Max Verstappen is set to clinch his third successive Drivers Championship at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix this weekend. The Red Bull driver is just -450 to win his 14th race of the season at the Lusail International Circuit. In our latest Formula 1 betting picks, we tell you if he is worth backing and what the best F1 bets are to profit on the action this weekend.
- What; 2023 Qatar Grand Prix - Round 18
- Where; Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
- When; Sunday, October 8th, 2023
- Time; 1 pm ET
- Laps; 57
- Race Distance; 308.611 km
First up, Red Bull sealed the Constructors Championship at the Suzuka Circuit in Round 17. But the team is not just after the Constructors Championship. They have their eyes on the bigger prize. And that looks set to be delivered this weekend.
Six times. 👑👑👑👑👑👑 #GivesYouWings pic.twitter.com/20vTYsKaQx
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 24, 2023
The current state of play
The headlines are already written for this weekend in Qatar as Max Verstappen looks certain to clinch his third successive World Championship title when the action gets underway.
The Dutchman needs just three points to win the championship, and he can seal the deal in the Saturday Sprint Race, where he needs to finish sixth to win the title.
But if not on Saturday, he always has the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday to get the three points he needs.
Should Verstappen win the title in the Sprint, he will become the first driver in history to do so. Setting another record in what has been a dominant year for the current World Champion.
Betting to win the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, the best Formula 1 online betting sites were slightly unsure if Red Bull’s poor performance the previous week was a one-off or something more serious.
Max Verstappen has been around -400 to -450 in most recent races. But after his team’s poor performance in Singapore, he was eased out to -300 for Japan. That might sound stupid. But given Verstappen’s record of ten straight wins heading into the race, he was usually -400 to -450.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS AT SUZUKA 🤩#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/LRN97ums7H
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 24, 2023
Anyway, normal service resumed in Japan, and Max Verstappen won the race by over 19 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. And now we all know that Singapore was just a one-off result.
As a result, Max Verstappen is -450 to win the Qatar Grand Prix. His closest betting rivals are Sergio Perez (+1200), Lando Norris (+1200), and Oscar Piastri (+1600). Full Qatar Grand Prix betting is available on our F1 odds table. More information about the bookmakers we use is on our betting bonuses and promotions page.
| Driver |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | -450 | -450 | -450 |
| Sergio Perez | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Lando Norris | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Oscar Piastri | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| George Russell | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Carlos Sainz | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Charles Leclerc | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Fernando Alonso | +8000 | +8000 | +8000 |
| Lance Stroll | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Esteban Ocon | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Pierre Gasly | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Alex Albon | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Guanyu Zhou | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Logan Sargeant | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Liam Lawson | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
Is it time to just back Verstappen to win every week?
If you want to back Max Verstappen, then go ahead. It is generally buying money.
And after what happened in Singapore, we know we will get an early heads-up if the circuit isn't to the liking of the two Red Bulls. It was obvious that the Red Bull wasn’t set up for the Marina Bay Circuit from the Friday before the race. So see how practice and qualifying start, and if the Red Bulls are doing okay, you know you are in business.
Another thing to remember if you are considering backing Verstappen is that he will almost certainly win the Drivers Championship this weekend. Probably on Saturday. So there is a slight chance his focus might not be at its usual high standards.
Our Picks
We’re not backing Max Verstappen to win. With all that’s going on around him this weekend, the bet looks too risky at -450.
It’s tempting to go with the McLaren drivers for a podium place again. But in the previous race, they benefited from the fast corners at Suzuka. This weekend there are still many high-speed corners to deal with, but there are also longer straights to contend with, which will suit the cars with the fastest straight-line speed.
This makes it harder to predict if the high-speed corners will take precedence over the fast straights. The bookmakers are favoring the McLarens, suggesting they believe the corners will be more likely to influence the outcome. But what if they are basing their odds on the result in Japan rather than the makeup of the Lusail circuit?
A lot can change throughout a Formula 1 season, but in preseason practice, Ferrari had the second-best straight-line speed behind the Red Bulls. So will this bring Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz into contention this weekend?
Like with Red Bull, if the Ferraris are performing well in practice and early qualifying, they could be the team to follow. If they are performing well, in the head-to-head markets, Charles Leclerc is -130 to finish ahead of George Russell. We think that bet makes sense.
We also feel that Lando Norris (+1200) and Charles Leclerc (+2200) are well worth backing to win the Sprint on Saturday.
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