The 2023 F1 season kicks off this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
This will be the 19th time that the Formula One calendar includes the Bahrain International Circuit. Last year, Charles Leclerc was able to win the race after both Red Bull cars had to retire with a fuel system issue. However, Lewis Hamilton is the king of this track and will be looking to add another victory to the five he already has in Bahrain, which is the most of any driver.
With three DRS zones around the track, overtaking is common at the Bahrain Grand Prix, especially down the start/finish straight. The track also has 15 corners and three very long straights, which creates plenty of overtakes and action, especially on a weekend where drivers and their teams are looking to make a good impression at the start to the 2023 season.
What’s more, daytime temperatures at the Bahrain Grand Prix are usually anywhere between 75-85°F and o Bahrain Grand Prix has ever experienced rain during the race weekend. While we may have jinxed that, it does seem to be setting up for a nice race weekend.
There have also been some changes heading into the 2023 season.
With some teams encountering porpoising upon the arrival of F1’s new-spec cars last year, which featured ground-effect aerodynamics, new flexibility and monitoring measures were instituted in the second half of the 2022 season and were outlined for 2023. These adjustments should, in theory, make significant porpoising a thing of the past, which is great for racers and fans alike.
Pre-season testing revealed a few key tidbits before the 2023 F1 season but also made it clear that Red Bull is still the team to beat. The previous champion, Mercedes, was looking to rebound from a third-place finish last year but had a disappointing showing in pre-season testing. Despite the car not having the porpoising issues that plagued it in the early part of last year, there remained numerous technical issues last week, and the car lacked the performance of Red Bull and Ferrari.
Any poor performance by Mercedes could lead to a shake-up in the third-place spot as Aston Martin looked great in testing. They also have a new driver this year with Fernando Alonso joining the team and leaving behind Alpine for what he hopes will be a better chance to get on the podium. That certainly seemed to be the case after pre-season testing where Aston Martin severely out-performed fellow mid-pack contender McLaren, who had tons of reliability problems and wound up racing the fewest miles of everybody in Bahrain.
The final big story of the pre-season is that there will be another American driver for the first time in eight years as Logan Sargeant takes a place on the grid for Williams. Alexander Rossi was the last American to race in F1, but American drivers haven’t fared well in F1 lately, so Sargeant will be looking to break that streak. While he likely won’t contend for any podiums at Williams, if he is able to push for points that could be a huge feather in his cap.
Bahrain Grand Prix, how to watch
Qualifying
- Date: Saturday, November 19th
- Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN3
The Race
- Date: Sunday, November 20th
- Time: 8:00 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2
For more F1 Coverage, visit amNY Sports
2022 Bahrain Grand Prix Odds
| Driver | Odds to Win | Odds to finish on podium | Odds to finish top 6 | Odds to finish top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | -120 | -350 | -550 | -750 |
| Charles Leclerc | +275 | -150 |
-400 |
-500 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +850 | +190 | -280 | -450 |
| Carlos Sainz | +1000 | +150 | -300 | -450 |
| Sergio Perez | +1200 | -140 | -450 | -550 |
| George Russell | +1600 | +275 | -280 | -400 |
| Fernando Alonso | +2200 | +225 | -225 | -400 |
| Lance Stroll | +13000 | +2800 | +200 | -175 |
| Lando Norris | +15000 | +3500 | +330 | -110 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +25000 | +3500 | +450 | -150 |
| Pierre Gasly | +30000 | +6500 | +550 | +100 |
| Oscar Piastri | +30000 | +6500 | +650 | +175 |
| Guanyu Zhou | +30000 | +3500 | +600 | +175 |
| Esteban Ocon | +30000 | +5000 | +500 | -150 |
| Nyck de Vries | +50000 | +10000 | +1400 | +190 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +80000 | +10000 | +2000 | +190 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | +80000 | +10000 | +1400 | +275 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +80000 | +10000 | +1200 | +250 |
| Alexander Albon | +80000 | +13000 | +2800 | +350 |
| Logan Sargeant | +90000 | +15000 | +6500 | +550 |
For up-to-the-minute odds for the Bahrain Grand Prix visit DraftKings here
Bahrain Grand Prix Top Picks
Max Verstappen to win (-120)
Yes, betting on the favorite is boring but winning money isn’t. Verstappen is the best driver on the circuit and in the car that looks the best at the moment. Everybody is going to be gunning for him, but he won the Drivers’ Championship with ease last year, and I think he will be looking to prove that he can do it again. I expect him to be aggressive on a track that suits that kind of driving from him.
Lando Norris to finish Top-10 (-110)
I know the McLaren didn’t look particularly good in pre-season testing, but Norris is a talented driver, and now the team leads, which means he’ll get the benefit of all strategic decisions. He consistently pushed for top-six finishes last year, so betting on him at these odds to finish top 10 makes sense to me.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Darkhorse Pick
Pierre Gasly to finish top 10 (+100)
Gasly is on a new team and is out to prove himself at Alpine this year. I think he’s a talented driver and believe the chip on his shoulder will make him a good bet to push into the top 10 this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton to finish on podium (+190)
We know the Mercedes didn’t perform up to Red Bull or Ferrari standards in pre-season testing, but it also performed way better than at this point last year. Hamilton finished the season well, and is out for something to prove after not winning a single race in 2022. I believe Ferrari will have some in-race growing pains with their new team lead, and I think Hamilton will be able to sneak his way onto the podium.
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For more F1 coverage like this preview of the Bahrain Grand Prix, visit amNY Sports
