Formula 1 goes to the penultimate race of 2020, the Sakhir GP, the second race in Bahrain for the second consecutive weekend. It will be the first race for a Brazilian driver after 2017 Abu Dhabi GP, (when Felipe Massa said goodbye) with Pietro Fittipaldi in Haas, after Romain Grosjean recovered from a serious accident. Lewis Hamilton will be out as he tested positive for Covid-19. In his place, George Russell will have his first experience at Mercedes and Jack Aitken will race in his place at Williams.
In addition, the layout that Sakhir's GP will use will be in the outside ring of the circuit, which many say is similar to an oval, and may have several surprises, given the novelty of the layout. With all these ingredients, Motorsport.com has selected some valuable tips for when you bet:
Without Lewis Hamilton, the road is clear for Valtteri Bottas. Even with George Russell being as one of the future F1 champions, the Finn will have competition from a driver still in training, as opposed to a seven-time champion. Sakhir's layout will benefit those teams with good speed at the straights, which favors him over another star, Max Verstappen, from Red Bull. In addition, a Bottas win pays a little more than a Verstappen triumph. Race winner: Valtteri Bottas
For the same reasons, Bottas, who led the first free practice in the vast majority of races in 2020, becomes even more favorite, especially in the first session, when his ‘new’ teammate will be adapting to the car. Fastest in 1st free practice: Valtteri Bottas
Max Verstappen is named as one of the favorites to win the Sakhir GP, largely because of Lewis Hamilton's absence from the race. The competition with Mercedes continues, even though the team has George Russell. His presence on the podium is almost certain - it will depend on the reliability of his car - and this bet pays more than that of Valtteri Bottas. Top-3: Max Verstappen
The saga of the safety car presence in F1 in 2020 continues. After Bahrain GP, the count now features 15 races of the season with 10 of them having the safety car. A fast and unprecedented layout can still make the drivers take more risks, especially at the start, which for many will be the only moment of possibility of overtaking. Period of safety car in the race: Yes
Sergio Pérez had the bitter taste of a retirement on the Bahrain Grand Prix, when he was looking for the podium in Sakhir, with the fail of his Racing Point engine. It was the first race of the year that the Mexican was out of the points zone, except for the two that he lost due to Covid-19. As the Mercedes engine is one of the most reliable, you can bet on the return of good results. Top-6: Sergio Pérez
