Formula 1 makes its much-anticipated return with the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening race of the brand-new 2023 season. Just as drivers want to get off to a hot start, so do bettors on the March 5 race. That’s why we’ve created a complete guide to betting on the Bahrain Grand Prix, which includes our picks to win. Keep reading for expert advice — all of which is free of cost.
We begin with the latest Formula 1 odds. As it stands, bookies have pegged the following drivers as the biggest favorites to win the Bahrain GP outright:
| Driver |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | -125 | -125 | -125 |
| Charles Leclerc | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Carlos Sainz | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| Sergio Perez | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| George Russell | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
2023 Bahrain Grand Prix Preview
The first race of the year is always the toughest to put a finger on. There’s just not a huge sample size of data to go off. We have pre-testing and that’s about it. So we might as well begin our Bahrain Grand Prix preview right there.
Testing took place last weekend at the same Bahrain International Circuit where this race will go down. Teams tested out their new 2023 machines and nothing out of the ordinary happened. As you would expect, Red Bull dominated the three days of tests. The RB19 was blazing fast and helped Sergio Perez set the fastest time of the week on the final day. Not only that, but their car never malfunctioned — which it did a year in this opener as both Perez and Verstappen failed to finish.
Ferrari was right on Red Bulls' tail. Though, they did have a few reliability issues such as bouncing and the degradation of their tyres. Aston Martin appeared to have made strides with new driver Fernando Alonso at the helm. On the other end of the spectrum, Mercedes looked noticeably bad. Its new machine suffered one setback after another during the weekend.
The 2023 edition of the Bahrain GP is expected to go similar to the 2022 one, which was a back-and-forth battle between Ferrari and Red Bull. Leclerc and Sainz ultimately finished No. 1 and No. 2. This was after car issues took out Verstappen and Perez, as we mentioned earlier. Hamilton, despite his track-high five career wins here, is not expected to seriously contend given Mercedes' lackluster training session.
Best Bets To Win 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix?
Alright, we’ll be sharing two different Bahrain Grand Prix betting picks. We advise only making one of these due to the current betting odds, as we'll explain below.
Most Confident Bet
Verstappen is the heavy betting favorite after running away with the 2022 world championship. He won 15 races, taking the title by almost 150 points. It marked his second consecutive title, but unlike the first, this one was relatively uncompetitive. However, if someone were to play devil's advocate about Verstappen’s chances on Sunday, the first thing you’d mention is the Red Bull driver has never won in Bahrain before.
Nonetheless, we think Verstappen is the safe betting choice to make. He’s clearly the top driver in the field and has the top machine too, based on testing performance last weekend. Barring car malfunctions again, this is his race to lose. Put money down on him here.
More Risky Bet
Leclerc isn’t a risky bet per se — he’s the second-most favored after all. But we use the term risk cause Verstappen is such a bigger favorite. Therefore, any bettor trying to take on risk would benefit from wagering Leclerc instead of Verstappen due to the higher upside. If Red Bull has any sort of car issue, the immediate beneficiary is Leclerc who finished second to Verstappen in the 2022 title race. That’s what spurred him to a victory in Bahrain a year ago and it could spring him once again this weekend.
How To Watch Bahrain Grand Prix?
We don’t want to tell you what to do with your time, but you’d have a serious advantage in watching the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday. Why? Because there are more than 20 races during the 2023 F1 season. The more you start familiarizing yourself with the sport now, the more lethal you can get at betting it as the year goes on.
Thankfully, watching the Bahrain race is quite easy. ESPN and its family of networks will have sole broadcast rights in the United States this whole year. It will live-air Sunday’s event at 9:55 am EST. In the days before, you’ll also be able to catch practice and qualifying on ESPN2.
How To Bet On 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix?
To get your Bahrain Grand Prix bets in, visit one of the sportsbooks listed underneath. The sites in the table are there because they are rated high in our newest sportsbook reviews. The full gamut of F1 betting odds will be available from site to site, including props such as who gets on the podium, fastest lap, and so many other outcomes. That goes not only for the Bahrain Grand Prix but the rest of the F1!season too.
But get this, if you join one of the below sites, you could earn hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play via lucrative sign-up bonuses. Using these bonuses, your Bahrain GP bets could be effectively “on the house.” The table lists the best offers currently on the line so get it before Sunday’s race.
