Turning the tables on the previous bookie favourite, Max Verstappen, to win the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes took the win but there are already doubts on whether they can keep the momentum going for the next two races.

Heading towards Imola, Portugal, for the next race, the course is drastically different and offers drivers the chance to really rack up some speeds. But, Mercedes as a team are expressing public concern that they may not have the speed it takes to overcome their long-standing rivals at Red Bull.

Does Red Bull really give you wings?

Completely unlike their fun and quirky soap box race, Red Bull can really put the pedal to the metal in Formula 1 with some impressive eyebrow-raising stats. This is exactly what Mercedes is worried about.

Where Hamilton and the team excelled in tricky courses like the infamous street-based track at Monaco and the Bahrain International Circuit, Red Bull is all about the straights and pushing ahead for the victorious moment on top of the podium.

So it seems Red Bull stands perhaps a better chance of earning some crucial points for the championship in Imola. However, the fact that Red Bull driver Sergio Perez had to rescue his debut by physically restarting his car during the formation lap at Bahrain also indicates that work needs to be done by the engineering team before they set out on the next course.

Exciting F1 Betting News!

F1 betting is still red hot with this sport still going strong since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. You can check out the betting markets via freebets.com's f1 betting guide where you can not only find Formula 1 predictions, betting offers and odds, but the latest news on what's happening in each of the F1 camps. For the best odds, you can check out various sites with different odds for F1 events such as the up-and-coming Constructors Championship.

There are also some pretty neat betting markets on F1 racing including 'Race Winner', 'Nationality of the Winner', 'Grid Position of the winner', 'Number of Classified Finishers', 'Race Winning Margin', 'Fastest Lap', 'Top 6 Finish', and more!

Record viewings show strength of industry despite pandemic

With ongoing concerns of the coronavirus pandemic across the globe, outdoor events have been hit hard with forced cancellations and the subsequent pitfall in ticket sales and merchandising opportunities.

As restrictions have chopped and changed throughout the world, there's finally some breathing space with the Grand Prix back on our screens. So much so that the Bahrain Grand Prix actually smashed some all time figure ratings.

Notably on Sky Sports, the exciting clash between Lewis Hamilton and favourite Max Verstappen racked up record-breaking ratings both on the qualifier and the main event too. Over 2.2 million people tuned in to watch the race, making the event the first F1 race on Sky Sports to attract more than 2 million viewers. That's quite a feat in anyone's book.

Peaking at such a high amount of viewers sets the bar for future races, and as Imola is next on the list anticipation begins to build and determine whether those kinds of ratings are here to stay while lockdown still has its way around the globe.

Verstappen back in the race

Now enduring a total of 14 races where he's come second to Hamilton, what lies in store for Verstappen?

Well, in a race where he looked pretty good, but unfortunately had to hand back the position between turns 10 and 11 to avoid penalties, Verstappen may still be haunted by the 'lasting advantage' throughout the championship, but his skills are profound and the podium still beckons.