Verstappen's standing atop F1 oddsboard slips ahead of Montreal
Max Verstappen's standing atop the F1 oddsboard is starting to slip heading into the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman has earned a ton of respect from the betting market throughout the season, but his opening odds of winning a third straight Canadian Grand Prix are only -200 (66.7% implied probability) - the second longest of the season.
For comparison, Verstappen was -275 in the year's first race in Bahrain, which he won by 22 seconds, and -375 (78.9% implied probability) in Saudi Arabia. His odds then swelled to -500 or shorter in the next five races.
Oddsmakers are giving Verstappen at least an 83.3% chance of winning in five of the season's eight races.
However, Verstappen's odds turned in the wrong direction at the Monaco Grand Prix, where he opened as a slight favorite over hometown hero - and eventual winner - Charles Leclerc.
The combination of Red Bull taking a step back (Verstappen has only one win in the past three races) and Ferrari and McLaren closing the gap caused the betting market to adjust.
Canadian Grand Prix opening odds
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | -200 |
| Charles Leclerc | +500 |
| Lando Norris | +550 |
| Oscar Piastri | +1400 |
| Carlos Sainz | +2200 |
| Sergio Perez | +4000 |
| George Russell | +5000 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +5000 |
Odds via theScore Bet. Drivers priced +20000 and above are not listed.
Plenty can change on the oddsboard with three practice sessions and qualifying still to go, but fans can expect a tighter race with what the betting market perceives as a less dominant version of Verstappen.
The Canadian Grand Prix begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.