Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying betting tips and F1 predictions: Alonso could mix it at the front

Where to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix

Practice three Sky Sports F1, 12.30pm Friday
Qualifying Sky Sports F1, 4pm Friday

Best bet

Fernando Alonso qualifying top six
1pt Evs bet365

Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying predictions

It was a curiously low-key start to the 2024 F1 season for defending champion Max Verstappen, who ended up sixth fastest on a Bahrain Grand Prix practice day that threw up more than its share of surprises.

The Red Bull driver complained frequently about the behaviour of his gearbox and things were no better on the other side of the garage with Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez down in tenth.

Friday practice is not evidence on which to be basing solid conclusions, and Red Bull are known to work more on race pace than single-lap speed in the early stages of a weekend.

But it's possible that the weather conditions - very windy and unusually cold for Bahrain - have put the Red Bulls on the back foot, as happened on occasions last season.

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Lewis Hamilton topped the times just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, and even from the outside it's clear the car is a big step-up from the last two years, looking much slicker and less unpredictable on track.

Bookmakers responded by offering Verstappen at a tempting 10-11 to repeat last year's Sakhir pole position.

But with similar weather conditions expected on Friday and Verstappen not having the best qualifying record towards the end of last season, it may be worth looking elsewhere for a bet.

It's good to see a selection of markets offered for qualifying - and three places for each-way punters - and Fernando Alonso appeals in the qualifying top-six market.

The wily old Spaniard was third fastest in the evening practice and looked better than his pre-season form suggested. Alonso had been the fastest runner not to use the soft tyres during the daytime session too.

The Aston Martin driver started fourth in Bahrain last season and could again be capable of mixing it with the established top teams.

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