STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Course: Jeddah Corniche Circuit
Course Length: 6.17 KM
Laps: 50
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Race Preview
The Formula 1 series heads to Saudi Arabia this week for what will be the fifth race of the season and fifth contest at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. McLaren's Oscar Piastri became the first driver to win multiple races with a confident performance a week ago at Bahrain. His victory means McLaren have won three of the first four races of the season, too. This week's contest will be a bit different, though. While Bahrain had long straights and several low-speed corners, the Jeddah circuit is a flowing course with many fast and blind turns.
This race has been won three times by Red Bull Racing, twice for Max Verstappen and once for Sergio Perez, with Lewis Hamilton taking another in the Mercedes. The difference in circuit this week is likely to shuffle the order a bit compared to last week. While Verstappen and Red Bull struggled at Bahrain, the car is expected to achieve a better balance at Saudi Arabia. However, it will be a huge task for them to catch McLaren, who clearly have the fastest car right now.
Hanging onto the streaking McLarens is George Russell, though. The Mercedes driver sits fourth in points with another podium finish a week ago. Mercedes and Russell are aiming to close the gap quickly, which could come at the expense of Verstappen as he and Red Bull continue to slip down the order.
Key Stats at Jeddah Corniche Circuit
- Races: 4
- Winners from pole: 3
- Winners from top-5 starters: 4
- Winners from top-10 starters: 4
- Fastest Race: 229.271 kph
Previous Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Winners
2024 - Max Verstappen
2023 - Sergio Perez
2022 – Max Verstappen
2021 - Lewis Hamilton
This week's race will be the fifth Formula 1 contest held on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. It is is a winding street course featuring 27 turns and very little runoff room. The narrow racing surface is lined with barriers all the way up to the curbs, and any driving errors are likely to end in contact with the wall. Despite the track's many blind curves and close barriers speeds are still high with three DRS zones opening opportunities for passing. Making those passes will require timing the draft and approach to the car ahead while using the extra boost from DRS.
With the walls so close and mistakes so likely to end in contact, safety car periods are relatively common. The timing of those cautions can benefit drivers with a quick trip to pit road, which can shake up the running order. However, it is important to note that of the four races run at the track so far, three have been won from pole and the other was won from fourth. Qualifying on the front row and dictating the pace is arguably the best advantage to have heading into Sunday's battle.
RotoWire Formula 1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Based on $50k Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Oscar Piastri - $12,400
Lando Norris - $12,000
George Russell - $11,000
Lewis Hamilton - $9,600
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kimi Antonelli - $7,600
Yuki Tsunoda - $6,600
Alex Albon - $6,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Pierre Gasly - $5,400
Isack Hadjar - $4,600
Nico Hulkenberg - $4,000
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Oliver Bearman - $3,800
Lance Stroll - $3,400
Gabriel Bortoleto - $3,200
DraftKings Constructor Values
McLaren - $14,500
Mercedes - $10,500
Red Bull Racing - $9,500
Formula 1 DFS Picks for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Captain – Lewis Hamilton - $14,400
Alex Albon - $6,000
Pierre Gasly - $5,400
Fernando Alonso - $5,000
Isack Hadjar - $4,600
Constructor – McLaren - $14,500
The McLaren car is currently the best in the field, and teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri appear evenly matched. Rather than trying to choose one over the other this week, which even McLaren themselves might be incapable of, it seems wisest to go with the team as the choice for Constructor. Fantasy rosters built in this manner get the benefit of both teammates without the drawbacks of having to choose just one.
As Captain, Lewis Hamilton could be a top pick this week. The former champion comes cheaper than other top contenders and stated last week that he is coming to grips with his new Ferrari. That rise in confidence and knowledge could be the sign that his results will be improving. He has already been fast this season, and he is a prior winner with Mercedes at this track. All of these factors point to Hamilton potentially having his best race of the season so far this week, and fantasy players should hop on that train before it leaves the station.
The midfield battle is closer than ever. Every team has scored points already this season and there is no hierarchy that has been established yet. One driver that has been relatively consistent is Alex Albon, though. The Williams driver is best of the midfield drivers in points and outscored teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. by 17 points after the first four races. Albon also scored points in three of those four tries. Pierre Gasly, at Alpine, grabbed his first season's points last week at Bahrain. Gasly has had the upper hand over teammate Jack Doohan and should continue to enjoy that intramural advantage this week, too.
Veteran Fernando Alonso is on the backfoot, though. The former champion has yet to finish in the points this season but finished third and fifth in the last two trips to Saudi Arabia. Fantasy players should expect Alonso to outperform his early-season start this week as he continues to turn around his disappointing start to the season. Finally, after a disastrous start to his season at Australia, rookie Isack Hadjar is showing his potential in recent weeks. He scored his first points at Japan and was 13th last week, still ahead of new teammate Liam Lawson. Hadjar's qualifying has been impressive so far with two seventh-place starts, and fantasy players should capitalize on that speed this week at a bargain price.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:00 PM ET Thursday
Winning Constructor - McLaren - 450
Double Top-Six Finish - Ferrari -140
Top-Four Finish - Lewis Hamilton +275
With tight battles at McLaren and through the grid's midfield, team wagers feel like the preferred route to go when betting on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this week. At McLaren, after Oscar Piastri's great showing at Bahrain, many are viewing him as a potential championship contender to Norris. However, the likelihood that the mistakes that thwarted Lando last week are unlikely to repeat in force again at Saudi Arabia. The teammates, at this early stage in the season, are still too close to call. Their odds to win this week's race show that, too. Therefore, with McLaren in a class of their own, it makes sense this time to put a little more down on the team to win as constructor, versus either individual driver, to have the relative assurance that one of them will likely win.
Similarly, while Ferrari is still a step or two behind McLaren, they are finding their way. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished in the top five at Bahrain and confidence at the team is growing. It seems likely again that both drivers will finish in the top six this week and, despite slightly negative odds, this could also be a wager worth considering.
The only single-driver wager on the board currently that I would feel confident taking is Lewis Hamilton to finish in the top four. The seven-time series champion finished fifth last week and said that he now knows how he needs to drive the Ferrari in order to get the maximum out of it. As Hamilton continues to embed himself in the organization and understand the car's nuances, he will continue improving and taking the top spots with that improvement. As of now, he is the first of the top drivers on the list to have positive odds for a top-four, and those odds pay nearly three times more than teammate Leclerc's. That is a good bargain this week where both drivers could be in the mix for a podium finish.
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