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Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen poses after claiming pole position in the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit as we look at our Bahrain Grand Prix predictions.
Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen poses along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell after claiming pole position in the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit. Photo by Giuseppe Cacace/AFP.

The start of a fresh Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend, as we delve into the Bahrain Grand Prix with our picks and predictions, utilizing the odds from our top F1 betting platforms.

After winning 19 races last year, Max Verstappen aims to continue his success in the first race of the 2024 season. He has already clinched pole position for Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, a race he won last year on his way to securing his third consecutive drivers’ championship.

Charles Leclerc will be next to Verstappen on the front row, while George Russell will start third on the grid.

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin started last season strong in their bid to overthrow Verstappen, but they were unable to maintain their success. Surprisingly, McLaren, led by Lando Norris, gradually increased pressure on Verstappen and Red Bull as the season unfolded.

Ferrari and Mercedes are consistently competitive as well. In Bahrain after qualifying, two Ferraris are in the top five, with Carlos Sainz in fourth. Russell also shows promise for Mercedes, although Lewis Hamilton is currently in ninth place.

These are our top picks and predictions for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, determined by the F1 odds at Bahrain International Circuit from our recommended sports betting sites. Confidence levels are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.

Bahrain Grand Prix picks

This review is not meant for MAAffiliate Disclosure: Underscoreg Review may earn advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook.

Bahrain Grand Prix odds 2024

As of March 1 at 1:20 p.m. ET, the current odds are…

DriverDraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMbet365BetRivers
Max Verstappen-500 -650 ❄️-556 -600-625
Charles Leclerc+600+1000 +600+650+800
George Russell+1600 ❄️+2200 +1600+2000+2000
Lewis Hamilton+2000 ❄️+2800+2500+3300+4000 
Carlos Sainz+2200+2200+2000+2500 +2000 ❄️
Sergio Perez+2800+3200 +2500+2500+2500
Lando Norris+5500+7000 +6600+5000 +4000 ❄️
Fernando Alonso+6500 +5000+3300 ❄️+4000+4000
Oscar Piastri+8000+11000 +10000+10000+6600 ❄️
Yuki Tsunoda+50000+42000 ❄️+75000+50000+75000

Bahrain Grand Prix predictions

Favorite: Max Verstappen (-500 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fans of Formula 1 are accustomed to seeing Verstappen’s high odds, which decreased from -300 to -500 after qualifying.

Although setting a line with such heavy juice may seem extreme, the reigning champion’s impressive record of winning 19 out of 22 races last season justifies it. Even after factoring in the vig on a Verstappen outright bet each week, you would still come out profitable.

Despite his previous success, the lack of three wins last season suggests that he may not be guaranteed to win all races. Additionally, Verstappen has only secured one victory in 10 attempts on this particular circuit. His average finish is 10.8, and he has failed to finish the race five times.

Fortunately, the books offer additional imaginative betting options for backing Verstappen to win, making it wise to capitalize on these opportunities. However, if you can figure out how to make this direct bet successful, past experiences indicate that it is a smart choice.

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Long shot: Lando Norris (+7000 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Lando Norris struggled in the first eight races of the season, achieving only three points finishes and placing 13th or worse in five races. Despite this, he qualified in seventh position in Bahrain.

After finishing fourth in Austria in 2023, his luck changed dramatically as he went on to achieve 12 consecutive top-10 finishes. Among those, he secured six second-place finishes. The season came to a close with a fifth-place performance in Abu Dhabi.

The odds for him are probably influenced more by his past performances at this track than by his success last season. He has achieved an average finish of 9.3 in Sakhir, with two fourth-place finishes and one sixth-place finish to his name.

Prop: McLaren fastest pit stop (+300 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

McLaren’s late-season triumphs were largely attributed to their exceptional performance in the pits. They ended the season with the third-highest number of points in the overall DHL Fastest Pit Stop standings, trailing only Red Bull and Ferrari.

McLaren achieved three of the top five fastest pit stops of the season, as well as six out of the top ten. They consistently recorded the fastest pit stop in six races last year, with many more within milliseconds of the leader.

To clarify, this ticket will be awarded to the team that has the least amount of time spent stationary in their pits. Time spent entering and exiting pit road will not be taken into consideration for this determination.

Who has the pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix?

Verstappen narrowly edged out Leclerc in a tight qualifying session. The three-time defending champion set the fastest time of 1:29.179, followed closely by Leclerc at 1:29.407 and Russell in third with a time of 1:29.485.

Verstappen clinched the pole position 13 times in 2023 and is currently on track to secure another championship title. As expected, he is the clear frontrunner to win the upcoming race, with DraftKings offering the best odds at -500.

Previous Bahrain Grand Prix winners

YearDriverTeam
2023Max VerstappenRed Bull
2022Charles LeclercFerrari
2021Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2020Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2019Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2018Sebastian VettelFerrari
2017Sebastian VettelFerrari
2016Nico RosenbergMercedes
2015Lewis HamiltonMercedes
2014Lewis HamiltonMercedes

Bahrain Grand Prix info

Event: The race will take place on Saturday, March 2nd at 10 a.m. Eastern Time at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. You can watch it on ESPN. The defending champion is Max Verstappen.

Picks for the Bahrain Grand Prix were selected on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Here are our best F1 betting sites:

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