F1 World Championship 2023: Verstappen backed for third title with Hamilton 6/1

• Verstappen odds-on to win third consecutive title

• Seven-time world champ Hamilton 6/1 for title

• Champion just under evens to start with Bahrain win

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Max Verstappen is odds-on on the Betfair Exchange to win a third consecutive Drivers' Championship as punters prepare for this Sunday's season curtain-raiser in Bahrain.

The seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who shares the record with Michael Schumacher for the most titles, is 6.86/1 on the Exchange.

Charles Leclerc finished second behind Verstappen in the final standings in 2022, and is 7.413/2 to go one better this year.

Hamilton and his Mercedes team will try to put behind them a difficult 2022 season. It will go down as his worst ever campaign after the British driver failed to win a single Grand Prix or register a pole position.

He said after preseason testing last week, however, that Mercedes have a "mountain to climb" if they are to challenge for the championship in 2023.

Contrast that with Verstappen who said he and his Red Bull team had enjoyed "really positive test days" and it's no wonder Hamilton is the outsider in the betting.

The British driver should never be written off, though, and the 23 race Drivers' Championship is likely to see many twists and turns between this weekend and the autumn.

In the Constructors' Championship betting Verstappen's Red Bull team are 1.814/5.

Hamilton 9/1 for sixth Bahrain GP win

At least in Bahrain Hamilton will be returning to a venue where he has five Grand Prix wins and where, even last year, he managed to make the podium in third.

Leclerc was the winner a year ago but he is 5.14/1 to win on Sunday, with punters confident that Verstappen 1.910/11 can open his championship defence with victory.

Hamilton is all the way out at 10.09/1 in the race winner market so it looks like bettors took him at his word when he played down his chances after testing.

We'll have updates on the latest odds and F1 news throughout the 2023 season.

Drivers' Championship Latest Odds

Max Verstappen 1.674/6

Lewis Hamilton 6.86/1

Charles Leclerc 7.413/2

George Russell 17.016/1

Carlos Sainz 27.026/1

Sergio Perez 27.026/1

Lando Norris 85.084/1