2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Predictions and Odds

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix predictions and betting odds for the second race have been revealed. The 2023 season started off two weeks ago in Bahrain, and it did not disappoint, though fans of certain teams could have a polar opinion. Let’s see what the upcoming race can bring to Formula One followers on March 19.

Saudi Arabian GP 2023: What’s Up With Red Bull & Aston Martin?

After the tests, it became clear that Red Bull would be the favorites going into the Formula 1 season. Their drivers set the best times. However, the whole Red Bull dominance topic was overshadowed by Aston Martin’s incredible race pace during Day 3 of testing. As a result, many experts proposed that Aston Martin were the second-best team behind Red Bull.

Interestingly, the entire hype around the green team from Silverstone turned out to be true, as Fernando Alonso smashed Free Practice 2 and 3 with “purple times”. During Qualification, however, on his decisive lap he made a small error that prevented him from taking on the Ferraris and started from 5th. After an unsuccessful start where Alonso lost two places to the Mercedes’s Hamilton and Russell and also got hit by his teammate Lance Stroll, though with no serious consequences; the 41-year-old Spaniard fought back into action, overtaking both Russell and Hamilton in the middle of the race. That overtake in turns 9-10 was a dedication to Alonso’s driving skills – it does not happen too often seeing an overtake without DRS. Alonso managed to overtake Carlos Sainz along the way and claim 3rd place on the podium due to another Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, retiring. Predictably, Red Bull drivers, Verstappen and Perez, took 1st and 2nd with very little challenge from the rest of the field. Both have chances to finish high next weekend, following online betting sites in the UK.

F1 2023 Season Shows Ferrari and Mercedes Crises

While the Bahrain race results showed that Red Bull were alright, their long-term opponents Ferrari and Mercedes had a deep crisis. The situation got worse because of Aston Martin taking over both. Last year, the team was in the back of the field, even behind Williams. 

Why did it happen? Over the mid-race week, Ferrari engineer staff quit at the manufacturer. The most serious change was David Sanchez resigning from his job. It was reported earlier that Sanchez was responsible for making cars in 2019-2022, which were arguably good cars in terms of downforce. The main issue that still plagues Ferrari cars is reliability, and Leclerc’s DNF is proof that the problem is still there. However, new Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur promised no reliability issues with the new car. During the race, Leclerc was way too far off both Red Bulls. Also, Sainz had a worse time as he lost the podium to Alonso. All signs point at a big crisis at Ferrari, distracting the team from making a better car.

The situation at Mercedes team is even worse, and their odds at Bet365 only confirm it. The zero side-pods idea didn’t work, and even Lewis Hamilton expressed his annoyance. At the moment, Mercedes are experiencing an internal crisis as they are trying to find who is to blame for poor results. The team is split in two: there are people supporting and criticizing side-pods redesign. Considering events for Ferrari and Mercedes, it might give advantage to Aston Martin in the fight for 2nd in the Constructors’ Championship and the upcoming Saudi Arabian GP.

Saudi Arabian GP Predictions & Betting Odds 

As only one race took place, it is still impossible to make substantial predictions for the rest of the season. Experts said that Ferrari and Mercedes faced tire degradation at Sakhir, but the asphalt is much softer at Jeddah. So, it is safe to say that the fight between Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin will be much closer. However, the first two will still struggle to take the podium on March 19.

Taking all this into account, the final Saudi Arabian Grand Prix predictions at online sportsbooks in the UK are:

• Max Verstappen – 1.50
• Sergio Perez – 5.20
• Fernando Alonso – 9.30
• Charles Leclerc – 11.50
• Carlos Sainz Jr – 17.00
• Lewis Hamilton – 35.00
• George Russell – 35.00
• Lance Stroll – 43.00
• Valtteri Bottas – 315.00
• Esteban Ocon – 315.00

Click here to check out further odds on the Grand Prix at the bet365 Sportsbook