The Best Bets for the 2023 Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix

There are only a few days left to go before Formula One returns to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. Max Verstappen from Team Red Bull is a heavy favorite to win the race – unsurprising perhaps, given that the Dutch-Belgian Formula One World Champion enters the contest after three back-to-back victories in Miami, Monaco, and Spain.

Of course, that’s not to say that the June 18th race is already a done deal– both Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate George Russell delivered strong performances earlier this month at Barcelona’s June 4th race. Nevertheless, few are currently willing to bet against Red Bull’s seemingly invincible superstar – a fact that is all too obvious when studying the latest odds established by sport betting agencies.

Canadian Grand Prix 2023 Betting Odds

Driver	Team	Race Winner	Podium Finish	Points Finish	Best lap
Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1/3	3/17	1/10	19/20
Sergio Perez	Red Bull	5/1	4/9	2/15	18/5
Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	11/1	21/20	2/15	8/1
Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	12/1	17/20	2/13	8/1
George Russell	Mercedes	20/1	21/10	2/13	8/1
Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	30/1	10/3	1/5	10/1
Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	40/1	9/2	1/5	14/1
Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	125/1	14/1	2/7	60/1
Pierre Gasly	Alpine	250/1	20/1	3/10	60/1
Lando Norris	McLaren	250/1	60/1	21/20	66/1

The Pre-Qualifying Favorites – Max Verstappen (1/3)

Few will be surprised to see Verstappen at the top of the table in every category given the results of the season so far. Of the seven races that have been held up to now, Red Bull’s superstar driver has taken the chequered flag at five of them – a stunning performance that is all the more impressive when race timings are considered.

Max not only recorded the fastest lap time in Barcelona earlier this month but also finished more than 24 seconds clear of his closest competitor Lewis Hamilton. The Dutch driver’s dominance over the entirety of the sport of Formula One has led to some sportsbooks beginning to offer ‘without Verstappen’ markets – a frankly ridiculous proposition that would have been unthinkable in previous years.

Best of the Rest – Sergio Perez (5/1)

Despite the strong performances submitted by Team Mercedes at the Spanish Grand Prix, many pundits still consider Max’s closest rival to be his Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez. He’s currently priced at 5/1 – a long way from the 1/3 price that 888sport is currently offering for Max Verstappen, but it could be argued that this price makes the Mexican driver a great value proposition for those who have a healthy appetite for risk. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Perez struggled at the Spanish Grand Prix, as he failed to make it past the Q2 qualification session.

Lewis Hamilton (11/1)

Team Mercedes has played down suggestions that they might be able to repeat their double podium finish at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, which was by far the team’s best result during the current season. Mercedes had made significant changes to their vehicles for the Monaco Grand Prix on the 28th of May such as improved suspension and Red Bull-inspired side pods. Whilst these changes seemed to provide a huge improvement to the team’s performance at the Spanish circuit, it’s important to remember that the engineers responsible have openly admitted that Barcelona was the perfect test run for those specific modifications.

The long straights and low-speed corners of Canada’s circuit present a new challenge for Lewis Hamilton and his team. Despite the cautious words of team principal Toto Wolff, Hamilton himself remains optimistic about his chances of success in Montreal. Whether that optimism can translate into a victory on the day remains to be seen, but Hamilton is undoubtedly a highly-skilled driver who should not be underestimated – at 11/1, many consider the British driver worth a punt.

Carlos Sainz Junior (40/1)

If the rumors are to be believed, Spanish driver Carlos Sainz is targeting a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. The 28-year-old is hoping to inflict a little revenge after a less-than-stellar performance on his home turf earlier in the month despite having started on the front row of the grid. Although it was far from Sainz’s best performance this season, he still managed to earn a fifth-place finish which contributed heavily towards the ten points earned by team Ferrari.

Carlos has openly stated that he feels angry about the design of the Barcelona circuit – on the other hand, the driver believes that the circuit at Montreal is perfect for the design of Ferrari’s current F1 car. This might be nothing more than bluster, but some pundits have given Sainz words their backing which could indicate that the 40/1 insider has a better chance than the markets are currently indicating. At that price, even a small bet could prove to be extremely rewarding for those willing to take a risk on Ferrari’s star driver.