Pre-season testing is over and it is time to go racing for real. Formula 1 returns to the track this week, as the teams are in Bahrain for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of the 2023 season.
How to Watch the Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2023 F1 season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix, here is how, and what, to watch
Photo by Ayman Yaqoob/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
This year is a critical season for the sport. It is the second year under the current aerodynamic regulations, so teams enter 2023 with a much better picture of how the regulations impact the cars on the track. In addition, with the cost-cap findings from a season ago, defending Constructors’ Champions Red Bull enter the year having seen their wind tunnel time reduced by 10% during the off-season.
Beyond those storylines, F1 continues its push into the United States with three races stateside this season, including the highly-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
It all gets underway this week. Here is how to watch, and what to watch for.
How To Watch:
- Practice 1 - Friday March 3 - 6:25 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- Practice 2 - Friday March 3 - 9:55 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- F1 Show: Bahrain - Friday March 3 - 12:00 p.m. - ESPN3/WatchESPN
- Practice 3 - Saturday March 4 - 6:25 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- Qualifying - Saturday March 4 - 9:55 a.m. - ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- F1: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook - Saturday March 4 - 11:45 a.m. ESPN3/WatchESPN
- Grand Prix Sunday (Pre-race Show) - Sunday March 5 - 8:30 a.m. - ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- Grand Prix Race - Sunday March 5 - 9:55 a.m. - ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN
- F1: Checkered Flag - Sunday March 5 - 12:00 p.m. - ESPN3/WatchESPN
- ESPN Post-Race Show - Sunday March 5 - 12:00 p.m. - ESPN3/WatchESPN
- F1: Ted’s Race Notebook - Sunday March 5 - 1:00 p.m. - ESPN3/WatchESPN
- Grand Prix Race (Replay) - Sunday March 5 - 10:30 p.m. - ESPNNews/WatchESPN
What to Watch:
Here are some of the major storylines heading into the first race of the season.
- Will Lance Stroll be behind the wheel for Aston Martin after his training injury?
- Is Red Bull as strong as they showed during pre-season testing?
- Is Aston Martin, and their 2023 challenger the AMR23, as strong as they showed last week?
- Has Mercedes solved their aerodynamic issues from 2022?
- Does Ferrari have a problem with tyre degradation?
- How will the three F1 rookies — Logan Sargeant, Nyck de Vries, and Oscar Piastri — fare in their debut campaigns?
- Is there reason for hope over at Haas?
- Will we see a true battle at the top this year in both the Drivers’ Championship, as well as the Constructors’ Championship?
2024 Bahrain Grand Prix Odds
Driver | Winner | Top 6 Finish | Top 10 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | -360 | -900 | -1000 |
| Charles Leclerc | +1000 | -500 | -800 |
| Sergio Pérez | +1400 | -600 | -800 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +1400 | -450 | -800 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | +1600 | -400 | -600 |
| Lando Norris | +2500 | -120 | -500 |
| George Russell | +2500 | -300 | -600 |
| Oscar Piastri | +3500 | +250 | -225 |
| Fernando Alonso | +4000 | -105 | -250 |
| Lance Stroll | +20000 | +500 | -125 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | +25000 | +800 | -150 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | +25000 | +800 | -150 |
| Pierre Gasly | +30000 | +1800 | +200 |
| Esteban Ocon | +30000 | +2500 | +200 |
| Zhou Guanyu | +40000 | +3000 | +550 |
| Alexander Albon | +40000 | +2800 | +250 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | +50000 | +5000 | +450 |
| Kevin Magnussen | +50000 | +5000 | +550 |
| Logan Sargeant | +50000 | +4000 | +600 |
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