It has been a more active offseason than we are used to with Formula 1, but that also means that fans are perhaps a little more fired up for the coming season than they have been in the past. It was the strange events in Abu Dhabi in the final race of last season that set off a chain of events leading to the dismissal of the head official in that race. One thing that did not change, though, was the final result, which means that Max Verstappen will come into 2022 as the defending champion. After some initial thoughts of sitting this season out, Lewis Hamilton will indeed return to the fold as he looks to win his record-setting 8th World Championship. The new season kicks off in Bahrain, but which driver will get the early lead in the driver standings. Let’s look at some of the potential favorites for the Bahrain GP so you can bet against their Formula 1 Odds.
Formula 1 Betting Analysis for 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix Race
Lewis Hamilton
If ever there was a driver with a chip on his shoulder, it would have to be Hamilton coming into this season. He looked to have the title all locked up last season before the fateful decision in Abu Dhabi cleared the path for Verstappen to make a late pass and win it all. The controversy surrounding that race led to an outcry from fans and drivers alike, but it appears to have strengthened the resolve of Hamilton, who has promised to be more aggressive on the track this season. Hamilton has 3 straight wins in Bahrain, so he needs to be considered the favorite here.
Max Verstappen
While Verstappen finally delivered a championship last season, there are some who believe it is a little tainted given how things finished up. In fairness, though, he did win 10 races on the season, so it’s not as though his first World Championship was totally undeserved. The question now is whether he can come into the new season and be as dominant as he was last year. Winning this race would be a good way to prove that he is ready, but he has not been able to get past Hamilton in Bahrain. Finally doing so would deliver a strong message.
The Rest of the Pack
The top two drivers in the sport are so dominant that the rest of the drivers in the field are usually way back in terms of odds to win when compared to Hamilton and Verstappen. That does not mean that one of those drivers can’t win, though, as surprises have a way of happening in F1.
After finishing 4th overall in 2019, Charles Leclerc has taken a bit of a backward step and has failed to pick up a win since then. His best run in Bahrain came in 2019, when he finished on the podium. He ran 6th in Bahrain last year.
One driver to keep an eye on this season is George Russell, who was signed by Mercedes to be the teammate of Lewis Hamilton. This is a driver that never really made much of an impact in his time with Williams, but there are a lot of fans and pundits who believe that we could be looking at a breakout season for the British driver.
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