Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Lando Norris holds a slender three-point lead in the F1 world drivers' championship after the Bahrain Grand Prix and another fascinating race is in prospect as the teams relocate to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri became the first driver this season to claim two race victories this season in Sakhir, winning from pole as he had done at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Australian is right behind the British star in the standings, with world champion Max Verstappen - the winner in Japan two rounds ago - five points behind Piastri in third place.

Verstappen has won two of the four races held in Saudi Arabia, leading home a Red Bull one-two in Jeddah last season, while Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes in the inaugural race there in 2021.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix betting picks and predictions

Oscar Piastri to win - 5/4

McLaren have won three of the first four races this season, but their more experienced driver Norris has won only the season opener in Australia and his younger team-mate Piastri looks to have the hot hand at the moment after winning in China and then in Bahrain last Sunday.

His comfortable Sakhir success came by a margin of 15 seconds from the ailing Mercedes of George Russell, who was still able to hold off Norris to take the runner-up spot.

Norris had a tough weekend in Bahrain and seemed to be negative about his prospects and his ability to extract the pace from his car in every interview he gave.

He had posted some decent times in practice, but a poor final run in qualifying left him only sixth on the grid and he then earned a five-second penalty by starting too far forward.

While Norris then had to spend his race fighting rivals on the track as Piastri cruised home and he looks well placed to win again in Jeddah.

The Aussie has finished ahead of Norris at this track in each of the last two seasons, although the 2023 event was terrible for the team as Norris crashed in qualifying and Piastri was involved in a collision early on in the race. 

Last year's Saudi Arabian round fell before McLaren took their big step forward in Miami, but Piastri was ahead of Norris in both qualifying and the race, finishing fourth after qualifying fifth, while the British driver came home eighth after starting sixth.

Norris was not alone in having a tough weekend in Bahrain as world champion Verstappen was only seventh in qualifying and sixth in the race, looking a shadow of the driver who had impressed with his sensational pole lap in Japan.

A third Saudi Arabian win for the Dutchman looks unlikely unless Red Bull can solve the issues with their car quickly and McLaren's biggest threat could come from elsewhere this week.

Charles Leclerc to finish third - 4/1

Charles Leclerc could manage only fourth place in Bahrain after starting on the front row of the grid, but the Ferrari ace has a chance of securing his first podium finish of the season in Saudi Arabia, where he has shown up well before.

Leclerc has finished fourth in the last two races and will hope his Ferrari can find some more pace at the track where he finished second in 2022 and third last year, qualifying second on both occasions.

Ferrari's only highlight so far this season has been Lewis Hamilton's sprint-race win in China, but the Italian squad should have a decent benchmark set-up for the track and Leclerc can get in the mix for third place with Russell and Verstappen, even if the McLaren pair scoot clear. 

Oliver Bearman points finish - 9/4

Oliver Bearman will have fond memories of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit after making his F1 race debut there at short notice for Ferrari last season when Carlos Sainz Jr. had to pull out after practice due to appendicitis.

The Briton, who is still only 19, managed to qualify 11th and steer his car home to seventh place in the race.

That performance without doubt helped him to earn a full-time drive with Haas for this season and his new Ferrari-powered car has already shown it can carry him to points finishes.

Bearman has finished eighth, 10th and 10th in the last three rounds after finishing last in the opening race of the season.

Nico Hulkenberg finished in the points for Haas in Jeddah last season after starting 15th on the grid, while Kevin Magnussen came home ninth in Saudi Arabia for the team in 2022.

Read more F1 betting tips and predictions on site.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix outright odds

Lando Norris - 5/4
Oscar Piastri - 5/4
Max Verstappen - 9/1
George Russell - 12/1
Charles Leclerc - 16/1
Lewis Hamilton - 25/1

View the full market and more odds for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.