F1 Bahrain Grand Prix preview: New season, new cars, new contenders?

With arguably the greatest season in modern Formula One history now behind us, the future has well and truly arrived.

The sport’s new regulations have sent teams back to the drawing board, as the FIA attempts to make the cars easier to follow and encourage more natural racing opportunities. The changes represent a huge opportunity for teams to move up the grid and, for some, even the opportunity to fight for a championship.

We review the latest Formula One betting odds, preview the first race in Bahrain this weekend and look ahead to how the season could play out below.

The fight at the front

Despite the strict regulations, and fears that F1 could essentially become a spec series, the difference between all the cars was a sight to see during testing in Barcelona and Bahrain. Most notably, Mercedes debuted their ‘hidepods’ design, surprising many teams, like Ferrari, that had opted to fit bulky sidepods in order to control airflow around the sides of the car.

Perhaps the most significant change in the regulations is the return of ground effect downforce, where a vacuum of air is created underneath the car in order to pin it to the ground, with directing airflow underneath the front wing another key factor in success this season. We have seen all the cars suffer with varying levels of porpoising on the straights as a result of this, and whoever is able to best get this phenomenon under control first will take a significant step towards the front.

Both Red Bull and Ferrari seemed to have an early advantage during testing, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen setting the fastest time overall in Bahrain, but with accusations of ‘sandbagging’ being thrown at Mercedes, it’s difficult to say who actually has the upper hand at this stage. What seems undeniable though is that the Scuderia have taken a step forward on last year and could well be back in the hunt for race victories this season.

Both Lewis Hamilton and new arrival George Russell have been quick to play down the Silver Arrows’ chances in the early season, but the eight-time world champions are that for a reason and it would be surprising to see them off the pace altogether in Bahrain.

It really will be fascinating to see who has aced the regulations from the outset, and the prospect of Red Bull and Ferrari battling Mercedes for race wins is a tantalising one for fans. If Ferrari are as competitive as they look on paper, 5/1 for Charles Leclerc and 7/1 for team-mate Carlos Sainz to win in Bahrain could represent excellent value. Verstappen is currently the 15/8 favourite to win, with 10/3 for him to win the race and land the fastest lap offering some extra value too. Speaking of value, if Mercedes unveil a rocket ship during practice on Friday, George Russell to win his debut race at 11/1 is nothing to be scoffed at.

As for the championship, it’s very early to say, but again, the two Ferrari drivers of Leclerc (6/1) and Carlos Sainz (12/1) could be excellent value if the Scuderia find early speed. Lewis Hamilton is the 6/4 favourite to land a record eighth world championship and it’s hard to look past him given Mercedes’ dominance in recent years.

The midfield battle

Ferrari edged McLaren in the best of the rest battle last season, but with the Scuderia aiming a little higher this season, will Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo be able to put McLaren on the top step of the podium again this year?

The papaya team struggled with reliability during testing and will be looking to lay down a marker in the first race and it’s not out of the question that they too could be competing with Mercedes and co. at the front of the pack. It seems more likely though that they will need to consider fourth place a successful campaign, with a few teams below them eyeing up that spot for themselves.

Alpine will be looking to build on last season’s fifth-place finish, with the experienced duo of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon once again in the driver’s seat. Ocon managed to take his first career win, thanks to an assist from his team-mate, in Hungary last year, while Alonso put together a solid campaign on his return to the sport. They finished 120 points behind McLaren last year, so will have a lot of ground to make up and are currently 80/1 to win the constructors’ title.

At the back

After a winter break of upheaval for Haas, they surprised everyone by firstly re-signing former driver Kevin Magnussen for the second seat vacated by the outgoing Nikita Mazepin, and then by putting in some very competitive laps during testing in Bahrain. The American outfit finished last in the constructors’ standings last season and will be desperate to provide their drivers with a more competitive car this year. The early indications look good for them, and they’re currently seventh favourite (150/1) in the outright market for the constructors’ championship.

Williams have also brought in a new driver this year, with former Red Bull driver Alex Albon replacing George Russell for 2022. The Wantage based team made some progress last season, finishing eighth in the constructors’ standings thanks to a points run in the summer which culminated in a rain-aided podium for Russell in Belgium. They’ll be looking to score regularly this year as they aim to rediscover their glory years. They’re an outside 400/1 for the constructors’ championship, but their real fight will likely be with Haas and Aston Martin.

Another beneficiary of the driver merry-go-round is Alfa Romeo, who have landed ten-time race winner Valtteri Bottas following his five-season stint with Mercedes. He’ll team up with rookie Guanyu Zhou, who steps up to F1 following a successful season in F2 last year. The Italian outfit have already struggled with reliability and look to have the most work to do heading into the opening race. They’re also an outside 400/1 for the championship, but points would be an improvement for them this season.

Check out all the latest Formula 1 betting odds at William Hill