Formula One 2023 Odds & Tips: Four bets for the new season

The fifth series of Drive To Survive exploded back onto our screens just in time to get us revved up for the 2023 Formula One season, which gets under way in Bahrain on Sunday 5th March (3pm, Sky Sports).

Can Max Verstappen complete the hat-trick? Will a member of the chasing pack offer a serious challenge? And what on earth can we expect from Esteban Ocon vs Pierre Gasly at Alpine!

Below we run through the odds in the Drivers Championship betting, then pick out four bets for the 2023 season.

*Don't forget to browse through our dedicated Formula One page which contains odds and betting information on a variety of markets, including this weekend's season-opener in Bahrain.*

Drivers Championship 2023 Odds

Surprise, surprise, it’s Max Verstappen who tops the pre-season betting, with the victor of the last two editions odds-on across the board to make it three Drivers Championships on the spin.

The question is, can anyone else provide a serious challenge?

Charles Leclerc did at the start of the 2022 campaign before he tailed off and Verstappen waltzed to glory, cruising home 146 points ahead of his Monégasque rival.

For those that fancy Leclerc to bounce back, the Ferrari driver is available at 9/2 in the betting, just ahead of seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton (6/1), who slipped to a shock 6th place finish last season.

Further back in the market you’ll find Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell at 16/1, pursued by Sergio Perez (20/1) and Carlos Sainz (25/1).

Before we race into our top four bets, take the time to browse the price of every driver in our odds comparison table below.

1. Max Verstappen to complete the hat-trick

Call us boring here, but market-leader Max Verstappen is anything but. The rip-roaring, risk-taking racer roars into the 2023 season seeking to join an elite band of 10 drivers that have won three Championships, only four of whom have won three (or more) in a row.

Verstappen has his sights set on that prized hat-trick and in truth it’s difficult to look past the Red Bull star. Bet365 offer 4/6 for this seemingly inevitable outcome, a price that will undoubtedly shrink as the weeks go by.

The dominant Dutchman smashed the record of 13 wins in a single season, banking a ridiculous 15 triumphs in 22 outings, nine of which came in the final 11 races. He also set a new record with his total of 454 points, 41 more than Hamilton’s tally in 2019.

2. Sergio Perez to top the Betting Without Max Verstappen

The real market of intrigue could well prove to be the Drivers Championship Winner Without Max Verstappen.

Realistically, this is between five racers: Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Of that quintet, favourite Leclerc is a little too short for my liking at just 5/6. A hungry Hamilton (5/2) with a point to prove is a dangerous prospect, yet the early signs are it will take time for everything to click at the Silver Arrows.

For me, the value is with Perez at a massive 8/1 with bet365. Yes, the Mexican is always going to play second fiddle to Verstappen, but he’s driving the best car and is fresh off the back of his best-ever season, complete with two wins, 11 podiums, and 305 points (just three points off Leclerc in 2nd).

Red Bull are the team to beat. With Ferrari switching Team Principals and Mercedes still playing catch up, Checo has an excellent opportunity to stamp some early points on the board. Who knows, he may even muster up a serious challenge for overall glory.

If you’re after a nostalgic pick away from the top-5 in this market, then Fernando Alonso could be your man at 11/1 (William Hill). Now kitted out in Aston Martin clobber, the veteran two-time Champ impressed in testing, which created a buzz of excitement that he could spring a few surprises this season.

3. Red Bull to cruise to the Constructors Championship

I was quite surprised to see that Red Bull weren't odds on across the board, with BetVictor offering even-money on Christian Horner’s troops banking a second successive Constructors Championship.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez accumulated a combined 759 points last season, over 200 more than Ferrari back in second spot. In total the duo netted an impressive combined 17 wins and 28 podiums.

Meanwhile, it’s all change at Ferrari (4/1 Betfred), who replaced Team Principle Mattia Binotto with Frederic Vasseur. Only time will tell if the straight-talker can deliver success at a team that punctured their prospects with a series of costly mistakes last season.

Mercedes were well off the pace last year, but with improvements expected, could be worth keeping an eye on at 13/4 (UniBet).

4. Season Driver Match Bets Accumulator

Acca @ 21/1 with William Hill:

• Lewis Hamilton vs George Russell - Hamilton @ 8/15
• Kevin Magnussen vs Nico Hulkenberg - Magnussen @ 4/6
• Esteban Ocon vs Pierre Gasly - Ocon @ 8/11
• Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri - Piastri @ 4/1

This piece has been very Red Bull-dominated, so we’ll wrap things up with a 21/1 accumulator via William Hill, which contains four selections from the head-to-head Season Driver Match Bets market.

First up, I’ve chosen Lewis Hamilton at 8/15 to bounce back from his surprise defeat to teammate George Russell in this market last season. Deep down he’ll be fuming at losing out to his compatriot, so expect Hamilton to regain top spot in his own team.

Kevin Magnussen has spent a total of five seasons at Haas, including last term when he returned to Guenther Steiner’s circle with a very creditable 13th place finish, securing over double the points of teammate Mick Schumacher. The Dane will no doubt face a tougher test against the solid and dependable Nico Hulkenberg, but the latter has effectively had three years out so it may take him a little time to get back up to speed. Magnussen’s flashes of fire, experience, and knowledge of the car should all combine to see him edge this battle at 4/6.

Esteban Ocon vs Pierre Gasly promises to be a compelling clash at Alpine. The narrative will centre on whether the childhood friends-turned-bitter-rivals can put their differences aside to unite for the good of the team. All has proved to be relatively serene and good-natured so far in pre-season, but one incident will undoubtedly spark fireworks as they both bid to top the Alpine summit. Ocon already has two invaluable years at Alpine under his belt and claimed 8th last term, beating teammate Fernando Alonso, so I think he has a slight advantage here. Just.

To boost this acca up to 21/1 we’ve opted for a left-field selection in F1 debutant Oscar Piastri who joins Lando Norris at McLaren. Norris is a superb young driver and the obvious hot favourite for this one, yet there’s a real buzz surrounding the talented Piastri who has been touted as a potential future star. The uncertainty that engulfs McLaren and their failure to hit pre-season targets could well frustrate Norris, so if Piastri can master the F1 arts swiftly, we could well be in store for a surprise in this head-to-head market.