F1 Bahrain Grand Prix betting tips and F1 predictions: Leclerc the biggest threat to Verstappen

Where to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix

Sky Sports F1, Saturday 3pm

Best bets

C Leclerc
2pts each-way 7-1 general

L Norris top-three finish
1pt 9-1 bet365

Bahrain Grand Prix race predictions

The first qualifying result of the 2024 F1 season has a familiar look with world champion Max Verstappen taking pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday. 

However, there was ample evidence that the coming campaign overall should be much more competitive than last year's championship cakewalk for the flying Dutchman and he could face a strong challenge as early as the opening race at Sakhir.

Verstappen has looked to hold an advantage over the whole field again throughout the first days of track action, but his superiority seems to have been clearly reduced and his pole time was not as fast as the lap recorded by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the second qualifying session.

The Red Bull star remains the most likely winner as his race odds of 1-6 make clear, but with Ferrari having looked strong on long runs in practice, an each-way interest in Leclerc at 7-1 with a third the odds for two places could provide a decent run.

Verstappen has won this event only once in his three world championship seasons and Leclerc goes particularly well at this track, where he won from pole in 2022 and was running third behind the Red Bull duo last year when his engine failed.

George Russell is third on the grid for Mercedes, with Carlos Sainz fourth in the second Ferrari and Sergio Perez fifth for Red Bull. McLaren looked to be capable of mixing it up with those teams and Aston Martin in a competitive field and Lando Norris would surely have been a fair bit higher than seventh had he not made mistakes on his final lap.

That understandably saw the McLaren man's odds for a podium finish drift and he may be worth a small bet at 9-1 to work his way into the first three in what promises to be an entertaining season-opening race.

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