Saudi Arabian Grand Prix betting tips and F1 predictions: Russell relishing team leader role

Where to watch the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Practice one & two
Sky Sports F1, 2.30pm & 6pm Friday

Practice three & qualifying
Sky Sports F1, 2.30pm & 6pm Saturday

Race
Sky Sports F1, 6pm Sunday

Best bet

George Russell podium finish
1pt 5-4 Ladbrokes

Oliver Bearman points finish
1pt 11-4 BoyleSports

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Grand Prix odds

Odds correct at time of publication

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Grand Prix predictions

Bookmakers are struggling to pick a favourite for this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix between McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Norris leads the championship by three points but Australian Piastri is on a roll after winning from pole position and also setting fastest lap in Bahrain last week.

The pole-sitter has won all four races this season, and while qualifying was a strength of Norris's last year, he has had some issues of late. It is also worth noting that Piastri has outqualified the Briton on both of their previous visits to Jeddah as teammates.

George Russell has made a solid start to the campaign for Mercedes, earning three podium finishes in four races. It is hard to argue he hasn't achieved the best possible result with his machinery at any point this year.

The Mercedes has looked to be generally the second-fastest car this term behind the McLaren, and Russell brilliantly held on to second place despite all sorts of electronic issues in Bahrain last time.

Russell is relishing the role of team leader following the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, and odds-against for another top-three finish this weekend looks generous.

Fellow Brit Oliver Bearman has also impressed. Following a disastrous opening to the season in Melbourne, Bearman has hit back with three points finishes.

It was at Jeddah last year that Bearman made his F1 debut, drafted in at Ferrari on qualifying day after Carlos Sainz was struck down with appendicitis.

Bearman qualified 11th and worked his way up to seventh in the race and that, along with two other strong stand-in performances later in the year, earned the 19-year-old a full-time drive with Haas this season.

Both Haas cars have finished in the points twice this season, including last week at Sakhir, where Bearman had started last, and the young Londoner can extend his points streak.

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