Formula 1: Why is Max Verstappen excluded from championship odds?

Max Verstappen isn’t listed in the Formula 1 world championship odds ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit.

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen had his first chance to secure the 2022 world championship in last Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit, but the weekend proved to be one to forget for the Red Bull driver.

A career-long five-race winning streak came to an end for Verstappen at the 23-turn, 3.146-mile (5.063-kilometer) street circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore.

He qualified in eighth place after a disastrous sequence of events at the end of Q3. He was working his way toward a potential podium finish late in the race when a lockup while trying to take fourth resulted in a spin and subsequent unplanned pit stop. He was able to recover and finish in seventh, matching his season-worst result (excluding two DNFs).

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the race ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place. Both drivers are still mathematically eligible to win the world championship, though Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. who finished in third, and Mercedes’ George Russell, who finished in 14th, were officially eliminated.

Yet it is Verstappen who is omitted from the world championship odds ahead of this coming Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, the 18th of 22 races on the schedule.

Instead, WynnBET simply lists odds for “Drivers Championship 2022 – w/o Max Verstappen – Winner”.

Here is a look at those odds.

• Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: -275
• Sergio Perez, Red Bull: +250
• Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari: +2500
• George Russell, Mercedes: +2500
• Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: +5000

Here are the standings among these five drivers.

• 2 – Charles Leclerc – 237 (-)
• 3 – Sergio Perez – 235 (-2)
• 4 – George Russell – 203 (-34)
• 5 – Carlos Sainz Jr. – 202 (-35)
• 6 – Lewis Hamilton – 170 (-67)

The reason why there simply aren’t regular Formula 1 world championship odds listed, odds which include Verstappen, is because his lead is so massive that it is effectively considered a matter of “when”, as opposed to “if”.

The 25-year-old Dutchman owns a 104-point lead over Leclerc in second place and a 106-point lead over Perez in third, and following the Japanese Grand Prix, there will be just 112 points still on the table for each driver throughout the season’s final four races.

So the belief is that even odds of something crazy such as -50000 (bet $500 to win $1) could result in a loss for the sportsbook if bettors bet on Verstappen at this point.

Tune in to ESPN at 1:00 a.m. ET this Sunday, October 9 for the live broadcast of the Japanese Grand Prix from Suzuka Circuit. If you haven’t begun a free trial of FuboTV, do so now!