Bahrain Grand Prix 2017 Betting Preview and Odds

Hamilton to edge Vettel in Bahrain battle

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton © GEPA pictures

Lewis Hamilton struck back with a win in China last weekend, to level things up with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who had taken the season opener in Australia. Now it is off to Bahrain this weekend and we look set to have another top duel in the burgeoning rivalry between Hamilton and former World Champion Sebastian Vettel. If the start of the season is anything to go by, then this could be a fantastic duel all season.

After Lewis Hamilton had followed Vettel home in second place in Australia, the roles were reversed in China so they sit level at the top of the Drivers’ Championship on 43 points each. Will we have another two-man battle between the two out in Bahrain or can someone else edge their way into contention to mix things up a little bit?

This is a fascinating spectacle at the Sakhir Circuit and it’s also a course that is very hard on the cars as well, particularly on the brakes. This is a great track for speed with some high-speed straights and they are mixed up with very tight turns. Lewis Hamilton has won this one twice in the last three years and as Nico Rosberg took the victory last season, it is three wins on the bounce for Mercedes in Bahrain.

With Hamilton’s new team-mate Valtteri Bottas not looking like a serious contender for the title, it could be a good weekend for the Brit who is trading at 5/6 at Bet365 to win the Bahrain Grand Prix 2017. Vettel is running behind him at a price of 7/4. What makes this interesting is that Vettel is also a two-time winner at Sakhir, taking back to back wins in 2012 and 2013. This is going to be a real battle and the hope is that Max Verstappen, in his Red Bull can start to make a bit of impression to make the title a three-horse race instead of two.

It is interesting that no-one has won the Bahrain Grand Prix from lower than fourth on the starting grid, since Jenson Button did it back in 2009. So that is going to be putting another high importance on Pole Position for this running. Lewis Hamilton is a 4/7 outright favourite to go from the front, with Sebastian Vettel at 5/2. On the evidence of the first two races of the season, it’s unlikely that anyone other than those is going to get the front.

Bahrain Grand Prix 2017 Outright Winner odds

Lewis Hamiton 5/6, Sebastian Vettel 7/4, Valtteri Bottas 13/2, Kimi Räikkönen 9/1, Max Verstappen 33/1, Daniel Ricciardo 40/1, bar 750/1

Register an account with online betting site Bet365 and enjoy a great welcome bonus from them. When you sign up they will match the value of your first deposit with them and in being a Bet365 customer you get access to an award winning site and one of the best live in-play betting portals around. You also get top features like free live sports streams, partial cash out options and huge accumulator bonuses as well. Register today to get your 100% matched deposit bonus!

Bahrain Grand Prix 2017 Prediction

Given that no-one outside of the top four on the grid is going to be likely to get the win on the board, you can’t help but look at the front two. There shouldn’t be much to choose between Vettel and Hamilton, but the Brit is superb under the breaks and is a little more fearless in pushing the edge and back him to land the win.