Fifteen races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, the championship moves on from Baku following an incident-filled Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Bahrain Grand Prix set to be held in Malaysia is shaping up to be an entertaining chapter in the championship story.

These F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions focus on whether George Russell will build on his dominant victory, or whether championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Ferrari will respond at the next round.

Russell delivered one of his strongest weekends of the season in Azerbaijan. The Mercedes driver took pole by eight tenths before controlling the race through two safety car periods to secure his third Grand Prix victory of 2026 and first since Austria.

Verstappen finished second for his third consecutive podium, while Isack Hadjar marked his return from injury with third. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, and Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to fifth after crashing out of Q1. Russell’s victory reduced Antonelli’s championship advantage to 66 points.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Race Winner

George Russell is the pick to win the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Russell arrives from a dominant Baku weekend where he looked like the fastest driver from practice through to the race. He topped FP1 and FP2, secured his fifth pole of the season with a 1m42.526s and then controlled the Grand Prix despite two safety cars wiping away his advantage.

Mercedes has now won 11 of the opening 15 Grands Prix, and Russell’s Azerbaijan performance showed the W17 remains strong as the season enters its closing stages.

Antonelli should provide another major challenge. His Baku weekend was compromised by his Q1 crash, but recovering from 16th to fifth limited the championship damage. Before Azerbaijan, he had won consecutive races at Monza and Madring.

Prediction

1st: George Russell

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Podium

Kimi Antonelli is the pick for second place.

The championship leader has eight victories this season and remains 66 points ahead of Russell despite his difficult weekend in Azerbaijan. His recovery to fifth in Baku also showed how much race pace Mercedes had available.

A cleaner qualifying session should put Antonelli back into the fight for victory, but Russell’s recent performance gives his team-mate the slight edge in this prediction.

Max Verstappen is predicted to complete the podium. The Red Bull driver has now finished third at Monza and second in both Spain and Azerbaijan, giving him three consecutive podium finishes.

Verstappen challenged Russell after the late safety car in Baku but was unable to take the lead. Red Bull’s recent form still gives him a strong chance of fighting both Mercedes drivers again.

Prediction

2nd: Kimi Antonelli

3rd: Max Verstappen

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Points Battle

Ferrari should remain involved near the front after Charles Leclerc finished fourth in Azerbaijan. Leclerc started from the front row in Baku and remained inside the leading group throughout the race, while Lewis Hamilton also showed competitive pace during the weekend.

McLaren needs a response after a costly Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri qualified third but lost a potential podium after running deep into Turn 1 while defending against Hadjar. Norris started fifth before his race ended in the lap 36 restart accident involving Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly.

Hadjar should also remain in the points conversation after an impressive return. He qualified fourth and finished third in Baku, earning his second podium of 2026 and third Formula 1 podium overall.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Dark Horse

Isack Hadjar is the dark horse for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

His Azerbaijan performance was one of the standout drives of the weekend. After missing Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid with a wrist injury, Hadjar returned at one of the calendar’s most demanding street circuits and immediately qualified fourth.

He then produced a controlled race to finish third behind Russell and Verstappen.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was particularly impressed with his performance and teamwork.

“I think it was outstanding what Isack has produced this weekend, really outstanding,” Red Bull’s team principal said.

Hadjar also worked effectively with Verstappen during the opening stint, giving up his position when Red Bull wanted Verstappen to attack the cars ahead. His combination of speed and race management makes him a driver worth watching at the next round.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Team to Watch

Williams is the team to watch after showing encouraging signs with its major B-spec package in Azerbaijan.

Carlos Sainz qualified ninth and eventually finished 10th, giving Williams a point on the first weekend with its heavily upgraded FW48. Alex Albon also showed enough qualifying speed to reach Q2 before his race ended with a crash at Turn 5.

The result did not provide the major breakthrough Williams wanted, but Baku offered the first competitive test of its new chassis and redesigned floor.

Bahrain should provide another important indication of whether the package has moved Williams closer to the midfield teams across a different circuit layout.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Predictions: Final Thoughts

The Bahrain Grand Prix arrives with momentum firmly behind Russell following his pole-to-flag victory in Azerbaijan.

Russell is our race winner pick after taking his third victory of 2026 and reducing Antonelli’s championship lead to 66 points. Antonelli is predicted to respond with second place, while Verstappen completes the podium after three consecutive top-three finishes.

Ferrari and McLaren should remain part of the leading battle, while Hadjar enters the weekend with renewed confidence following his Baku podium. Williams also deserves attention as the team gathers more data from its major B-spec upgrade.

Based on the latest form, Russell is the pick to win the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, with Antonelli second and Verstappen third.

See how our Bahrain Grand Prix predictions compare to the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Odds.