Formula 1 Picks & Odds: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions & Start Time

• The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix takes the green flag this Sunday morning from the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
• Lando Norris is not the favorite this week. Oscar Piastri is.
• Below, look at our Bahrain Grand Prix picks, odds, predictions, and start time.

Formula 1 races into the Arabian Peninsula for the fourth event of the 2025 season this Sunday, April 13th, with the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. The green flag drops just after 11:00 am EDT, with live coverage via ESPN.

Bahrain is a 3.363-mile track. Unlike what we have seen in the first three races in 2025, it has 15 turns with several long straightaways. The technical sections begin with Turn 4. A fast lap is usually around 92 seconds. Max Verstappen set the pole last year with a time of 89.179 seconds. The fastest lap was 92.608 seconds, set on lap 39.

Let us grid-walk into these Formula 1 odds, predictions, and best bets, as we make our Bahrain picks.

2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Odds

At -275 odds, the implied probability for Oscar Piastri rolls in at 73.33%, with Max Verstappen now down to 3.45%. Meanwhile, Lance Norris is also down to 14.29%.

Do expect a ton of chaos in the “race for turn one.”

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Odds as of April 12 (post-qualifying at DraftKings Sportsbook. Register with the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Bahrain Grand Prix. 

Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions

People are not used to saying hot and April in the same sentence. However, expect temperatures falling through the 80’s in the evening. This gives the Formula 1 tires a chance to cool better. Tire wear would be a huge issue along with the abundant crosswinds on the track during the afternoon.

Qualifying is typically several seconds faster at Bahrain compared to actual race conditions. Consider the track temperatures are a good deal hotter during the day. Also, does the McLaren speed from early this season translate on this track? That is a good question.

Max Verstappen knows this track better than anyone not named Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton has won here five times but the Ferrari cars are clearly several steps slower compared to McLaren and Red Bull. Pace is better this week but Charles Leclerc feels a little differently.

“The changes are postitive but the difference between them and McLaren is still too big” – from Planet F1.

The Ferrari camp is almost in hope and pray mode as Verstappen and the two McLaren cars speed away once more. It is why Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are favorites for this race.

Do we see a 1-2 McLaren finish on Sunday?

The hope is a longer shot finds a way into the mix. However, with Lando Norris qualifying sixth, the race could carry some more intrigue. Max Verstappen is worth taking a swing here. He was +600 before qualifying and did seem to find something late in Q3. Now, he is a whopping +2800. That number will move downward.

• Bahrain Grand Prix Prediction to Win: Max Verstappen (+2800 at DraftKings)

More Bold Predictions, The Start Time, And Walking Through Some Picks

Okay, let us walk through some more picks for Sunday’s race. This race starts just after 6:00 pm Bahrain time and will end right about 8:00 there. Track temps will drop slightly as the race goes on and again pit strategy with tire implementation plays a role. Bahrain is a little more typically than just the race through turn one. Oscar Piastri will be the hunted as he won the pole with a time of 89.841 seconds. George Russell was second at 90.009 seconds.

Last week proved fun as we got a little lucky with Verstappen at Suzuka. With McLaren’s slight indecision, Red Bull was able to employ a strategy that gifted the three-time defending World Champion the victory. Can Max Verstappen get a bit of a boost heading into Sunday’s race?

Verstappen to finish on the podium is plus money after some struggles early in the qualifying session much like the practice sessions. Come race day, things will be different. A driver to keep an eye on may be Pierre Gasly. Gasly has only won one race but had some favorable results in the Honda AlphaTauri. His laps were fast and his progression from hard to medium to soft was solid over his 19 laps. It all comes down to his start. The other may be Charles Leclerc. If Leclerc can squeeze enough pace out of that car, a podium is possible.

With the approximately 6:03 pm Bahrain time start, the tire strategy will play a role. How pit crews judge from the softs, mediums, and hards along with stops may determine this race. At 57 laps, and six weeks later than the 2024 edition, Bahrain expects to have potentially a little more passing than usual.