So… My bets for Melbourne started well enough. Lewis Hamilton achieved pole position on the Saturday, but unfortunately Nico Hulkenberg couldn’t quite steal sixth place from Romain Grosjean to leave us with a nice profit on the weekend.

So based on £5 per bet, it leaves us with a loss of £5 from the opening round – but as all good sportsmen say, we move on to the next one. And that next one is Bahrain.

The 2014 race in Sakhir was one of my favourite races of the last 10 years, with the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. So let’s hope for the same sort of battle and a nice little profit on the following bets…

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ONE – Although Lewis didn’t win the Australian Grand Prix, he showed great pace over the weekend and looked back to his normal self. Combine that with winning the last two Bahrain Grands Prix, and I think the double-your-money odds for Lewis to win this weekend look pretty good.

Lewis Hamilton to win: Evens (Paddy Power & SkyBet)

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TWO – Jolyon Palmer is a favourite on the NRF1 Podcast (Bahrain Preview) and after a strong start in Melbourne, I feel a finish in the points could be possible this weekend. He has some good experience in Bahrain with the GP2 race there and in 2014 the champion qualified on pole – in the two races finished first and third. After looking at the odds they just seemed far too big to not include, so hopefully the bookies have got this one wrong.

Jolyon Palmer to finish in the points: 11/2 (BetVictor)

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THREE – With the pace the Toro Rossos were showing, we should have been talking about two great finishes for Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen. Unfortunately the strategy didn’t go their way and we ended up talking about Max’s stroppy radio messages. So with the pace they have shown, a good result is a real possibility and I’m going for Max to finish in the top six.

Max Verstappen to finish in the top six: 15/8 (Betfred)

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FOUR – And for a bonus fourth bet this week, I’m looking to Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has finished on the podium in two of the last three races in Bahrain and although the recent form suggests a podium of Hamilton, Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, Kimi must be due some luck after his Melbourne blowout. This is a track he seems to enjoy and to me, the odds seem quite big for Kimi’s Ferrari to finish on the podium.

Kimi Raikkonen to finish on the podium: 5/2 (Betfred, BetVictor, Ladbrokes & William Hill)

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Good luck and remember to bet responsibly.

♦ Kyle Cumbers is a member of the NRF1 Podcast crew. Follow Kyle on Twitter @kcumbers