F1 expert Louis Bollard is enjoying a fabulous season which now sees him head to Malaysia in search of value... for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
F1 betting tips: Bahrain Grand Prix
2pts e.w. Lando Norris to win the race at 7/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3)
3pts Nico Hulkenberg to finish in the points at 5/2 (General)
3pts Gabriel Bortoleto to finish in the points at 3/1 (BetVictor)
2pts Audi double-points finish at 11/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
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Race preview
Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, F1 returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2017 where the Bahrain Grand Prix is being hosted. This track is a treat for old-school F1 fans with it being a mainstay on the calendar while I was growing up. There have been plenty of memorable moments at this venue and this weekend is poised for more.
This is a classic Hermann Tilke-designed race track, with fast, flowing corners and two long back-to-back straights which should allow for great racing. This is sort of a home race for Mercedes through their title sponsor and part owner Petronas. To mark the occasion they are running a special livery and have introduced their most significant upgrade of the season which is expected to worth three-tenths of a second.
Despite this upgrade, I'm once again backing LANDO NORRIS who may still prove to be the class of the field on this layout. Norris should have won three of the last five, with clear excuses for two he didn't compete for the win at. If Mercedes were not bringing upgrades, Norris would be the justified favourite.
The McLaren will relish the high-speed corners which are aplenty on this circuit and that can offset the loss of performance on the long straights. McLaren introduced a major upgrade package in Baku but car limitations concealed any performance benefit. We should see the full extent of this upgrade package this weekend.
After an off weekend in Azerbaijan as expected, McLaren should reverse the form with Ferrari and Red Bull while giving a challenge to Mercedes.
Awesome Audi
Similar to McLaren, we head to a track which should suit the AUDI much more than Monza, Madrid or Baku. Prior to these three races, Audi were battling for the lead in the midfield with four points-scoring races from Silverstone to Zandvoort where NICO HULKENBERG was the class of the midfield.
Alpine, Racing Bulls and Audi each have had their turn being the head of the midfield depending on track conditions but this layout should bring Audi right back into the mix here. Combine this with grid penalties for both Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad and Audi have a chance for big points, so we'll back GABRIEL BORTOLETO as well.
After strong showings in Baku, I expect both Haas and Williams to regress this weekend as the Malaysia circuit exposes weaknesses in both cars which were concealed by the Baku streets.
Other Paddock Notes
George Russell
Best weekend of the year in Baku for him having looked quicker than his teammate all weekend. However we know that Baku form doesn't translate to other circuits (see Sergio Perez Baku dominance in the Red Bull). Positive signs but expect a better performance from his teammate.
Lewis Hamilton
One of the few drivers with course form at this circuit although it may bring back memories of reliability costing him the 2016 Drivers' Championship. Ferrari clearly lacking compared to the other front runners on all configurations now, but the high-speed abrasive circuits have treated them well this season having won in both Barcelona and Silverstone.
Max Verstappen
Baku was always going to be strong weekend for Red Bull, but the same can't be said this weekend, where balance issues are likely to return. I would be surprised if they competed for the win in the dry, however should it rain (likely) we know how good he is.
Isack Hadjar
Baku was the best weekend we've seen from the second red bull seat since Sergio Perez in... Baku. He's now being priced up as if he is a genuine front runner, but we haven't seen enough especially on this type of configuration to get involved at the price. Would be against him at the odds and could easily find himself in no man's land between the front runners and the midfield again.
Posted at 11:00 BST on 01/10/26
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