Steve Starr
- Lewis Hamilton (+165) and Max Verstappen (+260) will resume their rivalry at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
- The Bahrain International Circuit will also hold the 2022 Official Pre-Season Test from March 10-12
- The opening race of the Formula 1 season will take place on March 20.
While Mercedes has won a record nine F1 Constructors’ Championships in a row, many fans are eager to see if racing’s much-vaunted rules revolution will make the sport more competitive this season.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and the man who ended his record-streak in dramatic fashion last year, Max Verstappen, are the favorites at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, but early testing sessions suggest that other teams may have a jump on Mercedes and Red Bull.
Before we check the odds on the F1 season’s opening race, here’s where you can find the top betting sites for Formula 1 in 2022.
Bahrain Grand Prix
 |
|
| Lewis Hamilton | +175 |
| Max Verstappen | +260 |
| Charles Leclerc | +600 |
| George Russell | +650 |
| Carlos Sainz | +900 |
| Lando Norris | +2000 |
| Sergio Perez | +2000 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | +3300 |
| Fernando Alonso | +3300 |
| Esteban Ocon | +4000 |
| Pierre Gasly | +6600 |
| Sebastian Vettel | +10000 |
| Lance Srtoll | +12500 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +15000 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +15000 |
| Alex Albon | +25000 |
| Guanyu Zhou | +50000 |
| Mick Schumacher | +50000 |
| Nicholas Latifi | +50000 |
| Nikita Mazepin | +50000 |
The Rivalry Resumes
Max Verstappen (+260) claimed his first world championship in 2021, narrowly defeating Lewis Hamilton (+175) in a controversial, winner-take-all race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, the Brit is more than a worthy favorite at the Bahrain Grand Prix with five career victories and three-straight wins at the track.
Verstappen is among the highest paid drivers in the sport after signing a new pact with Red Bull that will pay him more than $50 million/per year, but the reigning world champion has never won the Bahrain event, which is held at night in the Sakhir desert to keep engines from overheating.
Max Verstappen has signed a lucrative new contract to stay at Red Bull beyond 2023, reported to be worth $50 million a year.
Full story: https://t.co/h5rOAHVYWU pic.twitter.com/3DhhCTzAVL
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 2, 2022
George Russell (+650) has the fourth-best odds of capturing the checkered flag at Bahrain after joining a Silver Arrows team that is searching for a record-breaking 10th-straight constructors’ championship. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (+2000) is buried down the board.
What to make of early testing?
Ferrari impressed in a pre-testing track testing in Barcelona in late February, finishing the most laps (439) during the three-day session. Charles Leclerc (+600) set the fastest time on day two, and after ousting McLaren from third in the constructors’ standings last season, he and his teammate Carlos Sainz (+900) look ready to make another leap in 2021.
McLaren drivers Lando Norris (+2000) and Daniel Ricciardo (+3300) also ran fast at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Max and Lewis are now reportedly earning the same amount to drive in F1 💰 pic.twitter.com/Omiixtrrvp
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 2, 2022
While pre-season testing has never been a reliable indicator of true competitiveness, people are paying particular attention to lap times after F1’s biggest rule change in 40 years. The new technical regulations were developed to create closer racing and the early returns were encouraging in Spain, as there was just over a second between the fastest and seventh-fastest teams.
All eyes will no doubt be on The Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain from March 10-12, which is held just a week before the season-opening race on the same track.
Best Bet
Lewis Hamilton (+175) is one of the surest bets in racing sports with three straight wins on this track. However, hedging with Leclerc (+600) or Sainz (+900) isn’t the worst idea in case the new rule changes give Ferrari new life in Formula 1. They haven’t won a season title since way back in 2008.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
