With all of the drama and controversy of Max Verstappen's first Drivers' Championship title in the rearview, it's time to gear up for a new season — starting at the Bahrain International Circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The race is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 12, with a standard qualifying session taking place at the same time on Saturday, March 11.
Despite Max Verstappen taking pole in qualifying last year, Lewis Hamilton secured victory in this lead-off race last season — and our Bahrain Grand Prix picks expect him to stand on the podium again.
Find out where the seven-time World Champion falls in our odds breakdown for the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix odds
| Driver | Odds to win the Bahrain Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | +120 |
| Charles Leclerc | +137 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | +750 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +1,400 |
| Sergio Perez | +1,800 |
| George Russell | +2,800 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +6,600 |
| Pierre Gasly | +10,000 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +10,000 |
| Fernando Alonso | +10,000 |
| Lando Norris | +25,000 |
| Mick Schumacher | +25,000 |
| Esteban Ocon | +30,000 |
| Guanyu Zhou | +50,000 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | +100,000 |
| Alex Albon | +100,000 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +150,000 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | +200,000 |
| Lance Stroll | +200,000 |
| Nicholas Latifi | +300,000 |
Odds courtesy of bet365 on March 19.
Bahrain Grand Prix favorites
Max Verstappen (+120)
Topping the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix odds board is last year's Drivers' Champion, Max Verstappen, on the board at +120.
Max took pole into last year's race with a Q3 time of 1:28.997 but finished second after being held off by Lewis Hamilton in the race's final laps.
Verstappen wasn't able to repeat his performance in qualifying this year, as the defending champion qualified in second behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc (+137)
Hype existed around the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. throughout preseason testing and then through free practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and it was proven correct.
For the second time in his career, Leclerc has taken pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix as the Monegasque driver topped Q1 and then Q3, holding off a final push from Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz Jr. (+750)
Emphasizing the excitement around Ferrari is the place of Leclerc's teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., who will start on the second row. Sainz finished second in both Q1 and Q2 before coming in third in Q3, setting his place alongside Red Bull's Sergio Perez behind Leclerc and Verstappen.
Bahrain Grand Prix starting grid
| Starting Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1. | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) |
| 2. | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) |
| 3. | Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari) |
| 4. | Sergio Perez (Red Bull) |
| 5. | Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) |
| 6. | Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) |
| 7. | Kevin Magnussen (Haas) |
| 8. | Fernando Alonso (Alpine) |
| 9. | George Russell (Mercedes) |
| 10. | Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) |
| 11. | Esteban Ocon (Alpine) |
| 12. | Mick Schumacher (Haas) |
| 13. | Lando Norris (McLaren) |
| 14. | Alex Albon (Williams) |
| 15. | Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) |
| 16. | Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) |
| 17. | Nico Hulkenberg (Aston Martin) |
| 18. | Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) |
| 19. | Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) |
| 20. | Nicholas Latifi (Williams) |
Recent winners of the Bahrain Grand Prix
| Year | Driver |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2020 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2019 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2018 | Sebastian Vettel |
| 2017 | Sebastian Vettel |
| 2016 | Nico Rosberg |
| 2015 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2014 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2013 | Sebastian Vettel |
| 2012 | Sebastian Vettel |
How to bet on Formula 1
The most popular way to bet on Formula 1 odds is by simply picking the winner of a particular race. Other popular F1 betting options include on which car/constructor will win and whether or not a particular race car driver will end up on the podium with a Top-3 finish.
F1 race odds usually look like this:
- Daniel Ricciardo +650
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $650 if Ricciardo wins that particular race. If one driver is especially dominant, you might see a minus sign (-) ahead of that driver's odds like this:
- Lewis Hamilton -175
This means that you would need to bet $175 to win $100 on Hamilton winning the race.
Bahrain Grand Prix Odds FAQs
Red Bull's Max Verstappen is the solo betting favorite to win the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, on the board at +200.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2021 with odds of +150, his fifth victory at the track.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is at Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf.
