The dust hasn't yet settled on the drama that was the 2021 Formula 1 Driver's Championship, and already followers are looking forward to next year's race calendar.

For much of the last decade, the sport of F1 has been labelled boring, predictable, and a waste of time by critics. There was a time not too long ago that fans were turning their back on the sport in high numbers, and the viewing figures took a nosedive. If organisers were looking for excitement, they got it in December.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton has dominated F1 for many years now, and there is a generation of young F1 fans who know no different. Bookies from the high street betting offices of the United Kingdom to the sportsbook of Canada were determined to stick with Hamilton and that was little wonder.

F1 critics get their wish

Lewis won world title after world title, Grand Prix after Grand Prix and it became something of a procession. It wasn't harsh to say that, to the untrained eye, the season was a tad dull. That's not the case anymore, and for the first time in a long time, Lewis has competition. He lost his world championship to Max Verstappen, who clinched the title in Abu Dhabi in controversial circumstances.

The critics now have the competitiveness and edge that they had longed for. Lewis has released his iron grip over F1, with Verstappen's win against all the odds now opening the door for more contenders to emerge from the pack. The 2022 season promises to be every bit as special as the one that went before it, and you can make your predictions on the driver's championship and constructors championship now.

Traders at the most famous online bookies are offering odds on the next champion. Will Verstappen make it two in a row, or will Hamilton fight back? Can the likes of George Russell, Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz force their way into the picture? Is the time right for young Mick Schumacher to take the sport by storm, or does he need a little more time? Michael's son is already looking like a future world champion, and supporters believe it's a matter of when he wins the prize rather than if he wins it.

Bettors force the bookies' hand

A strong case could be made for three or four drivers being good enough and having fast enough cars to challenge for the title, but there's only one man the traders want to be on, and that's England's Hamilton. He is the early betting favourite with every bookmaker worth their salt, and the only doubt at present is just how strong a favourite he should be. Some bookies have him much tighter than others, aiming to scare backers off, pushing them to take a shot at a rival.

That approach makes sense as, on the back of losing his title, Lewis will be even more popular with bettors who love a comeback king. They will storm the bookies and throw their money on the favourite, and that's why, even if they wanted to, traders just can't afford to take any chances. There's no doubt they'd like to be a little more generous, but if bettors see any gap in their defence, they will come in hard.

That really is tough luck if you wanted to back Hamilton to be the drivers' champion in 12 months time, but it's great news if you want to oppose the jolly. The popularity of Hamilton in the betting means every other driver has been over-priced when judged against their quality. That is sure to catch the eye of a fair number of value hunters who will be only too happy to meet the traders blow for blow.

Verstappen is the obvious pick to those wishing to go against Hamilton, and he's currently second in the betting list at a much higher price than he probably should be, considering he is the champion. When taking Max over Lewis, you'll be getting the defending champion who is younger, has more to come and can be backed at a better price than the Brit. Verstappen's price may just shorten a little between now and race one of the new season.