Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Course: Bahrain International Circuit
Course Length: 5.41km
Laps: 57
Race Preview
Max Verstappen proved that his dominance over the last three seasons and his championship in 2021 haven't solely been the product of his car when he took pole and dominated the Japanese Grand Prix. While McLaren has protested their pace advantage at every turn, they certainly seem to have the best car in the early going and have already opened 36-point lead in the Constructors' Championship. Things in the Driver Standings aren't so straightforward. After Verstappen's win, he is just one point behind Lando Norris for the top spot in the standings. That illustrates the danger of having two elite drivers in an elite car, as Oscar Piastri will be fighting Norris for points throughout the season.
While there's some concern over the lack of passing we've seen, it certainly appears that there will be a season-long fight for the Driver Championship. That will be a welcome change from what we've seen for the last several years.
Key Stats at Bahrain International Speedway
- Races: 21
- Winners from pole: 10
- Winners from top-5 starters: 21
- Winners from top-10 starters: 21
Previous 10 Bahrain Winners
2024 – Max Verstappen
2023 - Max Verstappen
2022 - Charles Leclerc
2021 - Lewis Hamilton
2020 second - Sergio Perez
2020 first - Lewis Hamilton
2019 - Lewis Hamilton
2018 - Sebastian Vettel
2017 - Sebastian Vettel
2016 - Nico Rosberg
Bahrain is a track well known to drivers, as it has hosted pre-season testing for the last several years – including in 2025. Overall, the track is known for slow corners and thus hard braking zones that combine to make things difficult on tires.
There will be interesting and competing dynamics this weekend regarding tire wear. The positive news is that Pirelli reports the C2 and C3 (medium and hard compounds for this weekend) are softer, and therefore we could see a wider range of strategies employed. On the other hand, Bahrain is expected to be unseasonably warm and has already been pushed back on the calendar after being the opening race the last several seasons.
Pirelli is trying to push the idea that we'll see some teams employ a one-stop strategy, but my personal guess is that we'll see a majority of teams use two stops. Drivers that are very easy on their tires, Alex Albon comes to mind, may push the strategy but will likely be an outlier.
DraftKings Value Picks for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (Based on $50k Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Lando Norris - $12,400
Max Verstappen - $12,000
Oscar Piastri - $11,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
George Russell - $10,400
Charles Leclerc - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kimi Antonelli - $8,000
Yuki Tsunoda- $6,800
Alex Albon- $6,000
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Fernando Alonso - $5,400
Pierre Gasly - $5,000
Isack Hadjar - $4,400
DraftKings Tier 5 Values
Oliver Bearman - $3,600
Lance Stroll - $3,400
DraftKings Constructor Values
McLaren - $14,000
Mercedes- $10,100
Red Bull Racing - $9,800
Racing Bulls- $3,200
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
Captain – Oscar Piastri - $17,100
Kimi Antonelli - $8,000
Alex Albon - $6,000
Isack Hadjar - $4,400
Oliver Bearman - $3,600
Constructor- McLaren- $14,000
Regardless of whether Norris or Piastri can ultimately wrestle away the Driver Championship from Verstappen, McLaren has a clear advantage over Red Bull with a very capable driver lineup. Rather than building through a driver, building through McLaren as a constructor is the pretty clear path at this point.
They are $2,900 more expensive than the next most expensive constructor, so it's time to find some savings after that. We can start with a pair of cheap, young drivers who have impressed early in their F1 career. Isack Hadjar had a forgettable Australian Grand Prix, but he's been quick since. He's reached Q3 in each of the last two races and would have had points in both had it not been for a strategy error. Meanwhile, Bearman has had mixed success during qualifying but has impressed during the race and generally has a sharp strategy team behind him.
Tier 3 is an interesting place to build a roster. Alex Albon is the value of the group. He has the upper hand at Williams for the time being and is consistently in the conversation for points. Until Carlos Sainz Jr. proves he can keep pace, Albon should be locked into lineups barring a significant price jump.
That leads us to the primary decision point of the roster. The choice is to either settle for a mediocre value (Antonelli) to pay up for a McLaren stack (Piastri), or to forego the Driver-Constructor stack and jump into Tier 2. Antonelli has been successful, but his chances of beating Russell are low, so his upside is capped. An alternative to the build above would be to use Russell as Captain and pairing him with Leclerc. Qualifying could dictate this decision, but both paths are worth considering.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11:00 AM ET Saturday
Race Winner- Oscar Piastri (+135)
Podium Finish – George Russell (+120); Also consider Russell for fourth-place finish (-190)
Top-Ten Finish – Oliver Bearman (+250), Alex Albon (-165)
McLaren made its advantage over the field through the first two practice sessions, so it's really choosing between the pair of Norris and Piastri as the race winner barring a surprise in qualifying. It's possible Verstappen puts together another momentous effort, but the Red Bull simply wasn't fast enough in the first sessions of the weekend.
Ferrari has touted upgrades it brought to Bahrain, making them a darkhorse contender for a podium, but Charles Leclerc still voiced frustration over the team's pace. If things don't line up for Ferrari this weekend, George Russell should be fighting for a podium with his teammate (Antonelli) and Verstappen.
Only five drivers are without any points heading into the fourth race of the season, so picking a top-ten finisher is risky. Albon would be my favorite option because of his pace and Williams' willingness and ability leverage smart strategy calls. Haas is in a similar bucket, and have looked more competitive in recent weeks. Bearman has well out-paced Esteban Ocon and should get the favored strategy throughout the weekend.
