F1 World Drivers' Championship Odds: Verstappen Wrestles Back Favorite Status

We're five races into the 2022 F1 season and the brand-new regulations that came with it and so far, the season's doing its best to top what was a spectacular and impossibly dramatic 2021 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc entered race day in Miami with an advantage in both the standings and the odds board, but Red Bull's Max Verstappen responded again. 

Verstappen's win in Imola was followed by a dominant race in Miami, with the defending Drivers' Champion winning from third on the grid.

With the first five race weekends of the season in the books, check out the latest Formula 1 odds for the 2022 season below.

F1 World Drivers' Championship odds

Odds courtesy of bet365 on May 10, 2022.

Favorite to win the 2022 F1 World Drivers' Championship 

Max Verstappen (-120)

What a difference a couple of races can make. Less than a month ago, a crestfallen Verstappen remarked he would need 45 races in order to catch up to Leclerc in the World Drivers' Championship standings. Two races later and Leclerc's lead is down to just 19 points after consecutive race wins for the Red Bull driver. 

Verstappen's World Champion bona fides have shined in recent races and as a result, he is now a -120 favorite to defend his title. 

Charles Leclerc (+120)

The highs of Melbourne, in which Leclerc crushed the field in his second win of the season, seem oh so far away at the moment. The Ferrari driver spun out of a podium finish in Imola to lose crucial points to Verstappen and then was unable to hold pole position in Miami, with Leclerc well off the pace of Red Bull in Florida. 

Yet, the Monegasque driver still holds a 19-point lead in the standings and has an excellent chance to extend that lead over the remainder of May, with both Spain and Monaco likely to favor Ferrari over Red Bull.

F1 World Constructors' Championship odds

Odds courtesy of bet365 on May 10, 2022.

Favorite to win the 2022 F1 World Constructors' Championship

Ferrari (-110)

The 16-time champions finished 2021 brilliantly, finishing third in a decisive fashion. That, along with an existing consensus that Ferrari was looking ahead to the new regulations, left many hopeful of its chances in 2022.

Those hopes were well placed, as Ferrari has three double podiums in five races and a win in another. Recent struggles from No. 2 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. opened the door for Red Bull to cut the gap but the Italian team still leads 157 to 151.

Red Bull (-110)

All things considered, Red Bull isn't in the worst of spots through five races. 

A handful of early-season DNFs led to a sizable Ferrari advantage in the standings but a 1-2 in Imola and another win in Miami for Verstappen has Red Bull right back within striking distance.

The reliability issues appear to have been handled — at least for now — but only time will tell which of these teams will claim Constructors' glory come season's end.

Rule changes for 2022

This season will feature brand-new regulations in the sport, after a year's postponement, in an effort to boost parity in a new spending cap era and increase on-track action. Among the key changes:

• Re-designed floors to change the way air flows through cars. This, in theory, will be the most important change. The way in which the air is dispersed now, as opposed to previous regulations, should allow cars to follow much more closely and result in far more on-track action. F1 figures estimated their cars lost 50% of downforce when within a single car length in the previous regulations, with that figure now just 18% in the new regulations.
• Bigger tires, from 13" last year to 18" this season. The increase in size is to avoid rapid tire wear early in stints, allowing drivers to push harder, for longer, and engage in on-track battles more often without fear of tire degradation.
• Engine designs this season will be approved by the FIA and then frozen until 2025, meaning it's absolutely crucial for teams to have gotten this year's design correct or risk falling behind in the coming seasons. 

Past F1 World Champions 

Hamilton's dominance of Formula One is simply astounding: not only has he won six of the past eight years, but the two years he did not win the Drivers' Championship he finished in second place by five and eight points, with both runner-up finishes coming down to the final lap of the final race.

Past F1 World Constructors' Championship winners

Mercedes has won the Constructors' Championship in each of the past eight seasons and is a favorite to do so once again in 2022.

How to bet on F1 futures odds

The most popular way to bet Formula One futures is by simply picking the winner of the F1 World Drivers' Championship. The champion is crowned via a points system based on the final race results of each drive. While the winner is not officially given the title until the final race of the season they can secure the championship with races remaining on the schedule. 

Another F1 futures bet is the World Constructors' Championship which is awarded to the constructor (the team that builds the components of the car) who accumulates the most points at the end of the season. In 63 seasons, only 11 times has the winning constructor not been on the same team as the winner of the World Drivers' Championship.

F1 futures odds will usually look like this:

• Lando Norris +1,200

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $1,200 if Norris wins the Drivers' Championship. If it's close to the end of the season or one driver is simply that dominant, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of their odds. 

• Lewis Hamilton -175

This means that you would need to bet $175 to win $100 on Hamilton winning the Drivers' Championship.

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