The long winter break will finally come to an end when the Formula 1 World Championship returns Sunday with the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix at 10 a.m. ET. This race has taken over as the traditional season opener, which used to be the Australian Grand Prix. The 3.36-mile track is one of the most technically difficult courses of any F1 race, so experience and talent are key factors to look for. Max Verstappen is the -133 favorite (risk $133 to win $100) in the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix odds at Caesars Sportsbook, while Fernando Alonso is 9-2.
Charles Leclerc, who won this race for Ferrari last year, is 17-2. Some of the other 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix contenders include Sergio Perez (13-2) and Carlos Sainz (18-1). Before analyzing the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix starting grid and making any Formula 1 picks, be sure to check out the latest 2023 Bahrain GP predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven projection model.
Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary Formula 1 prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results. It's had a strong history of success in motorsports, correctly predicting nine NASCAR winners since the 2021 season and its projected leaderboards have forecasted winners across multiple racing formats.
The model has been scorching hot when it comes to picking Formula 1 race events dating back to 2021. It nailed both of Leclerc's wins in 2022, and at the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix, the model was strongly backing Verstappen as its top pick. The result: Verstappen dominated the field and ran away with a surprise victory. The model followed that up by calling Verstappen's win at the Rolex Emilia Romagna GP in April and then nailed his wins again in Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Abu Dhabi. Anyone who followed the model's lead on those plays has seen huge returns
Now, the model has dialed in on the 2023 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix and just released its coveted picks and leaderboard projections. You can head to SportsLine now to see the complete 2023 Bahrain GP leaderboard projection.
Top 2023 Formula 1 Bahrain GP predictions
One massive shocker: The model is fading Perez, even though he is coming off a strong season where he had two wins, 11 podiums and finished third in the Formula 1 standings. He had a podium finish in half of his races last year, but that came during an above-average season when his team dominated the constructors' championship.
Perez is likely going to regress this year, and the Bahrain Grand Prix has not been his best event. He only has two podium finishes in 12 starts, failing to finish better than fifth place in the last two years. Perez has the third-shortest odds to win the race, but the model prefers going in another direction with 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix bets. See who the model is backing right here.
How to make 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix picks
The model is also targeting one double-digit longshot to make a surprising surge up the leaderboard. Anyone who backs him could hit it big. You can find out who he is, and see all of the model's F1 picks and predictions at SportsLine.
So who wins the Bahrain Grand Prix 2023? And which under-the-radar drivers makes a charge towards the front? Check out the latest 2023 F1 odds below, then visit SportsLine now to see the full projected 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix leaderboard, all from the model with a proven history of auto racing success, and find out.
2023 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix odds, field, top contenders
See Bahrain Grand Prix picks at SportsLine
Max Verstappen -133
Charles LeClerc 16-5
Carlos Sainz 9-1
Lewis Hamilton 10-1
Sergio Perez 10-1
Fernando Alonso 20-1
George Russell 20-1
Lance Stroll 150-1
Valtteri Bottas 250-1
Lando Norris 250-1
Guanyu Zhou 300-1
Oscar Piastri 500-1
Esteban Ocon 500-1
Pierre Gasly 500-1
Nyck De Vries 750-1
Kevin Magnussen 750-1
Nico Hulkenberg 750-1
Yuki Tsunoda 1000-1
Logan Sargeant 1000-1
Alexander Albon 1000-1
