Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Betting Preview And Race Predictions (2025)

The first stint of Asian Grands Prix comes to an end this weekend in Saudi Arabia. It’s the third race in three weekends, leaving teams with little time to introduce upgrades, so the pace gaps are likely to be much the same as they were in Japan and Bahrain.

After winning three of the first four races and taking three of the first four poles, McLaren are unsurprisingly the clear favourites in the F1 betting markets. Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and George Russell are the only other drivers shorter than 20/1 in the latest betting.

Oscar Piastri has two wins to his name already this season. The Australian delivered a faultless drive in Bahrain, leaving him only three points behind Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship.

Having underachieved in qualifying in 2024, Piastri has excelled at getting the car into its peak performance window so far this year. With McLaren’s unmatched pace, he’s an excellent bet at 6/5 to land a third pole of the year.

Advantage Piastri

Aside from his error in Melbourne, Piastri has been magnificent this year. He’s built on a solid 2024, keeping a level head and taking full advantage of driving the quickest car on the grid.

Norris, in contrast, is far less comfortable than he was last season.

Speaking after the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Brit said, “I’m confident that I have everything I need and I’ve got what it takes. I have no doubt about that – that I’m good enough, and all of those things.

“But something’s just not clicking with me and the car. I’m not able to do any of the laps like I was doing last season.

“Then, I knew every single corner, everything that was going to happen with the car, how it was going to happen. I felt on top of the car.

“This year, I could not have felt more opposite so far. Even in Australia, whether or not I won the race, I never felt comfortable, never felt confident.”

It feels like Piastri needs considerable misfortune to finish behind Norris at the moment. We would steer clear of Norris at his current price – there’s value to be found elsewhere when it comes to each-way bets.

Impressive Russell

George Russell has three podiums already this season and put in something close to a masterclass in Bahrain. Dealing with car issues, Russell held of Norris in the final laps and continues to look like McLaren’s closest challenger in the Constructors Championship.

A title challenge looks like it might be out of reach, but Russell’s consistency and pace should be applauded. Having split the papaya cars last weekend, he’s an excellent each-way wager at 9/1.

Drivers Under Pressure

Yuki Tsunoda and Lewis Hamilton arrive in Jeddah with points to prove. The pair are at opposite ends of the experience spectrum when it comes to driving race-winning cars, yet both could see the pressure mount if they underwhelm this weekend.

Tsunoda made Q3 in Bahrain and got his first points as a Red Bull driver, but he’s still nowhere near Verstappen. Hamilton has finished behind Charles Leclerc in all of the full-length races.

A recovery after qualifying eighth led to some positive comments from Hamilton last weekend, as he believes he’s getting to grips with the car. The Red Bull, meanwhile, is notoriously difficult to drive for anyone other than Verstappen. How will Tsunoda fare at a track he’s historically struggled at?

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Winner Odds:

• Oscar Piastri – 5/4
• Lando Norris – 11/8
• George Russell – 9/1
• Max Verstappen – 10/1
• Charles Leclerc – 14/1
• Lewis Hamilton – 20/1
• Kimi Antonelli – 50/1
• Yuki Tsunoda – 150/1

Previous Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Winners:

• 2024 – Max Verstappen
• 2023 – Sergio Perez
• 2022 – Max Verstappen
• 2021 – Lewis Hamilton

Drivers’ Championship Standings:

• Lando Norris – 77
• Oscar Piastri – 74
• Max Verstappen – 69
• George Russell – 63
• Charles Leclerc – 32
• Kimi Antonelli – 30
• Lewis Hamilton – 25
• Alex Albon – 18
• Esteban Ocon – 14
• Lance Stroll – 10
• Pierre Gasly – 6
• Nico Hulkenberg – 6
• Oliver Bearman – 6
• Yuki Tsunoda – 5
• Isack Hadjar – 4
• Carlos Sainz – 1

Saudi Arabian 2025 Grand Prix Schedule

Friday 18 April

• FP1: 14:30 to 15:30
• FP2: 18:00 to 19:00

Saturday 19 April

• FP3: 14:30 to 15:30
• Qualifying: 18:00 start time

Sunday 20 April

• Race: 18:00 start time

*Odds subject to change – prices correct at time of writing*