Canada has a long history with Formula One. In a market where ice hockey reigns supreme, motor sport has maintained a dedicated following, and it’s an interest that ramps up considerably when the beloved Canadian Grand Prix rolls around each year. It’s a country that has long since established itself on the F1 map.
The history of the sport in Canada
The Canadian Grand Prix has been a part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967, while Canadian Jacques Villeneuve became the only racer from the country (so far) to claim the Driver’s Championship in 1997. It’s a sport that maintains huge interest across the country, attracting a loyal following and casual fans alike, especially when the showpiece Montreal grand prix rolls around (the circuit is named after legendary driver Gilles Villeneuve, the father of Jacques, and to this date the only Canadian winner of the home grand prix).
The current star
Interest in F1 in Canada is further stoked by the sight of Canadian Lance Stoll on the grid. Something of a wonderkid when he burst onto the scene in 2017, he shot to fame by becoming the second-youngest driver to achieve an F1 podium finish when he did so at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that same year. Stoll was just 17. A race win still eludes the now 24-year-old, but as the son of well-known Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stoll (who is part owner of the Aston Martin team), Stoll and his drives are big news in the Canadian press, something that elevates interest in the sport even further. We wait to see if Stoll can repeat Gilles Villeneuve’s victory at his home Grand Prix, or Jacques Villeneuve’s iconic Driver’s Championship win of 1997. There’s some way to go before the name of Stoll replaces that of Villeneuve at the pinnacle of Canadian racing royalty.
Betting in Canada
All things considered, then, it’s of little surprise that Formula 1 garners huge interest on TV networks and the press – especially with home favourite Stroll currently being competitive in the Aston Martin team. It’s a big business with merchandising and sports betting getting in the scene to, and you can be sure the betting sites in Canada offer tonnes of odds on every event, with offers galore around the time of the showpiece Montreal Grand Prix. Sports betting is legal in the country, but operators must hold a Canadian gambling licence, and there are other restrictions in place.
Developments on the track
Betting on Formula 1 remains popular in the country despite the recent predictability of events on the track. But that could be about to change. Those who follow F1 will know that recent times have been a period of unprecedented success for a single team: in this case Red Bull. The team, along with star driver Max Verstappen, have been dominating the sport as very few teams, if any, have done before. The 2023 season was the peak, with the team claiming 21 wins out of 22 grand prix, Verstappen securing 19 of those victories. It was, in fact, the most dominant season in Formula 1 history. The superior mechanical performance of the team’s cars have been cited as a huge factor in this dominance.
And of course the sports betting sites had to react in kind, offering up short odds for Red Bull and Verstappen success. But even though Red Bull and Verstappen have dominated the start of the 2024 season, the dramatic Miami grand prix, along with events off the track, may just suggest that a sea change is brewing.
In Miami, Briton Lando Norris, driving for the McLaren team, claimed a maiden victory. In doing so, Norris rose to fourth place in the drivers championship, still a long way behind the dominant Red Bull duo of Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez. Yet there is still a feeling that the era of unprecedented Red Bull dominance may be coming to an end. With influential engineer Adrian Newey looking set to leave the team at the end of the season, and with speculation mounting that he may join Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari for the start of the 2025 season, the Red Bull era may be coming to a close. You might just start seeing those odds start to drift with the Canadian sports betting sites.
