Will the Red Bull dominance be broken in Saudi or will Verstappen and Co continue to monopolise the podium? Darry Worthington previews the Saudi Grand Prix.
2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Saturday 9 March 2024 – 19:00
Jeddah Corniche Circuit
It might be a new season, but it’s the same old story with Red Bull reigning supreme in the opener as Max Verstappen bagged a win while Sergio Perez ensured a one-two as he brought his car home 23 seconds behind his teammate.
To Win Race Outright
Max Verstappen 1/5 | Sergio Perez 8/1 | Charles LeClerc 12/1 | Carlos Sainz 22/1 | Fernando Alonso 22/1
Previous Race – Bahrain
It was a case of Deja Vu in Bahrain as despite it being a new season, Red Bull picked up where they left off last season with Max Verstappen dominating qualifying and the reigning Constructors Champions then delivering a one-two finish come race time, with reigning World Champion Max Verstappen leading the grid across the line. Verstappen and Perez were joined on the podium by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who enjoyed a decent outing and showed that Ferrari may well have the early race pace over arch-rivals Mercedes.
The point above was drilled home further by Charles LeClerc – who also excelled in qualifying to claim second place on the grid ahead of George Russell who would eventually finish fifth. The battle for these spots was intriguing with LeClerc suffering with tyre degradation and dicing it out with teammate Sainz for third spot. There was also a solid duel between Russell and LeClerc late on in the piece.
Russell and Hamilton struggled with battery issues throughout the race with Lando Norris taking full advantage of this to claim sixth spot ahead of Hamilton.
With the modern powerhouses of the sport dominating the top 7, it was always going to be interesting to see who rounded out the points-scoring positions. In fairness, there weren’t too many surprises with the twin Aston Martins, who had performed well in qualifying, claiming ninth and tenth.
Max Verstappen completes a flawless drive to seal victory in the season opener 💪#F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/o43XDdCZti
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 2, 2024
Track – Jeddah Corniche Circuit
This will be the fourth race staged at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and while the track is still in its infancy on the F1 calendar, it has become one of the more popular venues as it is one of the fastest street circuits on show.
It is the second-longest track the drivers race on this season coming in at a whopping 6.174 kilometres, which leaves it just 800 metres short of the iconic Spa Francorchamps.
The drivers will be confronted with 50 of these gruelling laps. The track features 27 turns; eleven right-handers and sixteen left-handers. Turn 13 could be the corner to keep an eye on as it looks by far the most challenging.
Red Bull have been the dominant force at the Jeddah Circuit with Sergio Perez winning in 2022 and Verstappen taking race honours here last year. Before Red Bull’s two wins, Mercedes found success at the track winning the inaugural race in 2021 with Lewis Hamilton winning.
In terms of the weather for the race weekend, we’ve got perfect conditions with temperatures in the low to high 20s and no rain in sight.
Value Bet
George Russell – Podium – Yes 6/1
While the two Ferraris came in ahead of Russell last weekend, I rather fancy the Brit to produce a result in Saudi. Mercedes, while way off Red Bull, showed some decent pace last weekend.
There’s some decent value here as well which is what we are looking for. Here’s hoping this one doesn’t implode as badly as last week’s ‘Ricciardo to Finish on the Podium’ tip did.
To Win Race Outright
Max Verstappen @ 1/5
I’m on Max to go back-to-back at the Jeddah Circuit. The Red Bull ace was once again a class apart last weekend claiming the win in Bahrain by almost 23 seconds. While there’s not much value here, this is as close to a banker as you’ll get this weekend.
