Formula 1 has a new championship favorite for 2022

The Formula 1 betting odds for the 2022 world championship have changed following the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.

Throughout the offseason between the 2021 and 2022 Formula 1 seasons, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was listed by WynnBET as the betting favorite to claim a record-breaking eighth title in 2022 after narrowly missing out last year.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull was listed as the second favorite, and behind last year’s two title contenders were Hamilton’s new Mercedes teammate, George Russell, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Eight-time reigning constructor champions Mercedes were listed as the overwhelming favorites to win a ninth straight title, with Red Bull and Ferrari behind them.

But after the first race of the 23-race 2022 season, betting odds have drastically shifted.

Leclerc won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit in dominant fashion after starting from the pole position, and he showcased his skill in wheel-to-wheel combat with Verstappen, who was forced to retire in the closing laps with a fuel pump issue, in doing so.

With Verstappen’s retirement, coupled with the retirement of teammate Sergio Perez for the same reason, Ferrari, which hadn’t won a race since 2019, secured a 1-2 finish ahead of Mercedes in third and fourth.

Carlos Sainz Jr. finished in second place, with Hamilton joining him and Leclerc on the podium after a relatively quiet race in which it looked like he would finish in fifth before the double Red Bull retirement. Russell finished in fourth in his debut as a full-time Mercedes driver after it had looked like he would place sixth.

With Ferrari having gotten off to a better start than Red Bull and with no quick fixes in sight for Mercedes’ struggles, there are new favorites to win the 2022 world championship battles.

Leclerc and Verstappen are now listed as co-favorites to win the title at +200. Hamilton is listed third at +275 ahead of Sainz at +600 and Russell at +1400.

And Ferrari are now listed as the favorite to win the constructor title at +120 ahead of Mercedes at +200 and Red Bull at +225.

The second race on the 2022 schedule is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Jeddah Corniche Circuit beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 27. If you have not yet begun your free trial of FuboTV, do so now!