Beginners Guide to Motor Sport Betting

Car racing competitions such as Formula 1 and NASCAR are some of the most celebrated events in the world, with Fortune 500 companies investing millions of dollars. Placing your bets on this adrenaline-filled sport can be refreshing. Although gambling generally depends on luck, having a bit of relevant knowledge improves your whole gaming experience. In this guide, we’ll offer some useful motorsport betting tips.

Before diving in, players must look at current racing statistics and gather other relevant information about the drivers and the tournaments. You must also understand that a driver works with a team that significantly affects the race outcome. In Formula 1, the constructor or engine designer is also another determinant. Being in touch with these factors will help you formulate an excellent motorsport betting strategy and place more informed wagers.

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Understanding the Rules

Thoroughly understanding the rules of any game makes you a better player. This is particularly relevant in online motor sport betting. If you fail to understand even the most basic concepts, you will miss out on the fun.

First, the obvious stuff. The driver’s goal is to be the first to cross the finish line after the prescribed number of laps. The driver’s ultimate purpose is to collect the most points throughout a season and win a championship. A driver is awarded points or loses points in different stages of the race. The racer gets points for things like the fastest lap.

But before the race starts, there is a qualifying round. During this preliminary stage, each driver must achieve a stipulated lap time, depending on the competition and race track type. The driver who records the best lap time qualifies for the pole position. The pole position is the spot at the front of a starting grid, giving the driver a head start.

Another fundamental is the equipment specifications. The drivers and their teams must wear protective fireproof suits, and the driver wears a helmet for safety. The vehicles have specified engine sizes and other regulated accessories. Auto manufacturers pick a driver and a team of their choice and also compete as constructors.

As a punter, you may place your bets not only on which driver wins but on other possibilities such as who starts in the pole position, who will do the fastest lap during the race etc.


Basic Terms

moto gp racers

You will find that a wide range of terms is only found in motorsports betting circles. Here are a few of the common ones you may come across:

  • A chequered flag is a flag waved by an official to signal the end of a session or stage in a race.
  • A lap record is the fastest time that has ever been clocked by a driver in a particular tournament.
  • Pole sitter is the driver who qualifies for the race with the fastest time and starts the race ahead of the other drivers.
  • Formula Racing is a type of racing with open-wheeled vehicles that are strictly regulated technically. An example of this competition is Formula 1.
  • Stock Car Racing is a competition that uses standard vehicles which are also sold to the general consumers.
  • A Podium Finish is when a racer makes it to the top 3 and is invited to the podium for prize presentations.
  • Ante-Post in motorsport betting is when you make a prediction on how a season will progress before the event begins.

Where to find Motorsport Betting Sites?

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There are thousands of betting websites for Motor Sports advertising on different media platforms. Still, not all of them will live up to their billing. To pick the perfect sportsbook, you would need to spend a significant amount of time researching. To simplify the search, look for online bookmakers that have a genuine operating license and a traceable reputation. Also, make sure that the website is offering a wide variety of high-rated markets. By markets, we mean the different types of bets you can place, such as the To-Win or Match-up bet.

Players must continue with the assessment and look for customer forum reviews. Here you get honest perspectives about the sportsbook. By comparing different websites, you can determine the best selection of racing competitions and thus the best odds. So, in a nutshell, the best destination for online motorsport betting is one with a recognised licence, proven reputation and good customer service and, most importantly, offers the best odds for a variety of markets.


Placing a Bet on Motorsports

Motorsports is one of those options that comes in a variety of forms. Luckily, it does not matter if you want to punt on Formula 1, NASCAR, or something else because the steps are the same.

  • Go to the homepage of the bookie you want, click “Join”, “Sign Up” or a similar button, and open your account.
  • Proceed to the deposit page, pick a reliable payment gateway, and make a transaction.
  • Examine the events for the given motorsports and choose the markets you want. It’s worth knowing that this sport has fewer alternatives than other popular options, such as soccer.
  • Place the bet by adding the amount you want to wager with.

Motorsports bets Example

To make the process even easier to understand, we’ve decided to show you a real bet one of our colleagues placed. He went to Stake and saw that there were a few options, so he chose to punt on F1. Stake offered a couple of markets, but he decided to bet on the outright winner.

The odds for Max Verstappen were 1.34, so our colleague chose to punt on Charles Leclerc. Stake decided to give him 9.50 odds and this was the “2nd favorite”, which is why college wagered $100. If he wins his bet, he will get $950, but if Leclerc does not win the race, he will lose the bet.

Keep in mind that Stake and every other motorsport betting operator we recommend have even more markets you can choose from.


Which are the most popular competitions?

formula 1 car

So many competitions are held across the world, but not all of them enjoy global popularity. Car racing tournaments require a substantial investment. That is why the most popular competitions are backed up by major international brands. These events are worth millions, if not billions of dollars. The races get widespread media coverage in different parts of the world in several languages. Multitudes of fanatics travel far and wide to get closer to the action and cheer for their favourite drivers. Formula 1 and NASCAR events are the most dominant in the world. For motorcycle racing fans, MotoGP is the ultimate favourite of all time.

Formula 1

This is the richest racing tournament of all time with single-seat sledge-like vehicles powered by specially crafted engines from auto companies like Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. Inaugurated in 1950 and governed by the FIA, this multi-national race is funded by a myriad of conglomerates and is arguably one of the most publicised events in the world.

In F1, the participating drivers will have sponsors backing them up. Some automobile makers such as Mercedes Benz, Ferrari and Renault participate as constructors. You may bet on the driver or on an entire team. Betters can also bet on a particular constructor like Mercedes Benz to win as the best constructor.

MotoGP

Grand Prix motorcycle racing, also known as MotoGP, is a set of recognised events worldwide as premium entertainment for two-wheel fanatics. Moto GP is regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and has been running since 1949. This is an obvious choice for many enthusiasts. You can find it on the most popular online motorsports betting platforms. The annual season normally has more than 15 events held in different parts of the world. This makes it a plethora of gambling possibilities and with the most fascinating odds being offered up.

NASCAR

Unlike Formula 1, NASCAR uses more natural-looking cars. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is an American based privately owned entity that oversees more than 1,500 racing events held in the US, Canada and Mexico, and other European countries. Some of NASCAR’s top races are the Daytona 500, Texas All-star and Bristol Dirt Race. NASCAR offers a fantastic collection of car racing events that you may not find in the F1 or the Moto GP tournaments. So, look out for these fun-filled races from NASCAR and bet on some pretty cool markets.


Short History and Facts

The idea of car racing manifested at the dawn of the twentieth century when the first vehicles were made. However, racing became thoroughly regulated between the late 30s and early fifties. Whenever there’s a race, some fans will always make some bets. As time passed, betting became more pronounced and legalised. Governments introduced legislature, and gaming commissions were formed to regulate gambling activities.

With the advent of the internet, online gambling has become very popular. Today there are thousands of sportsbooks available on the worldwide web offering different markets to customers. When online casinos started out in the late 90s, there were just a few bookmakers providing their services to tech-savvy punters. In the 2010s, there was a sharp increase as technology progressed. Online betting gives customers the convenience of placing motor sports bets remotely. You can now use your mobile device to access all the markets on offer.


Final Thoughts

To recap, online motorsport betting sites offer convenient services, allowing punters to place their bets and collect their prices from anywhere in the world. Although car racing started at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was formalised in the 1950s and eventually attracted millions of fans worldwide. Customers can enjoy different odds offered on several markets.

We will repeat that punters need to understand all the different ways that odds are calculated. Before players engage in motorsport betting, they must gather sufficient statistics and relevant information about particular races and drivers. The most popular competitions in the world are NASCAR, Formula 1 and MotoGP, which involves motorcycles. The ideal motor sport betting site will offer punters a selection of attractive markets and lucrative odds. The online bookmaker should also have a license and proven reputation as well as efficient customer service.


FAQ

Which are the most profitable markets in motorsport betting?

The To-win bet is a very popular market and typically has high odds. The 6th Place and the Podium Finish could also be profitable depending on the competition. Another lucrative market is the Match-up. In Formula 1 Match -up may be a great way to bet because of the celebrity drivers that are involved.

Can I bet on motorsport online?

Yes. As long as you live in a country that allows online betting, you can access motor sport betting. You must also make sure that the site is fully licensed by a reputable governing body.

What is a match up bet in motor racing?

A bookmaker may present you with this bet type, where you must predict which one of two drivers will perform better than the other. These types of bets are a bit easier to predict.

When the odds are said to be 5/2, what does that mean?

This is a fraction notation, and the 5 represents how much you would get if you win, while the 2 represents your wager. Simply put, if you bet $2, you’ll win $5. These odds may also be given in a decimal notation as 2.5 because if you multiply 2 by 2.5, you will get 5. Suppose you bet $10. You will be able to claim $25 plus your $10 back.

What does Moto GP entail?

Moto GP or Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing is a motorcycle competition. Each season, the tournament involves more than 15 races in different parts of the world.

Author
Kristiyan Kyulyunkov
Kristiyan KyulyunkovKristiyan Kyulyunkov specializes in bookmakers’ analyses. He has years of experience betting online and always keeps an eye on the different operators. His tasks in Nostrabet include writing, editing and publishing expert reviews.