The negotiations went smoothly and quickly. They were very un-Formula 1-like.
Every Formula 1 race weekend, BetDecider will provide a betting preview after Free Practice 2 and before qualifying to give you the inside track to win in your Formula 1 fantasy leagues and sports betting endeavors.
In our betting preview, we’re not only going to provide our favorite to capture pole position, win Sprint races, and win the Grand Prix, but we’ll also give you our top six finishers, which is where you can make real money betting on Formula 1.
With Friday’s Free Practice sessions complete, let’s turn our attention to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and what we know after two hours of running.
All By Ourselves…
Red Bull are happy to report they are lonely at the top.
For a second straight weekend and in both Saudia Arabian Grand Prix practice sessions, Red Bull has been out of the pits and to the top of the timing board with relative ease. Yet, the question remains if we have seen Red Bull’s genuine pace in 2023 after turning the engines down in Bahrain and easily cruising through the first two practice sessions.
Yes, this season is the longest in Formula 1 history, but the RB-19 might end up as Red Bull’s most dominant car yet. Max Verstappen set the fastest time in FP2 with a 1:29.603 and a +0.463s gap to fourth place, with Sergio Pérez in third +0.299s behind Verstappen.
Take Red Bull as the winning constructor and #1 for P1 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Although remember, Sergio Perez is a street circuit master.
The One Challenger?
There is only one Wiley ‘Ol Campaigner, so get on the Fernando Alonso hype train if you haven’t already.
Alsono finished second in both practice sessions, +0.208s behind Verstappen in FP2.
The AMR-23 is for real, and we’re taking Alonso and Stroll to finish in the top six.
Take Alonso if you only pick one Aston Martin driver to finish in the top six at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Fade Ferrari and Mercedes, Push Alpine
Ferrari
No, seriously, we need to fade Ferrari and Mercedes.
Ferrari are having a bad time. Both drivers have taken new power units for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc will receive a ten-place grid penalty for taking his third Control Electronics unit this season.
That’s not a joke. You get two Control Electronics units per season.
Even worse news for Ferrari: both Ferraris were behind customer team Haas in FP2, with Nico Hülkenberg posting a 1:30.181 compared to Leclerc’s 1:30.341.
Mercedes
Mercedes will have major upgrades in the near future and potentially a B-spec car for Silverstone. However, none of that changes the W-14 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The only pick we’d make on Mercedes is for George Russell to finish in the top six. Russel finished fifth in FP2, +0.467s behind Verstappen, while Hamilton finished 11th, +0.966s off the pace.
Remember, Lewis Hamilton failed to make it out of Q1 of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Alpine
The big winner this week could be Alpine, as the A523 is performing excellently, as expected at Jeddah.
We’re taking Pierre Gasly to sneak into the top six, while Esteban Ocon should also get some consideration for the top six.
BetDecider’s Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Picks
Fastest Qualifier: Max Verstappen
Saudi Arabian Race Winner/Constructor: Max Verstappen/Red Bull.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Top Six:
- P1: Max Verstappen
- P2: Sergio Perez
- P3: Fernando Alonso
- P4: George Russell
- P5: Pierre Gasly
- P6: Lance Stroll
Sneaky Prop Bet That Could Pay Off: Williams’ Alex Albon to score points.
Ryan Knuppel
Ryan has been one of the leading sports business & iGaming professionals for over 15 years. He started as a freelance writer and now operates one of the top sports content agencies around, Knup Solutions. He has literally written 10,000 plus sports and betting related articles across the web.
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