The Bahrain Grand Prix marks the start of the 2024 Formula One season as rivals battle it out once again for a shot at this year’s championship.
Despite zero driver changes from last year, we weren’t short of drama in the off-season as there were several highly-anticipated car reveals and *that* shock announcement about Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025.
Oh, and who could forget waving goodbye to one of F1’s most entertaining characters in former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner.
All of that and we’re not even underway. The 2024 cars will get their race debut this weekend under the lights in Bahrain, but can anyone get close to Max Verstappen and Red Bull?
2023 was a record-breaking season for the Dutchman as he clinched a third-consecutive title and won a record 19 out of 22 races.
Last year’s opener in Bahrain got Verstappen on his way, as he finished first ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in second and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in third.
While it’s hard not to admire his and Red Bull’s dominance, a bit of competition would be nice this time around. Verstappen finished almost 300 points ahead of his nearest rival Perez last year! Red Bull are expected to be the dominant force again this season, with regulation changes hoping to help level the playing field not scheduled until 2026.
You can find all the Formula 1 odds on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, otherwise, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the weekend.
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix schedule
The opening weekend in Bahrain begins a day earlier than normal:
Thursday, February 29: Practice 1 and 2
Friday, March 1: Practice 3 and Qualifying
Saturday, March 2: Race
Why is the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix race on a Saturday?
The schedule of the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been moved forward a day. This is because the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is due to start on Sunday, March 10, the day the Saudi Arabian race would normally have taken place.
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix odds
Max Verstappen is Paddy Power’s favourite to get off to a winning start and claimed back-to-back races in Bahrain.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Read More on F1
- Paddy Power News is here to give you a steer on the best Formula 1 tips
- F1 2024 calendar, race schedule, teams and driver line-ups
- F1 2024 season predictions, including a 9/1 Charles Leclerc bet.
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