By Joe Murphy
The Bahrain Grand Prix is a matter of days away and there is still much to learn about how all these teams will get on. With knowledge after testing limited to what we have only witnessed so far, let’s predict what will happen this Saturday.
Leclerc the only man to challenge Verstappen…
Leclerc is very good around this race track. A Verstappen win is by far the most obvious choice here, because the Red Bull is the fastest car. However, if Charles can qualify well and keep tabs with the Dutchman, then he gives himself every chance. He deserved to win here a few years ago and we predict that this time he will manage to do it. If Verstappen wins, an ominous season could be upon us yet again. So neutrals will hope the man from Monaco adds some spice to preceedings.
McLaren to disappoint?
Of course, to disappoint is relative. They will not be as bad as last season where they came away pointless, but don’t expect any orange cars to be battling for a podium just yet. Simply put, there are just too many teams ahead of them in terms of race pace. Lando and Oscar should finish around P7 and, if both finish as you’d expect, then both should score some volume of points. Nevertheless, you should expect them to be as competitive as they were towards the back end of 2023.
Yuki scores a point!
It will take some luck, but one slightly outlandish predictions that could come to fruition is that Yuki Tsunoda scores RB’s first point since their rebrand. The experience of his teammate might make you expect to see his name here instead, but Yuki had a thing about finishing tenth last year and could conceivably do so again here. This is also the venue where he made his impressive F1 bow, so he knows this track well at this point. Expect the Japanese driver to be battling the likes of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and perhaps even his aforementioned Australian teammate.
Haas to have 2021 de ja vu…
It’s already crystal clear that this is going to be a long year for the American team, with the primary focus of development for next season. That being said, they are going to have to ‘endure’ at times this season, and the first week could be a true sign of what is to come. Unfortunately, the prediction is that they are at the back propping up the grid and that no car, not even Logan Sergeant’s, finishes behind them.
Saturday nights alright…
In the famous words of Sir Elton John, I do think this event will be a success. A Saturday night race may not have the traditional feel, but you can expect lots of drama throughout the night race. Bahrain is a good track with plenty of overtaking opportunities. With so much unknown as to the current state of some of the midfield teams, it means the battles for positions and points are going to be fascinating ones. A late safety car, of which we have seen before at this venue, could shake things up very nicely. That, or Verstappen wins by over a minute. Either way, it’s a few days until we find out.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 