F1 Bahrain Grand Prix prediction, free betting tips, preview, where to watch

Free F1 tips, best bets and analysis for the Bahrain Grand Prix from Sakhir on Sunday

Where to watch

Sky Sports F1, 2.10pm, Sunday

Best bet

McLaren double points finish
1pt 6-4 Hills

Race preview

Lewis Hamilton sealed his record-equaling seventh F1 drivers world championship with a brilliant victory in Turkey last time and the Briton sent the message that he is keeping his foot firmly planted with a dominant pole position for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hamilton lapped the Sakhir circuit almost three-tenths of a second faster than his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn was left confused after delivering what he felt was a strong lap.

Max Verstappen completed a familiar front three with his customary third place. But the Red Bull driver has been fast all weekend and looks close enough to Bottas to think the Dutchman will be aiming to split the Silver Arrows by the end of the race.

Sakhir is a circuit that demands power, and Ferrari predictably struggled. Sebastian Vettel pipped his young upstart teammate Charles Leclerc but the pair line up 11th and 12th.

That at least gives them a free choice of tyres to start the race - unlike the top ten. With tyre wear likely to be high on the dusty desert track, that could help the red cars from a strategic point of view.

Another team who will be expecting to do better in the race is McLaren, who have shone at high-speed circuits this season.

The Woking outfit are battling Racing Point and Renault for the lucrative third place in the constructors championship but will be disappointed to have Lando Norris starting ninth and Carlos Sainz 15th.

Sainz has shown some promise this weekend but a mechanical failure in qualifying prevented him from highlighting the car's potential.

Granted reliability, the Spaniard should be able to make up places in the race, and it is worth betting that two orange machines both pick up points for the third race in a row.

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