Motorsport Betting Guide 2021 | How to Bet on Motorsport

For Intermediate

Motorsports provide an unrivaled experience for car lovers and racing enthusiasts all over the world. For as long as motor vehicles have been available, there have been people willing to race them, and it's easy to see why. Few things compare to the thrill of pushing an automobile to its limits.

Motorsport betting combines the thrill of betting with the excitement of motor racing amazingly. It brings us even closer to the action—it ups the excitement factor. It represents a way for us to follow a sport we love and enjoy huge wins while at it. If you love car racing and enjoy betting, then you should try your hands at motorsport betting with our sportsbooks!

Table of Contents

About Motorsport and Motorsport Betting

Motorsports (like Formula 1, NASCAR, and MotoGP) usually feature weekend races. The race weekend spans a 2 - 3 day period. Take Formula 1, for example, the first 2 practice sessions usually take place on Friday evening. The third practice session takes place just before the qualifying sessions, which take place on Saturday. The race proper takes place on Sunday.

The practice sessions serve as an opportunity for teams to get a feel for the racing track and tune their cars accordingly. Qualifying sessions determine the grid order on race day. Timesheets are available for each of these sessions, and drivers are ranked by their fastest lap per session. 

The 5 slowest cars drop out after qualifying session 1 and take the last 5 positions on the grid. The slowest 5 in Q2 drop out and take positions 11 - 15. Q3, however, also known as the top 10 shootouts, features the last 10 cars left standing. The position on the leaderboard after Q3 determines the grid order for these 10 qualifiers.

A typical race lasts about 2 hours. The first car to complete the required number of laps wins the race. The outcome of a race is affected by factors other than race pace. Factors like grid position, team strategy, track conditions, and tire management typically play a role. All of this makes for a pretty exciting race day.

A season comprises multiple race weekends. Two different titles are available, one for the drivers and another for the constructors, or teams. Points earned per racing weekend add up throughout a season. Whichever driver is atop the leaderboard at the end of the season is named the champion, and the same applies to the leaderboard for the teams.

The other motorsport competitions are structured similarly to this, so a good knowledge of one is enough to be familiar with the entire sport. Of course, there are some differences. These differences are mostly in the rules guiding each tournament. For example, there are less strict rules on contact in NASCAR races.

With motorsports betting, players can place bets on a variety of options. You can bet on the winner of a race, the winner of the championship, the fastest qualifier, the driver that sets the fastest lap in the race, and so many other outcomes.

Why Should You Bet On Motorsports?

Online motorsport betting offers a variety of sporting and competitive options. From the comfort of your living room, you can bet on races and events in Europe or elsewhere in the world. Betting online offers you a lot of choices for what sportsbooks to bet on. You can check around with a variety of vendors to see who offers you the best odds on a particular bet you're looking to make. Our sportsbooks offer some of the best odds and bonuses for MotoGP, F1, and NASCAR betting.

Online betting outfits offer better odds. Because of the large number of online sportsbooks available, they force bookies to improve their services. This results in more generous odds and promotions that increase your chances of winning. Online betting also offers a lot more betting options. Live betting is the best example of this. You can easily take advantage of new information without having to break your concentration on the race.

With an enormous variety of tournaments available to choose from, such as F1, NASCAR, and MotoGP; we can do online motorsports betting on most weekends of the year. There is almost always a race available to bet on. Motorsports are also a data-driven sport, with a lot of statistics available for different areas of the sport.

Our online sportsbooks provide these statistics in a format that is easy to find and understand, keeping you well informed on whatever bets you choose to make. They also offer a variety of banking options, all of which are very convenient and safe. The sportsbooks we recommend at SportsBettingGuide have all been thoroughly vetted. They are reliable and rank amongst the very best where safety and security are concerned. You should check out our sportsbook reviews to determine which one suits your preference.

Types of Motorsport Bets

Motorsport betting is not much different from betting on other sports. Most motorsports bet types usually come as moneylines, odds, and prop bets.

Types of motorsport bets include:

  1. Moneyline
  2. Spread betting
  3. Race Driver Championships
  4. Constructors Championships
  5. Race winner
  6. Fastest qualifier
  7. Winning margin
  8. Podium finish
  9. Top 6 finish
  10. Driver matchup/Head to head

Motorsport betting requires good knowledge of the sport and attention to detail. No two tracks are the same. You might have to pay attention to things like weather and driver form when placing your bets. Good knowledge of a driver's record on a track in different weather might also serve you well.

The biggest problem with motorsport betting stems from the high-risk nature of the sport and the possibility of mechanical failure. The favorite to win a race could crash or suffer mechanical failure at the final turn of a race, even if they had led for most of the race. 

Moneyline

With moneyline bets, bettors back a particular driver to win. If the backed driver wins, the sportsbook pays the amount due. On the moneyline, the driver listed with the most negative number is the favorite to win, and the player listed with the most positive number is the least expected to win. 

The odds of winning a race matchup at the 2021 Dixie Vodka 400 in the NASCAR race series for Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr in a particular sportsbook are:

  • Denny Hamlin -160 (Favorite)
  • Martin Truex Jr +130 (Underdog)

If you bet $160 on Hamlin winning, and he wins, you make $100. If you bet $100 on Truex, and he wins, you make $130.

Spread Betting

Motorsport spread betting is a type of betting where the payoff depends on the accuracy of the wager. The spread has two prices, a selling price, and a buy price. If you believe the outcome would be higher than the spread, you buy the spread. If you believe the outcome will be less than the spread, you sell. Your profit or loss depends on the difference between the outcome and your buy or sell level, multiplied by your stake.

Race Driver Championship and Constructor Championship

Here, you can bet on which driver or team will finish the season atop the leaderboard. For example, the odds to win the 2021 F1 constructors (teams) championship for selected drivers in a particular sportsbook are:

  • Mercedes -500 (Favorite)
  • Williams +100000 (Underdog)

Motorsports Betting Bonuses

Motorsport betting options come with amazing bonuses that offer you the chance to make massive wins. Visit any of our sportsbooks and place a bet on any motorsports tournaments, drivers, or race outcomes, and you’ll become eligible for these bonuses. Some of them include:

  • Welcome bonuses for first time bettors
  • Price boosts
  • Enhanced odds deals
  • Free bet refunds
  • Reload bonuses
  • Loyalty bonuses for returning bettors
Motorsport online bets

Tips and Strategies

Motorsport betting, like any other form of sports betting, requires a good knowledge of the sport. Here are some tips and strategies to give you an edge.

  • Pay attention to statistics

This cannot be overemphasized. What driver does best at what circuit? Which vehicle is best suited to which circuit? Does the circuit allow overtaking? Is it a high-speed or low-speed track? Details like these make all the difference in motorsports.

For example, Monza on the F1 calendar is also known as the “temple of speed”. This is because the layout of the track places more emphasis on speed than car handling around corners, so it would be useful to bet on a driver with a car that’s got a lot of straight-line speed.

  • Read pre-race reviews

Check out what experts have to say about drivers and teams on race weekends. They are paid to be knowledgeable about the sport, you can take advantage of that knowledge and get paid yourself.

  • Pay attention to the weather

Weather plays a huge role in motorsport racing. Pay attention to the different conditions that favor different drivers. Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes F1 team, for example, is regarded as a wet weather master. It is also helpful to note that weather can change, so pay close attention to the forecast and race commentary.

  • Pay attention to the practice sessions, qualifiers, and grid positions.

A major advantage of the multi-day race weekend is that you get to see the cars in action long enough before the race is proper. This helps you see for yourself what drivers are best on track for a particular weekend.

A lot of states have now made it possible to bet legally on NASCAR and other popular motorsports. There are for sure more to come in the future, for example Florida, but for now, here are the ones who offer legal NASCAR betting so far:

  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Michigan
  • Illinois
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia
  • Washington DC
  • West Virginia

Motorsport FAQ

  • Is motorsport betting legal?

    Yes, it is legal. But you need to check out the specific laws that apply in your state.
  • How risky is motorsport betting?

    Betting on motorsport is no riskier than betting on any other sport. Also, the quality of information available to you reduces the risk factor.
  • What are the best betting options for motorsport?

    It depends on what sport you fancy. F1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport and is usually the most readily available option. NASCAR, of course, is a longtime favorite in most of the US
  • What motorsport series can I bet on?

    You can bet on a variety of motorsports. F1, NASCAR, and MotoGP are the most common. But other series include IndyCar, Formula E, WRC, and SBK.
  • What sportsbooks offer motorsport betting?

    Check out our top list of recommended sportsbooks where you can place bets on your favorite motorsports.