Formula 1 2010 betting

The Formula 1 season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix in three weeks, and and now that there has been plenty of pre-season testing, it is easier to see how competitive the cars will be. There is one final session of testing before the opener, which will provide further information ahead of what is set to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent years.

So far it looks as if Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have the best cars, with last year`s winners Brawn GP, now Mercedes, slightly behind, even with Michael Schumacher`s expertise.  Ferrari`s drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, topped the time sheets on different days, as did McLaren`s, with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button both putting in rapid times.

This season will be the first time since 1999 that four former world champions have lined up on the grid, with Alonso, Button, Schumacher and Hamilton all have won the Drivers Championship before.  Alonso is the favourite to win the this year, to add to those he collected in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. He is priced at 10/3 with Betfred. Lewis Hamilton is at 4/1 with Coral, while Schumacher is best priced at 5/1.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, who came second last year, is next in the betting, at 6/1. Massa, who missed out on the title in the last lap to Lewis Hamilton in 2008, is priced at 11/1 with Betfair. The 14/1 available for Jenson Button seems generous, although concerns linger over the strength of Lewis Hamilton`s affiliation to the team he has been with since childhood. This leads some to believe that he will be favoured over the current world champion.

Red Bull`s other driver, Mark Webber is an 18/1 shot with William Hill, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to match the pace of his team mate, Vettel. Niko Rosberg is at 28/1.

In the betting for the Constructors Championship, Ferrari are currently favourites, with Paddy Power`s 7/4 the best price. McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull are all at 7/2, with McLaren looking like better value here, with two strong drivers as well as quicker times in testing. Sauber and Renault come next, at 39/1 and 40/1 respectively, while Williams are at 50/1.

Force India are rated at 74/1, while Red Bull`s sister team, Torro Rosso, are at 100/1. Out of the new teams, Campos and US F1 are both at 150/1, and Lotus and Virgin are at 249/1 and 299/1 respectively.

Fernando Alonson is currently the 2/1 favourite to win the opening race in Bahrain, with Massa and Vettel at 9/2, and Hamilton at 5/1.

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