There's a new favorite to win the 2024 Formula 1 world championship
By Asher Fair
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For the first time since early on in the 2022 Formula 1 season, when Charles Leclerc and Ferrari had a red-hot start to the year, there is a favorite to win a world championship whose name is not attached to Red Bull or Max Verstappen.
Since 2010, just two teams have won the world constructor championship. Red Bull won all four from 2010 to 2013, Mercedes won all eight from 2014 to 2021, and Red Bull have won both since 2022.
The only driver/constructor world champion difference during that 14-year stretch happened in 2021, when Verstappen beat Lewis Hamiton for the driver title in a year the Silver Arrows won the constructor trophy,
McLaren have not won a constructor championship since 1998, as they were disqualified from their first place standing during the 2007 season due to the espionage controversy. But now at FanDuel Sportsbook, they are listed as the new favorites to win this year's title at -130 (bet $130 to win $100). Red Bull are listed behind at -110.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, McLaren are listed at -150, with Red Bull behind them at +110 (bet $100 to win $110).
McLaren now favored to win 2024 Formula 1 title
Since the Miami Grand Prix in early May, when Lando Norris secured his first win, there has been little doubt that McLaren have had a faster car than Red Bull, despite the pre-season prediction many had that Red Bull would be even more dominant this year than they were a year ago when they won 21 of 22 races, with Verstappen taking the checkered flag a record 19 times.
In the seven races that have been contested since the trip to South Florida, Verstappen has still outscored Norris 129-106. But Oscar Piastri has actually outscored Norris with 108 points of his own, while Sergio Perez has only contributed 21 points to Red Bull's cause, finishing no higher than seventh place during that stretch.
In those seven races, McLaren have outscored Red Bull on six occasions, and Red Bull's lead in the constructor standings is down to 51 after McLaren's 1-2 finish in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. It's clear that the fact that they have two fast drivers is starting to pay off in a big way.
Verstappen is still the favorite to win the driver championship, but he is not nearly as heavy of a favorite as he once was, nor are his odds what you'd expect from somebody whose points lead is still greater than that of three full race wins.
With a 76-point lead over Norris, he is listed by FanDuel at -600, with Norris behind him at +410. At DraftKings, Verstappen is listed at -750, with Norris behind him at +350.
Despite the fact that Verstappen is riding his first three-race losing streak since late 2021, the 26-year-old Dutchman remains the only driver to stand atop the podium more than once this year, and he has done so on seven occasions, to go along with wins in all three sprint races.
With 11 races remaining on the record-breaking 24-race 2024 Formula 1 calendar, it's clear that the world championship battles are still up in the air. While they haven't won a constructor title since the 20th century, McLaren's most recent driver title came in 2008 with Hamilton behind the wheel.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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The 14th race on the 2024 Formula 1 schedule is the Belgian Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET this Sunday, July 28. It is the final race before the four-week summer break. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss it!
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