Bahrain Grand Prix Betting Tips

• Date: 3rd March 2024
• Track: Bahrain International Circuit
• Most Wins: Lewis Hamilton (5)
• Race Length: 191.530 miles
• Laps: 57
• 2023 Winner: Max Verstappen & Red Bull
• 2024 Winner: Max Verstappen & Red Bull

Max Verstappen is a hot favourite to kick off his quest for a fourth World Drivers' Championship with victory in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Dutch dynamo led his team-mate home for a Red Bull 1-2 in last year's season opener, and the signs from last week's testing suggest they will again be the outfit to beat.

However, the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all enjoyed better preparations than they did 12 months ago and head into the campaign in a more confident mood.

Tip 1 - George Russell podium finish @ 5/2

Ferrari's promising pre-season has seen Charles Leclerc emerge as Verstappen's closest market competitor, but there are reasons to think the Scuderia could be pushed hard by their old rivals Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows pipped Ferrari to second place in the constructors' championship last year, and while Ferrari set the headline lap-times in testing, Mercedes' George Russell put in a lap just 0.046 seconds off the fastest, late on the final day of running.

Furthermore, the Mercedes looked in slightly better shape on the longer race-simulation runs than the Ferraris, and in any case far better than the Brackley-based team have looked in the run-up to the last two seasons.

Sakhir is a circuit where overtaking is possible and Russell could prove value to grab a spot on the podium, as he did at the final race of last season in Abu Dhabi.

Tip 2 - Winning margin 10 seconds or more @ 6/4

Verstappen sauntered home almost 12 seconds clear of his Red Bull team-mate Perez in last year's Bahrain Grand Prix, and while the pack could be closer this time, a similar margin of victory looks wholly possible.

Fernando Alonso was the closest non-Red Bull finisher, more than 38 seconds down the road.

It seems more likely than not that the Dutchman will make a winning start to the campaign, and he is not one to ease down to win by a modest margin, often pumping in the fastest lap on the final tour just to rub salt in his rivals' wounds.

Last season Verstappen won six races by at least 17 seconds, and he will be in the mood to make a statement in the season opener.

Tip 3 - McLaren to make the fastest pitstop @ 11/4

One of the rare areas where Red Bull did not dominate last season was in the pit box.

McLaren's introduction of a major car upgrade at the Austrian Grand Prix also coincided with some much slicker tyre changes from the Woking team mechanics.

Six of the final 13 races of the season saw McLaren record the fastest pitstop, including a new record 1.80 seconds stationary while they fitted Lando Norris with a new set of boots in Qatar.

Blink and you might miss it, but listing McLaren third in the betting to perform the fastest pitstop in Bahrain looks a little off, and certainly represents a value bet.