MSC Cruises Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Course: Circuit de Catalunya
Course Length: 4.66 km
Laps: 66
MSC Cruises Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya Preview
Kimi Antonelli continues to pile up points and race wins and has stretched his lead in the Driver Championship to 66 points after taking home the win in a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix. It was a particularly disastrous weekend for some of Antonelli's top rivals. Max Verstappen's engine failed as the lights went out, and he could barely crawl out of his front row starting position. Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race due to a combination of tire temperature and track conditions, while George Russell was penalized to a 12th-place finish.
Lewis Hamilton now quietly sits in second place in the driver standings. While he certainly doesn't look to be back to his form at Mercedes, Hamilton has had a resurgent year. If Antonelli will be pushed this year, it still seems most likely to come from Russell, but the latter Mercedes driver needs to get on track quickly.
Key Stats at Circuit de Catalunya
- Races: 35
- Winners from pole: 25
- Winners from top-5 starters: 35
- Winners from top-10 starters: 35
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
Previous 10 Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya Winners
2025 – Oscar Piastri
2024 - Max Verstappen
2023 - Max Verstappen
2022 - Max Verstappen
2021 - Lewis Hamilton
2020 - Lewis Hamilton
2019 - Lewis Hamilton
2018 - Lewis Hamilton
2017 - Lewis Hamilton
2016 - Max Verstappen
Circuit de Catalunya first hosted an F1 Race in 1991 and there has been a race held at the track every year since. Despite the course being well known, there are some unique factors this season. The first is that the race has a new name, as the new race in Madrid will take over the name of the Spanish Grand Prix, while the race in Barcelona will now be known as the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. More relevant to the racing itself, the track was also host to the pre-season testing in January. While the results of the test aren't easily accessible to the public – or really accessible at all – teams should be prepared to optimally set up their cars. That seemingly leaves it less likely that a surprise team or driver emerges this weekend, though familiarity with the way the track should run still doesn't necessarily guarantee that teams will get it right.
Traditionally, Circuit de Catalunya has been similar to Monaco in regard to the importance of track position. A few variables are in place this weekend to potentially change that. The race is a few weeks later in the year than is typically the case, so there could be some additional tire wear. In addition, there are softer tire compounds (C2, C3, C4) available to the teams, encouraging different strategies both through pit stops and the use of the hard tire. It's unclear just how much that will change about the race, but there is at least a possibility of a bit more action on Sunday than we typically see at the track.
RotoWire Formula 1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya
(Based on $50k Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kimi Antonelli - $14,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
George Russell - $12,400
Max Verstappen - $11,400
Lando Norris - $10,600
Lewis Hamilton - $10,400
Oscar Piastri - $9,600
Charles Leclerc - $9,400
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Pierre Gasly - $6,000
Oliver Bearman - $5,900
Liam Lawson - $5,400
Carlos Sainz Jr. -$4,800
Arvid Lindblad - $4,400
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Alex Albon - $4,200
Sergio Perez -$3,400
DraftKings Constructor Values
Mercedes - $15,000
Ferrari - $11,500
Red Bull Racing - $8,000
Racing Bulls - $3,500
Williams - $3,300
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya
Captain – Max Verstappen - $17,100
Lewis Hamilton - $10,400
Pierre Gasly - $6,000
Alex Albon - $4,200
Sergio Perez - $3,400
Constructor – Red Bull Racing - $8,000
This season remains particularly wide open, so I'm inclined to generally keep a very open pool of drivers until we start to see some results from the weekend. That's reflected in the tiers. Antonelli has passed every test lately, but Catalunya will provide another stiff technical challenge. He should obviously be considered, but this could be the grand prix that his run of dominance ends.
The recent results speak to Verstappen's dominance at the track, and we saw him return to excellent form at Monaco before his car betrayed him. That combination makes him a sneaky choice at Captain, with most of the field likely focused on either Antonelli or Russell.
Similarly, Red Bull Racing makes for an interesting Constructor. Hadjar has also shown strong form in Canada and Monaco, so both drivers finishing inside the top five with at least one podium looks to be a realistic expectation for the weekend.
I'm looking to remain flexible from there, but there are a few options that stand out prior to see much of any meaningful running. Gasly is the first. He's been the most consistent driver in the midfield, finishing in the points in all but one race. That gives him a very safe floor, as does the fact that he's beaten his teammate in four of six races.
My other targets would be one Williams driver and/or one Racing Bulls. Williams has improved its form over recent races, while both Lawson and Lindblaad have earned very strong results at different points in the season.
The top of the field is very difficult to determine, so I'll let qualifying sort out which of the more expensive drivers I'd prefer. Starting position is an obvious consideration, but I'll also take into account a driver's advantage over their teammate.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Aramco Spanish Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:30 AM ET Friday
Race Winner: George Russell (+275), Max Verstappen (+650)
Podium Finish: Lewis Hamilton (+350)
Top-10 Finish: Pierre Gasly (-175), Alex Albon (+140)/Carlos Sainz Jr. (+140), Liam Lawson (+130), Arvid Lindblad (+155)
Double Top 6 Finish: Ferrari (+100)
One takeaway from the early lines for race weekend is that sportsbooks are high on McLaren and their pair of drivers. The team has been quick when they haven't dealt with unreliability and even some driver error, but there have been enough missteps early on that I'm not as ready to match that enthusiasm. That naturally creates a value opportunity in Ferrari or Red Bull drivers, a choice that is up to personal preference. Ferrari has gotten better results, so that's my slight preference.
The other values to target match the discussion in the DFS section. Gasly has been all but a lock for points. That doesn't necessarily predict the future, but he should be in a good position for points once again. The Racing Bulls/Williams drivers carry more risk, but each offers some decent value.
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