Formula 1 betting: Big money bettors like Max Verstappen to win Miami Grand Prix

The sharps are backing Max Verstappen in Miami.

The 2021 Formula 1 champion enters the inaugural Miami Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) as the favorite to win at +100. Verstappen is getting nearly 20% of bets at BetMGM to win the race and those bets make up 49% of the total money wagered on the race winner.

Verstappen is going for his third win of the season on Sunday. He and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc have each won two of the first four races of the season. Leclerc has the points lead because Verstappen has failed to score points in the two races he didn’t win.

Sunday's race is being held at a purpose-built track constructed around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The track has three DRS zones and that could play into the hands of Verstappen and Red Bull as the team has appeared to have the fastest car in a straight line so far this season.

Leclerc is the No. 2 favorite to win at +150 and is getting the third-most bets at 10.3%. Leclerc’s bets make up 14.4% of the handle.

The second-most bet driver is seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at +3300. Hamilton has long odds because Mercedes has struggled to find the right balance on its cars this season. Hamilton finished out of the points at Imola and said Friday that he’s not thinking Mercedes will show much improvement in Miami.

Hamilton is getting 15% of bets and 10.1% of the handle. He’s BetMGM’s biggest liability for the weekend — if he wins, the book won’t be too happy.

Overall, six of the 20 drivers entered in the race are getting over 6% of bets while bets on Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc and Sergio Perez are combining to make up 82% of the money bet on the race winner. The driver with the fewest bets and money is Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel. The four-time champion is getting just 0.8% of bets and 0.1% of the money at +30000.