Charles Leclerc’s F1 Drivers’ Championship Odds Go from 11-1 to 3-1 After Bahrain GP

• Charles Leclerc was denied his first-ever Formula 1 win by engine failure at the Bahrain Grand Prix
• The 21-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough campaign in his first season at Ferrari
• Ferrari’s highly-touted SF90 has failed to live up to lofty expectations this season

Charles Leclerc fell short of claiming his first career Formula 1 victory at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, settling for a third-place finish after leading the way for most of the race. But following his first appearance on the podium, the 21-year-old has seen his odds to win the 2019 F1 Drivers’ Championship improve dramatically, and is now pegged as a short +300 wager.

2019 Formula 1 Drivers Championship Odds

Leclerc is Turning Heads

Leclerc turned heads in his first full Formula 1 campaign in 2018, powering to a 13th place finish on the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings while driving for Alfa Romeo Sauber. His best performance came in Azerbaijan, where he finished sixth.

F1 onboard ( @SauberF1Team , @Charles_Leclerc ) Azerbaijan GP 🇦🇿 pic.twitter.com/KzxL4PkYnB

— みやび🧚‍♀️🤍 (@SugarsMiyane) April 29, 2018

With Kimi Raikkonen’s departure from Ferrari, opportunity knocked for the 21-year-old from Monaco, and he has not disappointed.

Leclerc opened the 2019 campaign with a fifth-place performance at the Australian Grand Prix, and subsequently positioned himself for his breakthrough performance at Bahrain by edging out the powerhouse trio of Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Valtteri Bottas to take the pole position.

Car Troubles Have Plagued Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel

However, for the second time in as many races, Ferrari’s highly touted SF90 failed to live up to the hype. After leading in Bahrain for the first 49 laps, Leclerc’s car suffered a massive cylinder failure, leaving him unable to fend off late charges from Hamilton and Bottas, who marched to a second straight one-two finish for Mercedes.

Charles Leclerc's race unravels 💔#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 pic.twitter.com/pJJHMTVIHG

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2019

In addition to his meteoric rise on the F1 futures, Leclerc has also emerged as a co-favorite in next week’s Chinese Grand Prix, joining Ferrari teammate Vettel at +175, while Hamilton lags at +250.

Leclerc has also emerged as a co-favorite in next week’s Chinese Grand Prix, joining Ferrari teammate Vettel at +175.

A four-time Formula 1 champion, Vettel claimed the pole at last year’s Chinese Grand Prix before finishing eighth, and has claimed a spot on the podium on five occasions including a race victory in 2009.

BREAKING: Sebastian Vettel will start Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix from POLE! 👏 The 52nd of his career 💪 #ChineseGP 🇨🇳 #Quali #F1 pic.twitter.com/yxqptoOcNp

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 14, 2018

The 31-year-old German joins his young teammate at +300 on the Formula 1 championship odds, but like Leclerc, Vettel has also experienced difficulties with Ferrari’s new car. After a disappointing fourth-place finish at Melbourne, Vettel’s car suffered damage after spinning out during a late-race duel with Hamilton, dooming him to a fifth-place finish.

Hamilton, Bottas Emerging as the Drivers to Beat in 2019

Conversely, it has been an outstanding start to the season for the Mercedes duo of Bottas and Hamilton. Bottas powered to his first F1 victory since 2017 in Australia, and closely trailed Hamilton for a second-place finish at Bahrain to maintain a narrow one-point lead over his teammate atop the 2019 F1 Drivers standings, and offers the best value on the F1 Drivers’ Championship odds as a +1200 bet.

https://twitter.com/Insidef1/status/1111289120167325697

But it will likely take the unexpected to topple Hamilton from his familiar perch atop the standings. The 34-year-old Englishman demonstrated his typical fearlessness while positioning himself to take advantage of Leclerc’s bad luck at Bahrain. And with podium finishes in 13 of his past 14 race appearances, including nine victories, it is hard to imagine any driver keeping pace with the five-time Formula 1 champion in 2019.

Pick: Lewis Hamilton (-110)