F1 Vegas Grand Prix Predictions & Picks: Will Leclerc Outshine the Field in Sin City?

The buildup to F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix has been anything but smooth, but that can all be forgotten if the race itself comes off without a hitch.

Unlike the other two races held in the United States this year, which took place during the day, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a 50-lap race, will take place in the late hours in Sin City (1:00 pm ET, ESPN). It is the penultimate race of the 2023 F1 season, which will come to a close next weekend with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.

The event has thus far been marred by concerns about preparedness, and those concerns were only further legitimized by an incident that affected Thursday night’s first practice session.

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Less than ten minutes into the session, a manhole cover came loose, causing severe damage to the car of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. and resulting in the cancellation of the session.

Not helping matters is the explanation and non-apology offered to fans who had to come to the session, as well as the 10-place grid penalty imposed on Sainz for needing to have his car repaired for an issue that wasn’t his fault.

While Sainz won’t be too enthused going into tonight’s race, his Ferrari teammate will be in much different spirits. In Friday night’s qualifying, which took place after midnight local time, Charles Leclerc outpaced the field to claim pole position for the third time in four races and the fifth time this season.

Leclerc’s issues with being able to convert poles into wins over the course of his F1 career are well-documented. Will he convert in Vegas, or will Max Verstappen claim his 17th win of the season?

Odds to Win the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

• Max Verstappen -250
• Charles Leclerc +200
• George Russell +2200
• Carlos Sainz Jr. +3300
• Lewis Hamilton +5000
• Sergio Perez +5000
• Fernando Alonso +6600
• Alex Albon +25000
• Lando Norris +25000
• Logan Sargeant +25000
• Pierre Gasly +25000
• Valtteri Bottas +25000

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Predictions and Picks

If you want to make the most of decent odds, at least relative to most races, on a Verstappen win, this is a week to do so. Leclerc and Sainz posted the best times in qualifying, but thanks to Sainz’s penalty, the back-to-back-to-back F1 champion will start second.

Sainz’s starting position shouldn’t put you off of backing him to have a strong showing in Sin City.

Sainz is -115 to have a better result than Sergio Perez, and I like that pick even though Sainz will start a spot behind Checo due to the penalty. Sainz has finished better than Perez four times in the last six races, and while he had the second-fastest car in all three qualifying sessions, Perez failed to make it out of Q2.

There are a few other potential decent value spots on the board, but I don’t view as can’t-miss value because of the level of unpredictability surrounding what is not only a new track, but a new track that has already taken some criticism.

But one low-risk, high-reward spot I like is Mercedes to have the fastest lap, which comes in at +600 at Bovada.

While George Russell finished with the fourth-best time in qualifying and will start third, Lewis Hamilton, like Perez, failed to make it out of Q2. Thanks to Sainz’s penalty, the seven-time world champion will start tenth.

But if you are going back someone other than Red Bull (ten fastest laps this season) to have the fastest lap, the value is with Mercedes (five fastest laps this season).

Where to Bet on F1 This Season

Many of the top sports betting sites offer a variety of Formula 1 betting odds. Over the course of the season, you can bet on races like the Monaco Grand Prix, British Grand Prix, and more.

Along with being able to bet on F1 race winner odds for each race throughout the season, sportsbooks like Bovada offer finishing position odds (top three, top five, and/or top ten) and other special markets.

Also, while this year’s championship race is already over, you can find F1 championship winner odds each year at most sportsbooks that accept USA bettors.

In addition to Bovada, here are some of the sites that we recommend if you are interested in betting on F1:

• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.