F1 Bahrain Grand Prix odds: Max Verstappen heavily favoured in season opener

The 2023 Formula 1 season will begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix, the event where Ferrari delivered a one-two finish to announce themselves as contenders for the constructors’ championship last season.

The latest: Until proven otherwise, Max Verstappen is the clear favourite any time he’s on the grid, but he’s not the only man who could win on Sunday. Charles Leclerc is looking for a repeat at this track and there are a few underdogs capable of improbable performances.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix odds

All odds as of 2:57 p.m. on 02/27/2023.

Best odds to win the Bahrain Grand Prix

The favourite: Verstappen (-118)

Coming off two world championships, the flying Dutchman seems likely to win the first race of 2023.

Verstappen was dominant last season, winning his title by 146 points and crossing the finish line first in 15 of 22 races.

That track record might make these odds look like high value, but there’s always an added dose of uncertainty about how each team’s cars look in the first race of the year.

Even so, F1 analysts came away impressed by Red Bull after preseason practice.

The only significant obstacle for Verstappen on Sunday could be his unimpressive record at the Bahrain International Circuit.

He finished 19th last year due to mechanical difficulties and has just one podium in his previous five visits to the track.

Next best Bahrain GP odds

Leclerc (+350): Ferrari’s top driver was Verstappen’s greatest rival last year, and that is likely to remain true on Sunday.

The 25-year-old won this race last year — one of his three victories in 2022 — and he’s the best qualifier on the grid.

Leclerc earned nine poles to Verstappen’s seven last season, making him a threat to start ahead of the favourite and carry his advantage to the end.

Leclerc earned two wins and a second-place finish in the first three races of 2022. If Ferrari explodes out of the gate again, this will be excellent value for the Monaco native.

Bahrain GP long shots

Carlos Sainz (+900): After seven years of holding down an F1 seat without a race victory, Sainz finally got the monkey off his back last season with a win at the British Grand Prix.

Sainz is a solid veteran at the helm of one of the best vehicles on the grid, and the pressure is off. While Ferrari would prefer a win from Leclerc, with the driver standings reset to zero, it is unlikely to order the Spaniard to gift his teammate a win, if it came to that.

While Sunday’s race will give us a stronger indication of where Ferarri is than any practice laps, it’s fair to assume the team is the second-fastest in the field behind Red Bull.

As long as Sainz is driving a top-four car, he’ll be a solid value play at +900.

Fernando Alonso (+2,000): Alonso’s move from Alpine to Aston Martin looked like a puzzler at the time, but his new team appears to have a far better car than expected based on its performance in preseason practice.

Alonso has just one podium finish in the last two seasons, but he has been stuck in the midfield mud due to the limitations of his team. While he’s long in the tooth at 41, Alonso is a two-time world champion with 32 race wins under his belt.

If his Aston Martin is truly competitive with some of F1’s top squads, the veteran will be a driver to watch, even if he’d need a few breaks to steal a win.

Valtteri Bottas (+30,000): Like Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo seems to have upped its game this season, and only two teams (Red Bull and Mercedes) had a driver who bested Bottas’ fastest lap in preseason testing.

The Finn has an excellent history on this track. He had a sixth-place finish in an inferior car last season and three podiums between 2018 and 2021.

It would take a crash or two at the front of the race to put Bottas in contention, but he’s a proven winner with 10 Formula 1 victories under his belt. If the race takes a chaotic turn, he’s a possible beneficiary.