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Robbie Von’s F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix Preview

Posted on | Posted by Robbie Von

RUSSELL FINALLY GETS ONE BACK. AND WE’RE OFF TO BAHRAIN… IN MALAYSIA.

George Russell has been getting beaten by his 20 year old teammate all season. But not in Baku. He led every single lap and held off a charging Max Verstappen by one tenth of a second. Lights to flag, under pressure the whole way, two safety cars trying to ruin it. It was a brilliant drive and one he badly needed to execute.

BAKU IN BRIEF

Verstappen was fiery. Eighth on the grid, picked off Leclerc, then Hadjar, and by the closing laps he was glued to the back of the Mercedes looking for a way through. He threw everything at it on the final lap and still came up 0.196 seconds short. Fifty-one laps of pressure and Russell stuck fat.

Isack Hadjar took third on his return from a wrist injury, which was a hell of a way to come back. It also gave Red Bull their first double podium since China in 2024. They are quietly becoming the second most in form team on the grid.

Antonelli had his worst weekend of the season. He crashed in qualifying, started 16th, and still dragged it home to fifth. Even on a shocker he limits the damage, which is exactly why he leads by 66. Leclerc fourth, Hamilton sixth, and Arvid Lindblad picked up another seventh for Racing Bulls.

Then there’s McLaren. Norris crashed out and Piastri didnt score points. Not one. For a team that won back to back races in Hungary and Zandvoort, that is a genuine worry heading into a triple header, and they have already flagged it as a high priority to fix.

WHERE THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDS

Antonelli: 302 points. Russell: 236. Hamilton: 199. Norris: 186. Leclerc: 179. Verstappen: 163. Piastri: 120.

The gap is down from 81 to 66. Still a big ask for Russell with eight races to go, but at least there’s a pulse now.

ALONSO AND STROLL STAYING PUT

Fernando Alonso has confirmed he’s delaying retirement and will stay at Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll also signed on for another year. Alonso is 45 and has three championship points to his name in 2026. Most blokes would have taken the hint. Not him.

SO WHY IS THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA?

Fair question. This weekend F1 races at Sepang in Malaysia, and the event is called the Bahrain Grand Prix. The original Bahrain race was postponed from its April date, and with security concerns across the Middle East it couldn’t be rescheduled at Bahrain International Circuit. Rather than lose the round, F1 moved it to Sepang. Bahrain is helping fund the relocation and has kept its national airline as title sponsor, so the name travels with it.

If that sounds ridiculous, it’s actually happened plenty of times. The 1982 Swiss Grand Prix was held in France. The San Marino Grand Prix ran at Imola in Italy for 26 years. The Luxembourg Grand Prix was staged in Germany. And the European Grand Prix has been held across six circuits in four different countries.

Nice bonus for us either way. F1 hasn’t raced at Sepang since 2017 and it’s one of the great old-school circuits. Long straights, fast sweepers, brutal heat and humidity, and rain that shows up out of nowhere.

THE TEAMS

Mercedes

Antonelli favourite at $2.25 and $1.25 Top 3. Russell at $4.50 and $1.55 Top 3 comes in with momentum for once. Mercedes are $1.50 for the winning driver, which tells you where this is heading.

Red Bull

Verstappen at $6.50 and $2.00 Top 3. Seven podiums, still no win, and he was a tenth away in Baku. Hadjar at $34.00 after that podium is worth a look in the Top 3 market at $5.00.

McLaren

Norris at $6.50, Piastri at $15.00. They need a response after scoring nothing in Baku. Sepang should suit the car better than a street circuit did.

Ferrari

Hamilton and Leclerc both $11.00 and $3.00 Top 3. Quietly consistent, rarely threatening. Second in the Constructors and that’s probably where they finish.

The fun one

Lance Stroll leads the First Driver to Retire market at $9.00, with Alonso next at $11.00. Both just re-signed. Make of that what you will.

PLAYS FOR THIS WEEKEND

Max Verstappen to Win – $6.50

Kimi Antonelli to Win – $2.25

Isack Hadjar Top 3 – $5.00 (flying since his return)

Mercedes Team to Feature Winning Driver – $1.50

A race named after a country 6,000 kilometres away, at a circuit F1 hasn’t seen in nine years, in heat and humidity that breaks cars and drivers. Middle leg of a triple header too. Should be a cracker.

Happy punting!

Odds correct at time of publication. TABtouch markets available now.




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