Formula 1 World Championship Betting Suspended

Bookmakers William Hill have temporarily suspended all betting on the outcome of the F1 World Championship after the announcement that there will be an investigation into reported 'team-tactics' which prevented Leiws Hamilton from challenging team-mate Alonso in the final stages of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.

"Although the 'podium finish' result is the one which bookmakers will use to settle bets on the outcome of the Grand Prix itself, any subsequent punishment to teams or individual drivers will count for World Championship betting purposes" said William Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe. "Hamilton and Alonso were the best backed drivers in the race but even without drivers' orders if you had opened a book on the final few laps Hamilton would have been big odds against to overtake his team-mate on the Monte Carlo track on which it is notoriously difficult to pass.Hamilton has been the best thing to happen to F1 betting since Nigel Mansell arrived on the scene and he might well prove to be just as successful."