Max Verstappen Favored to start 2024 with another win at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Dean Etheridge
By , Updated on: Feb 28, 2024 07:00 PM
Max Verstappen Favored to start 2024 with another win at the Bahrain Grand Prix

Formula 1 is back, and this weekend the new season gets underway with the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix. There is nothing new to report in the betting, as Max Verstappen (-325) is the favorite to win the race and also the 2024 Drivers’ Championship. In our first Formula 1 betting picks of the new season, we tell you if the triple world champion is worth backing to win the race.

  • What; 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix - Round 1
  • Where; Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain
  • When; Saturday, March 2nd, 2024
  • Time; 10 am ET
  • Laps; 57
  • Track Length; 5.412 km
  • Race Distance; 308.238 km

The Bahrain Grand Prix sees a break from the usual F1 convention, with the race taking place on Saturday, as opposed to Sunday. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the expected dominance of Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team.

Testing provided the proof most expected, the Red Bulls are still head and shoulders above the rest. Although there is some slight intrigue from the session in Bahrain. Ferrari were the team who recorded the fastest times. But it is a widely held view that Red Bull didn’t go flat out.

The current Constructors’ Championship holders were running their cars full of fuel, trying out longer uninterrupted runs, and not pushing for the fastest times. Despite this, most F1 analysts still estimate that the Red Bulls will be up to four-tenths of a second faster than their closest rivals, who it is believed will be Ferrari.

Who is the favorite to win the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix?

This is backed by the latest betting to win the Bahrain Grand Prix. As per usual, Max Verstappen is the favorite to win the race. The best Formula 1 online betting sites make Verstappen -325 to get his season off to a flying start.

The second favorite in the betting to win the race is Charles Leclerc at +1000, with Sergio Perez at +1400 and Carlos Sainz at +1600. The latest betting odds back up the view that Red Bull and Ferrari will start the season with the two fastest cars on the grid.

Outside of the leading four in the betting, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris are both at +2000, George Russell is at +2500, and Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri are at +3300.

Full odds on the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix are available on our F1 odds table. For more information about the bookmakers on our Formula 1 odds table, please check out our betting bonuses and promotions page.

DriversBovadaBetOnlineMyBookie
Max Verstappen-325-325-325
Charles Leclerc+1000+1000+1000
Sergio Perez+1400+1400+1400
Carlos Sainz+1600+1600+1600
Lewis Hamilton+2000+2000+2000
Lando Norris+2000+2000+2000
George Russell+2500+2500+2500
Oscar Piastri+3300+3300+3300
Fernando Alonso+3300+3300+3300
Pierre Gasly+20000+20000+20000
Esteban Ocon+20000+20000+20000
Lance Stroll+20000+20000+20000
Alex Albon+20000+20000+20000
Daniel Ricciardo+20000+20000+20000
Yuki Tsunoda+20000+20000+20000
Kevin Magnussen+50000+50000+50000
Valtteri Bottas+50000+50000+50000
Nico Hulkenberg+50000+50000+50000
Logan Sargeant+50000+50000+50000
Guanyu Zhou+50000+50000+50000

Is Max Verstappen set to win his fourth F1 Drivers’ Championship?

Is it already a race for second place to Max Verstappen in 2024? We certainly hope not, but according to the bookmakers, Verstappen looks certain to win the Drivers’ Championship for a fourth successive year.

After the completion of testing, the Dutchman was cut to -700 to win the Championship in 2024. This is despite Red Bull not showing what the car is fully capable of. Verstappen's closest rivals are Charles Leclerc at +1200 and Lewis Hamilton at +1600.

Interestingly, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is out at +3300. In making Leclerc and Hamilton shorter in the odds, the bookmakers are saying they feel that Ferrari and Mercedes should get stronger as the season goes on.

The Constructors’ Championship is equally one-sided. Red Bull is -600 to win that title for a third successive season. Ferrari is second at +600, with Mercedes and McLaren both at +900.

In a nutshell, it looks like a fourth Drivers’ Championship for Max Verstappen in 2024.

Max Verstappen To Win The 2024 Drivers’ Championship
-700
BetOnline

Our 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Betting Picks

With Max Verstappen expected to coast to victory, let’s look at some alternative F1 betting picks.

First, Carlos Sainz is +800 in the betting to have the fastest lap.

These days, F1 teams are alert to the prospect of picking up the extra point for the fastest lap, and they also are at times prepared to sacrifice the track position of their No.2 drivers to take the point from a rival team.

With the Ferrari running hot in testing and Sainz (who recorded the fastest time) not expected to be competitive in the Drivers’ Championship, he is worth a bet to have the fastest lap of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz Fastest Lap at the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
+800
BetOnline

Finally, for our pick to win the race, we are also looking to the Italian F1 giants. Ferrari looks like being the team closest to the Red Bulls in 2024. The new season hasn’t even started, and already Max Verstappen is odds on to win everything.

Until we see how Verstappen performs at the weekend, no one knows what will happen. So it would be madness to back the Dutchman at -325 based on all this. So, instead, we’re going with any Ferrari to win the race for our Bahrain Grand Prix betting pick.

Any Ferrari To Win The 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
+600
BetOnline

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Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge brings decades of sports knowledge and betting insights to his writing. Hailing from Coventry, England, he offers an engaging British perspective on everything from soccer to cricket. Dean has established himself as a reputable voice on English Premier L...

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