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BETTING GUIDE: Who are the favourites as F1 heads to Saudi Arabia?
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Four Grands Prix have yielded four podiums and the Championship lead for Lando Norris, but team mate Oscar Piastri is stealing all the headlines courtesy of a dominant win in Bahrain. Will the McLaren duo be able to come out on top again this weekend in Saudi Arabia, or will Max Verstappen and Red Bull bounce back?
Odds are provided by F1's Official Betting Data Supplier ALT Sports Data, are subject to change and are presented in decimal form: for every $1 wagered you would win the figure represented by the odds; so, if Verstappen is favourite at 1.50, you would win $1.50 for every dollar bet.
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The odds for the win
Oscar Piastri started 2025 as arguably McLaren's number two, but he lines up in Jeddah only three points shy of his team mate in the Championship. The Australian has won 50% of the races this season, dominating last time out in Bahrain, and only finished off the podium at his home Grand Prix after going off in the wet conditions.
Lando Norris gave McLaren a double podium in Bahrain, but the Briton was far from his best, crossing the line over 16 seconds behind Piastri. After starting on a high in Melbourne, Norris has struggled with his car at times and comes into this weekend having never finished better than seventh (2022) in Saudi Arabia.
Frustration doesn’t begin to explain Max Verstappen’s Bahrain Grand Prix. He endured car challenges, light malfunctions at the pit stop and tyre issues. Despite this, Saudi Arabia has been a happy hunting ground for Verstappen on his previous four visits, winning twice and never finishing outside the top two. He starts with the best average finishing position at this venue with 1.5.
Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 2.26 |
Lando Norris | 2.44 |
Max Verstappen | 12.09 |
George Russell | 13.43 |
Charles Leclerc | 17.74 |
Lewis Hamilton | 19.82 |
Kimi Antonelli | 65.50 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 178.65 |
Alex Albon | 178.65 |
Isack Hadjar | 178.65 |
Liam Lawson | 178.65 |
Carlos Sainz | 178.65 |
Oliver Bearman | 178.65 |
Fernando Alonso | 178.65 |
Esteban Ocon | 178.65 |
Pierre Gasly | 178.65 |
Lance Stroll | 178.65 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 178.65 |
Jack Doohan | 178.65 |
Gabriel Bortoleto | 178.65 |
Can Verstappen bounce back in Saudi Arabia?
The odds for a podium finish
The McLaren duo lead the podium odds heading into Jeddah with seven podiums between themselves this season, including three wins. Neither driver has finished inside the top three at this circuit, however, but Piastri finished fourth on his last visit.
Verstappen is the king of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit having never finished off the podium at the track, but his current braking and balance problems could change that this weekend.
George Russell sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship after a consistent start to his campaign. The Mercedes driver has notched up a trio of top threes this season, including a runner-up finish last weekend, offering outstanding value for a podium finish.
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Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 1.20 |
Lando Norris | 1.26 |
George Russell | 2.59 |
Max Verstappen | 2.72 |
Lewis Hamilton | 3.44 |
Charles Leclerc | 3.59 |
Kimi Antonelli | 6.76 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 14.38 |
Carlos Sainz | 38.10 |
Alex Albon | 95.40 |
Isack Hadjar | 95.40 |
Liam Lawson | 95.40 |
Fernando Alonso | 95.40 |
Pierre Gasly | 95.40 |
Esteban Ocon | 95.40 |
Oliver Bearman | 95.40 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 95.40 |
Lance Stroll | 95.40 |
Jack Doohan | 95.40 |
Gabriel Bortoletto | 95.40 |
Russell finished runner-up last time out and is good value for another podium finish
The odds for a top-six finish
Piastri leads the odds for a top-six finish, closely followed by Norris, Verstappen, and Russell, who have crossed the line inside the top six in every Grand Prix on the calendar so far.
Charles Leclerc is starting to find consistency in the cockpit, finishing just off the podium at Suzuka and Bahrain. The Ferrari driver lines up this weekend with an average finishing position of 5.33 this year, excluding his disqualification in China. Kimi Antonelli’s record paints a better overall picture, averaging 6.75.
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Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 1.14 |
Lando Norris | 1.15 |
George Russell | 1.43 |
Max Verstappen | 1.46 |
Lewis Hamilton | 1.59 |
Charles Leclerc | 1.64 |
Kimi Antonelli | 2.03 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 2.89 |
Carlos Sainz | 5.06 |
Alex Albon | 8.18 |
Isack Hadjar | 10.6 |
Oliver Bearman | 12.9 |
Lance Stroll | 14.8 |
Liam Lawson | 15.8 |
Esteban Ocon | 21.1 |
Pierre Gasly | 22.3 |
Fernando Alonso | 37.2 |
Jack Doohan | 38.6 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 64.3 |
Gabriel Bortoleto | 102.0 |
Leclerc has been a consistent top-six runner so far this season
Odds for a top-10 finish
Kimi Antonelli and Alex Albon were part of the top-10 club heading into Bahrain, but they both missed the cut on Sunday. The Ferrari pairing enter Jeddah with six top 10s between them, although an unfortunate disqualification after the chequered flag in China tarnishes an otherwise clean record.
Pierre Gasly impressed last weekend, earning Alpine their first points of the season. The Frenchman finished seventh after losing a position to Verstappen on the final lap.
Yuki Tsunoda also brought home his first points for Red Bull with ninth in Bahrain, while Haas were the silent heroes of the day as Esteban Ocon powered home to grab four points after a Qualifying crash and Ollie Bearman took the final point on offer after starting at the back of the grid.
Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 1.09 |
Lando Norris | 1.10 |
George Russell | 1.18 |
Max Verstappen | 1.19 |
Lewis Hamilton | 1.22 |
Charles Leclerc | 1.23 |
Kimi Antonelli | 1.33 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 1.53 |
Carlos Sainz | 1.95 |
Alex Albon | 2.39 |
Isack Hadjar | 2.66 |
Oliver Bearman | 2.84 |
Lance Stroll | 3.11 |
Liam Lawson | 3.21 |
Esteban Ocon | 3.57 |
PIerre Gasly | 3.85 |
Fernando Alonso | 5.03 |
Jack Doohan | 5.12 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 6.91 |
Gabriel Bortoleto | 10.8 |
Bearman came from the back to score another point in Bahrain
The odds for Qualifying
Red Bull claimed three of the last four pole positions at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the last one in 2024, courtesy of Verstappen. Despite the dominance of the team here, McLaren boasts three of the four pole positions in 2025, claiming top spot in Australia, China, and Bahrain.
Norris and Piastri have qualified inside the top three grid positions between Albert Park and Sakhir, making McLaren a firm favourite to come out on top at the close of Saturday.
Mercedes are the closest challenger on paper, with Russell starting second in China and third last weekend. Ferrari delivered their best Qualifying of the season in Bahrain as Leclerc started the Grand Prix in second.
Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 3.09 |
Lando Norris | 3.14 |
George Russell | 11.3 |
Max Verstappen | 11.8 |
Charles Leclerc | 11.1 |
Lewis Hamilton | 11.8 |
Kimi Antonelli | 17.0 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 144.0 |
Carlos Sainz | 213.9 |
Alex Albon | 213.9 |
Isack Hadjar | 213.9 |
Oliver Bearman | 213.9 |
Lance Stroll | 213.9 |
Liam Lawson | 213.9 |
Esteban Ocon | 213.9 |
Pierre Gasly | 213.9 |
Fernando Alonso | 213.9 |
Jack Doohan | 213.9 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 213.9 |
Gabriel Bortoleto | 213.9 |
McLaren are firm favourites for pole in Saudi Arabia
The odds for the winning constructor
McLaren won in Australia, China, and Bahrain last week, extending their Constructors’ Championship lead to 58 points. Red Bull are the only other team to triumph on tour this year, making Zak Brown’s chargers the favourites to produce the goods again this weekend.
The Woking-based team has never stood on the podium at this track, though, but they had never won in Bahrain until last weekend, either.
Red Bull has the skill of Verstappen but car balance issues don’t appear to be abating. The technical challenges and the driver’s frustration make it hard to see the Dutchman pulling off the impossible in Jeddah.
That leaves Mercedes and Ferrari. The German team have impressed all season with three podiums courtesy of Russell and could rain on McLaren’s parade. Ferrari is showing improvement but is yet to look like a team that can challenge the MCL39.
Team | Odds |
---|---|
McLaren | 1.41 |
Ferrari | 11.1 |
Mercedes | 13.3 |
Red Bull | 13.8 |
Williams | 107.8 |
Racing Bulls | 107.8 |
Haas | 107.8 |
Aston Martin | 107.8 |
Sauber | 107.8 |
Alpine | 107.8 |
Can anyone stop McLaren?
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