The F1 circuit is ready to go back to Montreal to the famous Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. For fans, this weekend promises to bring some exciting racing action. For sports bettors, of which there are more every day as laws change across the country, this weekend offers some interesting betting opportunities. This Montreal Grand Prix betting preview will help put you in the best position to make a sound bet on all of the racing action this weekend.
- What: Montreal Grand Prix 2023
- Where: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- When: June 16th – 18th, 2023
As far as drivers go, the heavy favourite is Max Verstappen and many fans of the sport are wondering if there is anyone who can challenge him. He is the current king of F1 but let’s see if there are any other drivers who could possibly make a run at the F1 Montreal Grand Prix this weekend.
| Driver | Team | Odds |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | -330 |
| Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +500 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +1000 |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1600 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | +2200 |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +2800 |
| Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +4000 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +25000 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | +25000 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +25000 |
It’s Max Verstappen’s World
Just about any Montreal Grand Prix betting preview that you see will have Verstappen at the top of the list. Max won the F1 Montreal Grand Prix a year ago, finishing over Carlos Sainz and his Ferrari.
Verstappen is an overwhelming -330 to win outright according to DraftKings. If you want to play it safe and simply put him in the top 10, the odds become even more daunting at -900. Verstappen has already won three races this season and a fourth win at the F1 Montreal Grand Prix would basically cement his aspirations to win the 2023 World Drivers’ Championship.
For the sake of this Montreal Grand Prix betting preview, let’s try to not assume that it’s Verstappen or bust. Who would be the ones to challenge him? A deeper dive into the Montreal Grand Prix betting favourites outside of Verstappen might show us who the potential contenders are heading into this weekend.
Those to watch at the Montreal Grand Prix
In our Montreal Grand Prix betting preview, there are a few names to watch as well as a few to avoid. Let’s start with some of the other names in the field and the ones that have the best chance to keep Verstappen from claiming back-to-back Grand Prix crowns.
Lewis Hamilton (+1000)
If there is a name that rivals Verstappen, at least from a popularity level, it is Hamilton. He is arguably the rockstar of F1 racing and he has the track record that makes him one to include in any Montreal Grand Prix betting preview.
In seven races so far this season, Hamilton has a pair of podium finishes but hasn’t managed to take the top spot in any of them. He is currently fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 87 points. If Hamilton has any hope of seriously challenging Verstappen for the Championship, it needs to start with a victory in the Montreal Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocan (+25000)
While Ocon may have very long odds to win the Montreal Grand Prix, that’s not what you need to watch him for. Ocon is interesting because he has finished in the top 10 in each of his last three races. More importantly, Alpine Racing finished with a pair of cars in the top 10 as well.
Ocon is -285 to finish in the top 10 and a slight underdog (+280) to finish in the top five. If he can build on his momentum and have his best race, there isn’t a reason to think that he can’t make a serious run at the podium.
Montreal Grand Prix betting racers to fade
Just as there are racers who bear watching in our Montreal Grand Prix betting preview, there are others that you should stay far away from. That might include a couple of names near the top of the odds list who have had past success in this race.
Lando Norris (+25000)
Though Norris is a long shot to win the race, his odds for the top 10 (+110) are definitely worth giving a second thought to. Norris has been as up and down as it gets for McLaren this year, and that inconsistency is tough to get behind.
In his last seven races, Norris has been solid or non-existent. He has a trio of top 10 finishes, including sixth in Australia back in early April. Outside of that, he has finished 17th in the rest of his races, including two of his last three (Miami in May and Spain in early June). He’s too volatile of a performer to really feel good about backing.
Sergio Perez (+500)
If there is one name to watch when it comes to Montreal Grand Prix betting, it’s Perez. A teammate to Verstappen, Perez (+500) has been the second-best driver so far this season. Perez didn’t have a good performance last year in Montreal as he failed to finish the race.
Depending on who you ask, Perez may not be the best bet to finish second behind Verstappen. Mercedes has a pair of contenders that could not only threaten to make another double podium finish but challenge Verstappen at the end.
Charles Leclerc (+2800)
Ferrari as a whole is in a state of disarray. They are having difficulty even coming up with a cogent race strategy and it is seriously hindering what is happening with Sainz, who finished second in this event a year ago, and Charles LeClerc.
LeClerc, in particular, has had some issues even getting the right tires on his vehicle. Trusting him to land in the top 10 (-500) is 50/50 at best. He has four top-7 finishes, including third in Azerbaijan at the end of April. But he also has an 11th-place finish and a pair of DNFs on his record as well.
F1 Montreal Grand Prix betting pick
At the end of the day, how do you pick anyone but Verstappen? He has been at a level of dominance like no other this season and the numbers back it up. He has won five of the seven F1 races this season, finishing second in the other two. Every single time he gets behind the wheel, he is not only a threat to win but highly likely to do so.
Verstappen is the frontrunner for the Drivers’ Championship and would need an epic collapse to keep him from winning. Given the fact that his worst races are a pair of second-place finishes, that seems about as unlikely as anything in sports.