Written by @OMGitsTarrynLee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
Bahrain Grand Prix | Sunday 6 April | Bahrain International Circuit | 16:00
This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the running of the Bahrain Grand Prix and to celebrate, the organisers have turned it into Formula One’s second official night race, which makes sense considering the perilous heat of the desert at midday. The track will be lit in a similar fashion to Singapore’s for the night race, providing some respite from the sun’s harsh rays. Home to pre-season testing this year, Bahrain brings some familiarity even for the rookies. The track honours Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, incidentally the winner of the maiden Bahrain GP, with a corner named after the German in support of his ongoing recovery from a ski accident late last year.
Previous Race
Malaysia belonged to Mercedes with a one-two victory for the Silver Arrows, who share a sponsor with the race. Lewis Hamilton had a flawless drive, leading the pack from start to finish and taking the chequered flag a staggering 17 seconds ahead of his teammate, Rosberg. He also added the Fastest Lap of the race to his accolades of the weekend. Sebastian Vettel dramatically improved on his Australian showing and claimed the last step of the podium for Red Bull while his teammate Ricciardo continued his spate of bad luck with the stewards, retiring from the race with a multitude of issues and garnering a ten-place grid penalty for unsafe release. Fernando Alonso secured some decent points for Ferrari in fourth and Nico Hulkenberg impressed in his Force India, bringing it over the line in fifth. Jenson Button managed to have an incident free race to finish in sixth, however the same cannot be said for his teammate Magnussen, whose battle with Raikkonen took a toll on his race, damaging his car and handing him a stop-go penalty. He eventually finished ninth behind the two Williams drivers. Daniil Kvyat proved his worth at Toro Rosso, claiming the final points of the day for Red Bull’s sister team.
The Track
Set in the middle of a desert, the Bahrain International Circuit provides a challenge for the drivers with high temperatures that drop suddenly as the sun goes down. The long straights and slow corners, along with the rough and bumpy nature of the circuit, are hard on the brakes and tough on the tyres, of which Pirelli have supplied the white medium and yellow soft compounds for this weekend. A total of 56 laps of the 5,412km circuit are to be completed by the drivers and the two DRS zones that accompany the straights provide plenty of opportunities for overtaking. The surrounding desert provides an extra challenge for the teams, as blowing sand can impair visibility. The weather is fairly standard, with rain rarely making an appearance.
Win Outright
Lewis Hamilton 11/10
Nico Rosberg 9/4
Sebastian Vettel 15/2
Fernando Alonso 14/1
Kimi Raikkonen 20/1
Kevin Magnussen 25/1
Valtteri Bottas 28/1
Jenson Button 28/1
Felipe Massa 28/1
VALUE BETS:
Fernando Alonso (14/1 a win, 28/10 a place)
Fernando Alonso is the most successful driver around this track with three previous wins and he will be looking to stop the Mercedes team from getting too much of a head-start in the Constructors’, as well as cementing his place as a contender for the World Championship. A skilled driver and a seasoned veteran, Alonso would be my second pick for a win this weekend. It’s an outside chance but at 14/1 it’s worth the risk. For those feeling less daring, a podium would be more likely especially if Mercedes monopolise it again and leave the rest of the drivers to squabble over third place.
Jenson Button (28/1 a win, 56/10 a place)
Button barely made it into the points in Bahrain last year so improvement from the McLaren driver will be expected on Sunday. The team’s prospects certainly look less hopeless than they did in 2013 and Button has finished inside the Top 6 in both races. For those willing to chance a high-risk bet on a driver that may disappoint but could possibly delight, Button is the man for you. At 56/10 for a podium finish, I’d say it’s well worth taking a chance on the British Champion to make it into the top three on Sunday.
Felipe Massa (28/1 a win, 56/10 a place)
Surprisingly, it was Felipe Massa who was setting the best times around the Bahrain Circuit during pre-season testing. This speed didn’t seem to translate to the first two races but the Brazilian certainly seems to be the most confident he has been in a long while. He only managed seventh in Malaysia so perhaps a bet on a Top 6 finish would be safer, albeit much less profitable. A win might be a far-off prospect for the ex-Ferrari man but I’d take a chance and put some money on him achieving a podium, with a hefty payout on the cards should he succeed.
POLE POSITION/TO WIN: Sebastian Vettel 14/1 and 15/2
The Mercedes seem like the obvious choice with their domination in the first two races but after a frankly terrible first race, Sebastian Vettel managed to grab the remaining spot on the podium in Malaysia. The German has also been in trouble with the media after his claim that the new engines were “shit” but Christian Horner lept to his defense, probably because Vettel had a valid point. He seemed happier with their performance in Malaysia and seems to be back in the swing of things, despite his struggles in the first race. Although Mercedes are the current favourites, Vettel is skilled in Bahrain, having won the two previous races and there is decent money to be made if the World Champion succeeds in upsetting the Silver Arrows this weekend. At 14/1 for Pole, it’s definitely worth the risk to bet on Vettel to take the top spot on Saturday and at 15/2 for a win on Sunday, he’s my pick to take the checkered flag on Sunday.
