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Euan Leith's preview of the 2025 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix for F1 Fantasy includes weather updates, differentials for your squads, and predictions for qualifying and the Grand Prix.
Happy Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, RotoBallers! It's the final race of the F1 Fantasy triple header, and it's been a busy three weeks. A template has formed, budgets have risen, and that's all before we get to the fastest street circuit on the calendar.
The deadline for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in F1 Fantasy is Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m. EDT, when Qualifying starts. Also, check out the rest of our excellent DFS racing coverage to get you through every NASCAR and Formula 1 race. Also, if you need a refresher on the rules of F1 Fantasy, check out our How to Play guide from the preseason.
Want to build a winning fantasy F1 lineup? Check out our How To Play F1 Fantasy (Formula 1): Overview Guide, Tips, Chips, and Rules for all the essential tips and strategies to get you started on the right foot.
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Previous Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Winners
- 2024: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- 2023: Sergio Perez, Red Bull
- 2022: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- 2021: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Schedule
Friday, April 18
- Practice 1: 9:30 a.m. EDT
- Practice 2: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Saturday, April 19
- Practice 3: 9:30 a.m. EDT
- Qualifying: 1:00 p.m. EDT (***F1 Fantasy lineup lock***)
Sunday, April 20
- Race: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Weather
Like Bahrain, we are looking at a dry weekend in F1 Fantasy. However, unlike Bahrain, the track temperatures between Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 aren't that different. That'll allow us to get some representative timing from FP1 and FP3 to add to our data.
| Day | Temperature | Precipitation | Forecast |
| Friday | 31°C / 88°F | 0% | Sunny |
| Saturday | 32°C / 90°F | 0% | Sunny |
| Sunday | 31°C / 88°F | 0% | Sunny |
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Predictions
Qualifying
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Grand Prix
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Limitless or Limited?
A small group of managers played their Limitless chip at the Japanese Grand Prix. Due to the track's low overtake nature, it worked out well for those brave managers. Other F1 Fantasy strategists believe that Jeddah could be the time to board the Limitless express.
The table above shows the difference between a regular F1 Fantasy team (My 2024 score) and how a possible Limitless team would've scored at that same race.
While Saudi Arabia comes out on top in the points delta department, I can't shake the old-school mentality of deploying the chip in a sprint weekend. A sprint weekend offers three points-scoring sessions, compared to two for a regular Grand Prix weekend.
I won't be using my Limitless chip in Jeddah this weekend, but I'm more open than in previous seasons to using it on a non-sprint weekend if it gains my squad more points over the rest of the field.
Maintaining the Template or Building the Budget?
A lot (and I mean a lot) of F1 Fantasy managers moved towards a similar build in Bahrain. It consisted of Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and then Jack Doohan or Gabriel Bortoleto with McLaren and Mercedes.
However, with the Limitless chip on our minds, we need to figure out how to set it up to use the most powerful chip in the game. If you have that previously mentioned template team, you are in a strong position to build more budget in Saudi Arabia.
Unfortunately, with the three-race rolling average model, many assets are set to decrease in value or not gain the maximum amount possible. This has F1 Fantasy managers thinking about moving away from the template and moving back to a budget-building selection.
I'm holding firm with the template. I may move Doohan to Fernando Alonso or Bortoleto. I like Alonso's long-term budget-building potential if Aston Martin looks good in the practices.
However, if Aston Martin falls flat, I'll likely pivot to the other green car with Kick Sauber. Bortoleto is at the pricing floor in F1 Fantasy ($4.5m). He is an acceptable asset to roster because he won't cost you money during a weekend when you activate the limitless chip.
F1 Fantasy Chip Strategy
Limitless is in play this weekend, but it's not for me. No Negative could be a sneaky chip because of this track's tight, street circuit nature. However, I'll keep my remaining chips in my back pocket and await a better opportunity to activate them.
F1 Fantasy Drivers to Target and Avoid
Drivers to Target (A Tier, >$19.0m)
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- George Russell, Mercedes
Drivers to Avoid (A Tier, >$19.0m)
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Drivers to Target (B Tier, <$19.0m)
- Ollie Bearman, Haas
- Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
- Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber
Drivers to Avoid (B Tier, <$19.0m)
- Carlos Sainz, Williams
- Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
- Nico Hulkenberg, Kick Sauber
☢️Toxic Assets in F1 Fantasy for the Saudi Arabian GP☢️
Barring massive performances this weekend, the following drivers and constructors are set to fall in price for #F1Fantasy at the #SaudiArabianGP
🅰️Tier Assets
- Lando Norris
- Max Verstappen
- Charles Leclerc
- Lewis…— Euan Leith (@F1FantasyEuan) April 17, 2025
