Formula 1 is finally back with the Bahrain Grand Prix to kick off the 2023 season. After exactly 100 days since the last race weekend in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 is set to return in spectacular fashion with new challengers rising to the top and a few surprises going on in the midfield. Will we see Max Verstappen take his 3rd championship title? Or will a new driver rise to the top and dominate the 2023 season of Formula 1? UK bookmaker William Hill has the latest odds!
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 28th, 1:00 P.M. (EST)
Over the course of the winter break, Formula 1 teams were tasked with developing (sort of) new cars while adhering to “new” regulations set forth by the FiA governing body. With some new names going around the paddock, the 2023 Formula 1 season is sure to be a spectacle worth watching.
With the Bahrain test weekend finished, the bookmakers hold the reigning champion, Max Verstappen, as the absolute favourite to win this weekend’s race. Priced at only 1.80, Max’s odds with the bookmakers hit an all-time low even for his standards. If we recall the 2022 season, we can see that the odds were priced at around 2.80. A significant difference compared to the 2023 season. At least for now.
As always, we will briefly cover the surprises of the 2023 season with the main protagonists being Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin F1. If one is to measure the success of a team during the winter break then Aston Martin is the team to beat. Having recovered an average of -2.391 seconds per lap compared to the 2022 season, Aston Martin currently sits comfortably in the No. 2 spot (behind Red Bull) when it comes to sheer speed.
In an interview conducted shortly after the Bahrain test weekend, Fernando Alonso had only praise for his Aston Martin team saying: “In testing, we were slightly faster than Ferrari”. The bookmakers seem to agree with the odds on Alonso and Aston Martin priced at 23.00. An immense difference compared to last season’s average of 700.00.
The Circuit
The circuit as usual for the 1st race of the season is the Bahrain Int. Circuit, a 5.412 km long track featuring 57 laps and covering a distance of 308 km. The current lap record is held by Pedro de la Rosa set in 2005 with a time of 1.31.447. Previous winners at this track are Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso to name a few.
What to Expect?
With Red Bull sitting comfortably in the No. 1 spot as the favourite to win the championship (both Drivers’ and Constructors’), one would think we are in for a rather boring season of Formula 1. However, there are a few surprises we noticed during the Bahrain test weekend.
The biggest surprise, as we’ve mentioned earlier, is Aston Martin. The British manufacturer seems to have learned from past season’s mistakes and set an ambitious goal this time around. Their overall speed seems to back this up having the 2nd fastest car on the grid, for now at least.
Another surprise, albeit an unpleasant one, is McLaren. According to tests done over the course of 3 days in Bahrain, McLaren currently has the 2nd slowest car on the grid with reports suggesting that Lando Norris was “so disappointed” with his car that he started punching walls in the briefing room. A rather dreadful start to the 2023 campaign.
Lastly, it is worth noting that Mercedes seemed to have reliability issues during testing as George Russell brought out the red flags on day 1. How the rest of the grid performs still remains to be seen. The race starts on March 5th at 3:00 p.m. UK time.
