The industry is preparing for an exciting season ahead that should see greater engagement from bettors. While formula one is still lower down on the list of operators' most popular sports, the excitement of last season, as well as increased betting industry involvement in the sport, means bookmakers can welcome another source of revenue as the football season comes to a close - and post-Cheltenham.
Hamilton, who was controversially beaten in the final race of last season, has vowed to return stronger than ever and collect a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ Championship.
Whether it’s because of that bitter disappointment, or in spite of it, sports betting operators have placed Hamilton as favourite to claim the title; although World Champion Verstappen is tipped to win the first race of the season in Bahrain.
Sky Bet has odds of 13/8 for Hamilton to win. Meanwhile, Verstappen is second-favourite at 7/4, while 24-year-old George Russell is third-favourite at 13/2. Former world champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel have odds of 66/1 and 125/1, respectively.
The 2022 season, which was initially scheduled to include 23 races and stretch from 20 March until 20 November, will feature a number of location changes this time around.
The Australian, Canadian, Japanese and Singapore Grands Prix all return to the calendar, following pandemic-related absences, while Miami will host its first-ever F1 race. The Russian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 25 September, has now been cancelled.
Interestingly, despite Hamilton’s place as bookies’ favourite to claim the overall prize, Verstappen is seen as the most likely to win the opening race in Bahrain.
Verstappen has odds of 4/7 on Sky Bet, while Hamilton is at 5/4. This has perhaps been influenced by the first pre-season testing session, which took place on 16 March.
During the session, Red Bull’s car, in which Verstappen won the Championship last season, came out on top.
Meanwhile, Mercedes, which is driven Hamilton and Russell, was ranked third.
