Odds On Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen Are Neck & Neck

The odds on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the Portuguese Grand Prix will please F1 fans. They’re dead level at most online betting sites in Portugal like Bet365. That means we’re likely to see quite the race on Sunday. With luck, this should distract fans from the new ideas that Liberty Media and the FIA want to try. But if you’re going to bet on F1 this weekend, just who has the edge? Should you really bet on Red Bull or take up the bookies’ odds on Mercedes? 

“This signals our long-term intent.” Christian Horner hides his smugness quite well. Red Bull recruiting Ben Hodgkinson from Mercedes is a bit of a coup. He’s been working on their engines for 20 years, and with Honda out after this season, Red Bull need him. They’re working on their own new power unit for 2025. Now this may not sound as if it will shift the odds on Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, but in the psychological battle between the two teams, it matters.  

Every edge counts. So you can expect Red Bull to make play of their new hire, and the media to needle Mercedes about it. Not that you should bet on Mercedes to appear as if they care. Their passive-aggressive character rather precludes it. They know the odds on Red Bull Powertrains rivalling them in the short term are huge. So those who like to bet on sports in Portugal may need to look elsewhere for a way to separate the odds on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. 

A Bet On Max Verstappen Gets Equal Pricing

Anyone hoping the new concept of Sprint Qualifying might assist will find no help there. They may have decided to try it, but it’s only for three races, and doesn’t start till the British GP. So in the Algarve they will face a normal practice/qualifying/race set up. This is just as well. Teams will find the tire regulation changes the new format introduces tricky. The odds on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen having the tires they want for a full GP in future are doubtful. 

Portuguese GP odds

• Anyone Else – 250/1+
• Yuki Tsunoda – 150/1
• Carlos Sainz – 66/1
• Daniel Ricciardo – 66/1
• Pierre Gasly – 66/1
• Charles Leclerc –  33/1
• Lando Norris – 33/1
• Sergio Perez – 8/1
• Valtteri Bottas – 17/2
• Lewis Hamilton – 5/4
• Max Verstappen – 5/4
• See more at bet365…

The teams, particularly Mercedes, are against Sprint races in F1. They vetoed reverse-grid sprint races when last they were proposed. So, they’ll try it, claim it wasn’t worth the hassle and go back to the same old formula. The teams like things as they are. So once again, this is no help and that bet on the Portuguese Grand Prix is still looking tricky. Especially when online sportsbook sites in Portugal giving odds on Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen of a rather narrow 5/4.

Bet365 Has All The Odds On Lewis Hamilton

The news that there will be a Grand Prix in Miami next year isn’t much help either. It won’t alter the odds on Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen. Still, it’ll keep the fans talking. The teams won’t care. The odds on F1 adding another race in the US were always short. Liberty Media are, after all, a US company, and everyone knows the Circuit of the Americas is ghastly. But, don’t rush off and bet on the Miami Grand Prix improving upon it. Street circuits are very hit and miss. 

Drivers Championship Odds

• Anyone Else – 250/1+
• Charles Leclerc – 150/1
• Daniel Ricciardo – 150/1
• Lando Norris – 150/1
• Valtteri Bottas – 33/1
• Sergio Perez – 33/1
• Max Verstappen – 11/10
• Lewis Hamilton – 8/11

So then the odds on the Portuguese Grand Prix are no picnic. That first corner could end the race for one or both of the top two. Neither one will want to give up the advantage of clean air. That is perhaps the only way anyone else stands a chance. Bottas only gets 17//2 with Perez back at 8/1. Sadly the odds on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen then are the only show in town. Although that said, anyone who wants to take advantage of Portuguese gambling laws to back a long shot should look to Lando Norris at 33/1.

Check out all the available F1 odds at bet365…

We take a look at how separating the odds on Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix is no easy feat.