Bahrain Grand Prix race betting tips and F1 predictions: Alonso making impact with new team

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Sky Sports F1, 3pm Sunday

Best bet

Fernando Alonso podium finish
1pt 7-4 BoyleSports

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Bahrain Grand Prix race predictions

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has had to deal with a lot of frustration since he last lifted the trophy, but 2023 is shaping up to be an enjoyable year for the Spaniard.

A switch from Alpine to Aston Martin hardly looked an inspired move considering the Silverstone-based outfit finished last season only seventh of the ten teams in the constructors championship.

But Alonso turned heads with some scintillating laps in pre-season and backed that up by going fastest in two of the three Bahrain Grand Prix practice sessions.

Although Alonso qualified only fifth, on the 22nd anniversary of his Formula 1 debut, he still has cause to feel optimistic about his prospects in the race. As expected, Red Bull set the pace with reigning world champion Max Verstappen pipping his teammate Sergio Perez in a front-row lockout.

Ferrari claimed the second row with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz, but Alonso should be capable of taking the fight to the red cars in the race.

The Aston Martin’s long-run pace has impressed just as much as it has over a single lap.

So with the Ferrari looking less kind to its tyres than its main rivals, they could be left either struggling to keep Alonso at bay, or forced into a strategic gamble – something that frequently backfired for the Scuderia last year.

Alonso finds himself on the grid sandwiched between the Ferraris and Mercedes.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were both within 0.05 of Alonso’s fastest time in qualifying, and they looked in considerably better shape than they had on Friday.

However, it’s clear the Silver Arrows face an uphill struggle if they are to become championship challengers again.

Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll starts a respectable eighth having missed all of pre-season with wrist and other injuries from a cycling crash. The Canadian looked in severe discomfort on his first go in the car on Friday, but seemed in better shape on Saturday.

Verstappen is a red hot favourite to kick off his title defence with a victory and is 1-2 to land his third championship in a row.

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