grand Prix Head-To-Head Betting Option

Ferrari versus Aston Martin

Ferrari and Aston Martin have brought upgrades over recent races, with the Ferrari looking to move in a positive direction. Charles Leclerc (-120) has had an uncharacteristically flat start to the season with a few spikes, while Fernando Alonso (-110) has been consistently excellent in the vastly improved AMR-23.

Leclerc’s second-place finish at Austria was his best finish of the season since having a usual great weekend in Azerbaijan. However, those two race weekends are the only times Leclerc has finished higher than Alonso. Alsonso holds a 7-2 head-to-head advantage and a 6-2 advantage in podiums scored.

While in equal machinery, we’d take Leclerc over the field in a one-lap shoot-out, the AMR-23 in Alonso’s hands should be very fast at Silverstone, which is more reason for us to take Alonso as the slight underdog.

Bet this event at Bookmaker!

Austrian Grand Prix Betting Preview

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

Until defeated in a straight fight, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be the betting favorite and pick to win every weekend. Moreover, unless Verstappen is injured and unable to compete, he is a lock to win a third consecutive Drivers’ World Championship, as no driver has ever lost the World Championship with the 69-point lead Verstappen has over struggling teammate Sergio Pérez.

However, weather and the current Sprint Race format are among the factors in play that could jeopardize the seemingly inevitable Verstappen-Red Bull win. This combination could open the door for Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc to end Red Bulls’ eight-race winning streak and domination of Formula 1 in 2023 at their home Grand Prix. As always, Bangthebook is searching for winning wagers and has selected our favored lines for the Austrian Grand Prix and qualifying. However, as the available odds are somewhat limited for the F1 Sprint Saturday, we’re limiting our picks to Friday’s qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Check out the Austrian Grand Prix odds on BetUS

Red Bull Versus the World – Chapter Nine

Think back to Sprint Race weekends like São Paulo 2022 or Azerbaijan 2023, and you’ll likely remember a Red Bull team that struggled to get their dominant machinery in the perfect set-up window, even in Verstappen’s hands. While Sergio Pérez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, that might have been more Pérez being the King of the Streets on the circuit where he’s had his greatest success, with a side of Verstappen being thoroughly unhappy with his ride.

BetOnline has Max Verstappen (-300) favored to defeat the field (+240) in the Austrian Grand Prix, while Sergio Pérez’s recent struggles since his pole position in Miami and historic lack of success in Austria have him listed as the underdog (+1000) against the field (-2500) in the Grand Prix. This is despite Red Bull’s Honda-powered turbo charger being excellent at altitude and the Red Bull Ring’s long straights and fast corners, which should play to the RB-19’s strengths.

Chapter nine of Red Bull vs the World has the combination of weather and only one practice session before qualifying to add a little chaos into the equation. But until Verstappen is beaten in a Grand Prix via a straight fight, BangtheBook is taking Verstappen over the field to win his fourth Austrian Grand Prix and his fifth consecutive Grand Prix while taking Red Bull as the winning constructor if the betting lines are available.

Friday Qualifying

With F1 Sprint Saturday throwing away the normal F1 weekend schedule, Qualifying is moved from its traditional Saturday spot, taking place Friday, with the cars going into Parc Fermé after only one hour of running. With rain in the forecast, we could see another mixed-up grid and a potential shock pole position like Haas’ Kevin Magnussen’s pole position at the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix.

Verstappen has claimed three-straight pole positions and five of the eight pole positions this season. Despite being in the same RB-19, we don’t like Pérez’ss chances in qualifying on a circuit he’s never had success at and potentially in conditions not conducive to his peak pace. So, while we’re taking Verstappen to take pole position, those live odds are not available, and there are no Red Bull inclusive qualifying betting lines as of publication.

However, there are numerous head-to-head betting lines available for the Grand Prix and qualifying.

The Best Austrian Grand Prix Head-To-Head Betting Options

Here are Bangthebook’s favored head-to-head betting lines for the Austrian Grand Prix and Qualifying.

We’re looking for wins, and we start with lowly Williams, where Alex Albon (-800) has out-qualified rookie teammate Logan Sargeant (+500) in all eight qualifying sessions this season. We’re also taking Albon (-500) to defeat Sargeant (+350) in the Austrian Grand Prix, as Albon has out-finished Sargeant in five straight races and all six races that Albon has finished.

McLaren is bringing a mega update to Speilberg, and while they’ll be fighting with the Alpine drivers and Aston Martin and Ferriari’s second drivers for the final points positions. We’re favoring Lando Norris (-550) – who has an excellent one-lap pace even in poor conditions – to out-qualify Oscar Piastri (+375) for the eighth time this season.

We’re also taking Fernando Alonso (-500 GP, -700 Qualifying) to win both inner-Aston Martin battles with Lance Stroll (-700, +450 qualifying), as Alonso has out-qualified and finished higher than Stroll seven times.

Speaking of second drivers, our final featured head-to-head betting line is a Mercedes vs Ferrari Grand Prix shootout. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (+105) and Mercedes’ George Russell (-125) are tied 4-4 in head-to-head Grand Prix competition. However, Russell has two DNF/retirements on his record, including last weekend in Montréal. The Ferrari looked quick in Montreál, while Mercedes are still bringing upgrades and optimizing the package it introduced at Monaco.

However, Russell was on a three-race winning streak and on the way to a fourth consecutive win over Sainz in Montreal before kissing the wall and causing terminal damage to the W-14. We’ve liked what we’ve seen from Russell and Mercedes recently and think Ferrari’s fast weekend in Montréal may have been more track-specific than Ferrari turning a corner. That’s why we’re taking Russell to out-finish Sainz in the Austrian Grand Prix.

Bet this event at Bookmaker!

Grand Prix du Canada Betting Preview

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

New circuit, same result? 

Formula 1 makes its second trip to North America, landing at the long-tenured Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the Île Notre Dame in the St. Lawrence River in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, with another likely Max Verstappen win on tap. With Red Bull’s RB-19 the dominant cream of the 2023 crop, oddsmakers have noticed and have various betting options other than Max Verstappen to win everything. 

BangtheBook has searched the alternative betting lines to find our favored bets that will likely pay out at this weekend’s Grand Prix du Canada. 

Red Bull Versus the World

Max Verstappen’s current race form in the RB-19 is something to marvel at. Hate the lack of competition if you must, but it’s hard not to marvel at the ease at which Verstappen navigates his RB-19 around a circuit and shoots directly to the top of the timing charts on his first flying lap of any session.

The soon-to-be three-time Drivers’ World Champion Verstappen has won four of the six races this season, winning three by more than 5 seconds. With this info, we have two picks for you from BetOnline: Verstappen (-300) over the field (+240) and to take the over on the winning margin being 5 seconds or more  (-280).

The Battle of the Bulls – Verstappen vs Pérez

Red Bull has won every race this season and might win every race unless something goes terribly wrong for Verstappen.

There are two Battle of the Bulls betting lines we’re focusing on for qualifying and the Grand Prix. In the qualifying battle, Verstappen holds a 5-2 advantage over Pérez. However, Pérez did out-qualify Verstappen for the Azerbaijan GP Sprint Race on Pérez’s best weekend in Formula 1.

We’re taking Verstappen (-375) to out-qualify Pérez (+275), who has had awful qualifying performances in his last two races.

Verstappen holds a 5-2 Grand Prix advantage in the battle of the Bulls and is our pick to defeat Pérez in the head-to-head Grand Prix battle, with both drivers listed at the same odds from the qualifying head-to-head betting line.

The Best Head-To-Head Betting Options

Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (-180) holds a 5-2 qualifying edge over Nick de Vries (+150) this season. We’re taking Tsunoda to out-qualify de Vries. Tsunoda (-240) holds a 6-1 advantage in the head-to-head battle over de Vries (+190) and is our pick to win the Alpha Tauri battle.

Staying with backmarker head-to-head battles, we’re taking Nock Hülkenberg (-155) to out-qualify Kevin Magnussen (+125), holding a 5-2 qualifying advantage. Hülkenburg has consistently been very good in qualifying, often putting the VF-23 into Q2 or Q3 clutch last-ditch flying laps.

For a couple of bank-the-win type picks, take Williams’ Alexander Albon at -900 in qualifying and -400 in the Grand Prix to outperform rookie teammate Logan Sargeant. Albon holds a 7-0 qualifying edge and a 5-2 Grand Prix advantage, although both times Sargeant out-finished Albon, it was due to retirements.

Fernando Alonso (-450) holds a 6-1 qualifying advantage over Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll (+325). Alonso (-325) has out-finished Stroll (+250) in all seven Grand Prix this season.

However, has the Mercedes W-14 bridged the gap to Aston Martin with its new upgrades? One-time teammates Alonso (-120) and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (-110) are currently third and fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, with Alonso out-finishing Hamilton 5-2. However, we like the new look W-14 a lot, and we’re taking Hamilton to out-finish Alonso in Montréal.

Gran Premio de Espana Betting Preview

Posted on by Ryan Knuppel

After an eventful Monaco Grand Prix, Formula 1 travels to the familiar Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluyna, featuring a new track layout guaranteed to bring higher speeds and faster laps times. Mercedes will see what they have in the new-look W-14, while many teams are expected to bring

While Max Verstappen and the RB19 are the clear, overwhelming favorites to win in Barcelona, there are still plenty of betting lines that provide real value, while Verstappen likely cruises to another win. Bangthebook has you in pole position in your betting version of the RB-19 with our Gran Premio de Espana betting preview.

Lights out, and away we go!

Max Verstappen’s Lonely World at the Top

It’s not Red Bull versus Red Bull anymore; it might be Max Verstappen versus the entire grid, which is where we start our Gran Premio de Espana betting preview.

BetOnline has Verstappen listed at -260 to win the Grand Prix, while the other 19 drivers in the field are listed at +200.

Unless reliability issues or major contact on the race start affecting Verstappen’s RB-19, he’s likely to overcome whatever deficit is put in front of him and win the race. He’s won from deep on the grid numerous times in the last two seasons. That’s the type of pace advantage we’ve grown accustomed to Verstappen happening since the introduction of the new rules set in 2022. When you pair the race pace of the Red Bull with Verstappen’s magnificent technique, touch, and feel behind the wheel.

We’re taking Verstappen to defeat the field at -260 odds. We’re also taking the winning margin of +5 seconds or more at -260.

Gran Primio de Espana: the Battle for P2

There have been two constants in Formula 1 in 2023: Max Verstappen being close to perfect and Fernando Alonso returning to the podium.

Aston Martin’s AMR-23 in Fernando Alonso’s hands was the biggest surprise to start the season. Alonso is the biggest threat to the Red Bulls and is still tenths of a second off in race pace. However, can Alonso claim his second straight P2 finish by beating Sergio Pérez in the other RB-19?

In the head-to-head betting line, Alonso is listed at +150, while Pérez is listed at -180. With the pace advantage, Pérez should have in the RB-19, he should be a larger favorite. Alonso has finished higher than Pérez this season: in Australia, after Pèrez binned it in qualifying 1, and last weekend in Monaco, where Pérez binned it in Qualifying 1 again.

While we’re pulling for an Alonso win when something does happen to Verstappen’s car, we’re not pulling the trigger on this wager until we’ve seen if Pérez is on top of the RB-19 in practice.

If Pérez is not on the pace, the likelihood he bins it in qualifying will increase, opening the door for an Alonso head-to-head win at +150.

Who’s Upgrade Package is Better?

Both Ferrari and Mercedes will have new upgrades on their respective cars, with Ferrari’s making their debut, while Mercedes will get their first real look at what the revamped W-14’s baseline is.

Mercedes (-130) is favored over Ferrari (+100) in a constructor head-to-head wager. So far this season, Mercedes have won 5 of the six head-to-head battles with Ferrari this season, and we expect that to continue as Mercedes learns the new W-14, finding more pace along the way.

Gran Premio de Espana Pole Sitter

There weren’t any odds listed on Bookmaker for who will win pole position at the time of publication.

When betting on qualifying, you need to remember that qualifying is the one area where Red Bull can be caught. And there is no single driver who is better over one lap than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who has captured the only pole position that didn’t go to one of the Red Bull drivers.

Can Leclerc put his SF-23 on pole once again, or will it be an all-RB-19 front row? We’ll let you decide when the odds are released, and we’ve seen the cars on track for practice.