Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season, setting the timesheets alight for the Bahrain Grand Prix and he goes off a strong favourite for his first victory of 2026.
For the first time since 2017 Formula 1 returns to Malaysia as the Sepang circuit steps in to host the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts third, but his Mercedes does not look the class of the field for once, and the Italian may have to settle for padding his points total rather than going for glory.
Bahrain Grand Prix Tips Summary
Best Bet - Lewis Hamilton each-way @ 7/1
Alternative Bet - Franco Colapinto points finish @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Max Verstappen to finish on the podium, Isack Hadjar to finish on the podium, Oscar Piastri to finish in the points, Pierre Gasly to finish in the points @ 19/4
Bahrain Grand Prix Prediction
Best Bet: Lewis Hamilton each-way @ 7/1
Lewis Hamilton has managed just one podium finish since his fantastic victory in Barcelona, but he could bounce back in style in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.
That Spanish success was the seven-time world champion's first since joining Ferrari, and it came from second on the grid at a circuit with exceptionally high tyre wear.
Both those things are also true of this race, and with Ferrari having shown eye-catching speed during long runs in practice, Hamilton could be set to put some disappointing recent outings behind him.
Alternative Bet: Franco Colapinto points finish @ 3/1
Franco Colapinto was in hot water after an error in Baku last time led to him taking out his Alpine team mate Pierre Gasly as well as reigning champion Lando Norris at a point in the race when all three were looking good for healthy points finishes.
The Argentinian was caught out by cold brakes after a safety-car restart, and will start from the back in Malaysia as punishment.
However, his programme this weekend has been solely focused on race preparation, instead of being split with work on qualifying set-ups, and that should help him gain ground quickly in the race.
Sepang offers plenty of overtaking opportunities, and Alpine looked competitive on their race simulation runs in practice.
Bahrain Grand Prix Bet Builder Tips
Max Verstappen to finish on the podium
Isack Hadjar to finish on the podium
Oscar Piastri to finish in the points
Pierre Gasly to finish in the points
Pays 19/4
This has not been a vintage season by Red Bull's standards but they have amassed a decent collection of second and third-place trophies and look in their best shape of the campaign this weekend.
Verstappen has set the pace throughout and took pole position by 0.3 seconds. His team-mate Isack Hadjar hasn't been too far away, and while he starts eighth due to a five-place grid penalty, the Frenchman should have the pace to challenge for a second straight top-three finish.
McLaren's latest upgrade did not work as planned in Baku last week and they are slightly on the back foot but Oscar Piastri should finish comfortably within the top 10.
Pierre Gasly has been on a solid run without always getting the results he has deserved, but from ninth on the grid the Alpine driver is fancied to add to his points tally.
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Key Race Stats
Max Verstappen took pole position by three-tenths of a second
Lewis Hamilton won from second on the grid in Barcelona
Verstappen won with Hamilton second in the most recent Grand Prix in Malaysia, in 2017
Isack Hadjar finished third in Azerbaijan last week
Franco Colapinto scored points in two of the last three races
Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' standings by 66 points
Read more F1 betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
