The bookmakers offering the best Formula 1 odds

There has never been a more exciting time to bet on Formula 1 than now. In September 2018, the FIA announced that they had signed a deal with the Sportradar and media group Interregional Sports Group to develop on-screen graphics along with physical and virtual trackside signage for betting companies to use on a newly developed in-play market. 

The move is great for the player, and though races won’t be streamed online like some football matches are, the graphics give fans ample more opportunity and markets to bet on.

Formula 1 is a fast-moving sport, in more ways than one, so introducing cutting-edge technology to integrate the in-play markets for betting companies was a must. And it’s not just on race day when you can bet either, there are markets open on practice and qualifying too.

In fact, qualifying is probably where this technology can be utilised best. Race days, despite what people tell you, are not boring, but you can have lengthy spells where there isn’t a lot of overtaking, whereas qualifying changes with every lap and is just unsystematic carnage which makes not only for great TV, but for great betting too.

F1’s change to ‘knock-out’ qualifying in 2006 was probably the FIA’s best decision this century, really. While race days have been widely labelled by critics as predictable and dull which has been a direct impact of FIA changes, qualifying days are anything but. Sure the same folks are usually at the top every week, but it’s not just at the top where the excitement builds, it’s also in the lower reaches too as the Toro Rosso’s, the Haas’, the Mclaren’s, and the Force India’s battle it out to make it through Q3 and Q2.

That is what’s great about F1 in general, though, including race days. Sure most people worry about what’s happening at the top of the tree, but there’s so much excitement every race week throughout the field, and if you’re betting on Niko Hulkenberg to finish in the points and he’s battling it out for 10th place going into the last lap, then it couldn’t be any more thrilling.

So don’t listen to the nay-sayers who say F1 is boring because, to be quite frank, they’re very, very wrong.