The 2024 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend with the Bahrain GP, the first of 24 races on the calendar. As the engines fire under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit, the focus will be on defending world champion Max Verstappen as he looks to tie his record for a record fourth consecutive drivers’ world championship title.
Verstappen arrives in Bahrain on top after dominating the 2023 season with 19 wins and 575 points. The young Dutchman has proven unstoppable in recent years, but Ferrari and Mercedes will be pushing hard to dethrone the champion this season.
Lewis Hamilton enters his 17th season still chasing the elusive eighth world title that would make him the most successful F1 driver of all time. Now partnered with exciting young Briton George Russell at Mercedes, Hamilton has his sights set on reclaiming his crown. Likewise, there is also the expectation of what the Briton’s performance might be, following the announcement of his surprise switch to Ferrari for the 2025 season.
The stage is set for an exciting start to the season under the lights in Bahrain. Let’s see what’s in store this weekend, as the 2024 Formula 1 season finally gets underway.
The Circuit: Sakhir International Circuit
The Sakhir International Circuit has hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix since 2004. Located in a desert oasis, the 5.412 km track was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke.
With its mix of long straights and tight technical corners, the Bahrain circuit offers challenges for both drivers and cars. There are four main overtaking points: turns 1, 4, 8 and 11. The track has a large catalog of speeds and corner radii, requiring compromises in car setup.
The start-finish straight is over 1 km long, one of the longest on the F1 calendar. That leads into the hard braking zone of Turn 1, a tight left-hand corner. Drivers must be careful not to overshoot this corner on the first lap.
Turns 4 to 6 form a high-speed left-right chicane taken at more than 300 km/h (186 mph). Good traction in turn 6 is essential due to the long straight that follows.
The lap ends with a technical section through turns 10 to 15. It is easy to lose time despite the several tight radius corners here. Finding the right pace through this section is key.
Bahrain GP – Info
When:Â
Sunday, March 3
Betting Odds:
Verstappen, Max 1.33
Leclerc, Charles 10.00
Perez, Sergio 13.00
Hamilton, Lewis 17.00
Sainz Jr, Carlos 21.00
Russell, George 21.00
Norris, Lando 23.00
Alonso, Fernando 29.00
Piastri, Oscar 34.00
Ricciardo, Daniel 251.00
Stroll, Lance 251.00
Tsunoda, Yuki 251.00
Albon, Alexander 501.00
Ocón, Esteban 501.00
Zhou, Guanyu 501.00
Magnussen, Kevin 501.00
Sargeant, Logan 501.00
Hulkenberg, Niko 501.00
Gasly, Pierre 501.00
Bottas, Valtteri 501.00
Where can I watch it?
DAZN and Star+/ESPN
2024 Bahrain GP Betting Picks
The Sakhir International Circuit features a combination of long straights and narrow technical sections that allow good overtaking opportunities. The track surface is smooth asphalt with some bumps in the braking zones. The weather is expected to be dry and sunny throughout the weekend, with track temperatures expected to exceed 100°F.
Pirelli is bringing the C2, C3 medium, and C4 soft tire compounds for the race. The soft tire will likely be the preferred option for qualifying and the start of the race, before switching to the more durable medium and hard tires later on.
There are two DRS zones this year, on the start/finish straight and between Turns 10 and 11. With the long straights and multiple heavy braking areas, drivers will need to optimize their car setup to maximize straight-line speed while maintaining stability under braking. DRS will help ease the passage to the main overtaking spots.
Finally, we can say that our prediction for the 2024 Bahrain GP is as follows:
1st Place: Max Verstappen
2nd Place: Sergio Perez
3rd Place: Charles Leclerc
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