Bahrain Grand Prix 2008 Betting

FORMULA ONE: BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
The Bahrain Grand Prix forms part of the Formula One World Championship. Its inaugural running was at the Bahrain International Circuit, at Sakhir, in April 2004. The race was the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East. Bahrain overcame stiff competition from Egypt, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates in order to secure the race. In the short history of the race, Bahrain has created an award-winning event, becoming one of only a handful of Grands Prix to attract a capacity crowd. Critics have remarked that the Sakhir circuit’s huge run-off areas fail to sufficiently penalise drivers who fail to stay on the track. However, the upside is that Bahrain is one of the world’s safest tracks. For 2004 and 2005, Bahrain was the third race of the Formula One season. In the 2006 season, it was run as the curtain-raiser to the season, as the Commonwealth Games were held in Australia close to the date for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race was won by German Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso won the second Bahrain Grand Prix in 2005, and then became the first repeat winner of the Middle Eastern race in 2006, after a thrilling race-long battle with Michael Schumacher. In 2007, Brazilian Felipe Massa won the race for Ferrari. In 2007, Bahrain was announced as the host of the opening event for the 2008 season. However, when the official 2008 calendar was released, Bahrain had been “relegated” to the season’s third race, following Australia and Malaysia.

Unlike neighbouring countries, alcohol is legal in Bahrain. However, the Formula One drivers don’t spray champagne on the podium. Instead, they spray “waard,” a non-alcoholic rosewater drink. The Bahrain circuit is exploring the possibility of staging its Formula One Grand Prix at night. Bahrain International Circuit chief operating officer, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, said that the benefits of holding the country’s biggest event at a later time are already being researched. A night-time Grand Prix in Bahrain would benefit the local fans since Formula One races are run on Sundays, which is a regular weekday in the kingdom. Potentially, it could lead to increased revenue from ticket sales, as the race would be run after working / school hours. It would also prove of benefit to the teams, allowing them to take advantage of the cooler evening temperatures. Unlike the extreme heat of the day, such lower temperatures would put less strain on both cars and drivers alike. Furthermore, a later start should only minimally affect the live television coverage of the race, watched by millions of Formula One’s (mainly European) audience.

The 2008 renewal is scheduled for 4th-6th April.

Reigning champions Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari are most popular with the fans, and whether he or his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa can deliver a third victory in Bahrain for the Italian team will be a question on many fans’ lips. With Briton Lewis Hamilton heading the McLaren-Mercedes squad and double world champion Fernando Alonso with Renault likely to be among Ferrari’s closest rivals, the stage seems set for another entertaining battle.

BETTING ON THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
There are currently no online prices available on the Bahrain Grand Prix. The betting picture is likely to become clearer after the Grands Prix in Australia and Malaysia, when both drivers and constructors have come to terms with new equipment, different car set-ups etc. However, it seems likely that the above named drivers and teams are likely to be prominent in the betting.

Types of Bet Available

Winning Driver
Most online betting sites offer prices on the winning driver in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Each-way 1/5 the odds 1, 2, 3.

Winning Constructor
Win only. Available from betfred, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power.

Highest Scoring Constructor
Since constructors run two cars per race, online prices are offered on the constructor to score the greatest aggregate points. This bet is available from William Hill.

Podium Finish
Driver to finish in the first three places. Available from betfred, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill.

Finish in Points
Driver to finish “in the points,” i.e. the first eight places. Prices are about one-tenth of the outright win odds. This bet is also available from betfred, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill.

Number of Finishers
Prices on the number of cars completing the full distance of the race are offered by William Hill and Paddy Power.

Winning Margin
Prices on the winning margin are offered by bet365.

First Driver to Retire
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power offers prices on this market.

Number of cars to Retire without Completing One Lap
Also offered by Paddy Power.

Match Bets
Drivers with similar chances are matched against each other, the winner being the one who finishes in the higher position, or in the case of retirements, completes the greatest number of laps. Various matches are available from most online betting sites.

“In-running” Betting
Prices are available on the race winner, whilst it is in progress, from most online bookmakers. Each-way terms may be available, dependent on the state of the race.

Qualifying
Although most interest is on the race itself, prices are available on the previous day’s qualifying sessions, e.g. Pole Position. William Hill, betfred, bet365 and Ladbrokes offer prices related to qualifying.



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    • Written by Bet123 · Filed Under Formula One 

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