All that remains is the fight for the checkered flag.
As he’s already doing this season, Max Verstappen surprised everyone by snatching Saudi Arabia’s pole position and finishing Oscar Piastri’s 0.010 seconds ahead. However, as Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner pointed out after qualifying, when the lights go out later today, Verstappen is about to fill his hands.
“But what we saw this weekend is that McLaren is very fast, especially in lace trim. So, I think we have a hell of fighting in the hands to keep the Oscar behind us. But we’re starting from the best possible position. Sky Sports F1 After the session.
“To be honest, I didn’t believe it could be in that session, but it just shows you don’t give up. We have a great team. You keep fighting.
Whether Verstappen can actually hold back Piastri is one of the main topics heading towards Sunday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Attractive battle in front
So far, this week was pretty similar to the Japanese Grand Prix a few weeks ago. Randororis and Piastri McLaren duo entered as pole position favorites on Saturday, but it was Verstappen who took P1 from the Papaya pair and grabbed the place between the race itself.
Considering that there is no overtaking, the race sometimes looks more like a parade than a grand prix.
Passing comes at premiums around the Jeddah Cornish Circuit, but that is not impossible. The three DRS zones and 27 corners combine to give the driver a chance to build the ground on the truck. Verstappen has the advantage of the line, but running to left-handed turn 1 gives Piastri the opportunity to grab the lead. However, if the Australian driver can’t catch Verstappen from the start, the MCL39 pace should give him more chances.
And if Verstappen and Piastri reach entanglement, can it open the door for George Russell, who starts third?
What about the other drivers in front?
Can someone outside the top 3 run on the checkered flag?
Charles Leclerc will be fourth in the second row alongside Russell. However, Ferrari drivers were less confident about their chances of moving forward on Sunday. Speaking to the official F1 channel after qualifying, Leclerc downplayed his chances and did not hide his “disappointment.”
“That’s a mixed feeling,” said the Ferrari driver. “Yes, I’m happy with my job, but I’m disappointed. [the result]. For now I’m just disappointed because fighting for the P4 isn’t what I want and it’s not what makes me happy either. ”
As for his teammates, Lewis Hamilton sounded a little more cheerful after qualifying for seventh place and relayed optimism towards Sunday.
“I’m not saying I’m happy, but I’m happier than yesterday. Also, it was 12 or 13 days throughout all the practice sessions,” Norris said. Sky Sports F1. “I just didn’t feel good in the car underneath myself and it wasn’t really easy so I just went into Q3 and it doesn’t matter how close it is. The P7 is fine, it’s better than my last qualifier, so I still have something to do to gel with this car.
“We didn’t actually do that in the long run, but I think this is a truck that I think has overtaken. [I’m] looking forward to it. ”
The driver to watch out for is Kimi Antoneri, who starts at 5th. In his mind, the P4 was certainly on the table.
“It was a very intense qualification,” Antonelli said in a report after the team’s qualification. “The whole session went well and we kept on getting faster. We had a big snap on the first lap in the first quarter and had to burn a second set of new tires to get to the second quarter. That wasn’t ideal. The rest of the laps were strong so I think we could have taken a P4.”
Confidence is certainly built in his mind, which can make him a dark horse on Sunday.
“Every weekend I’m more and more confident. This track requires confidence and is a big test to really get closer to the wall through high-speed corners,” Antonelli added. “The more step-by-step and the more experience I have, the more consistent I feel I am starting to put it together, but let’s not go any further than ourselves and see what we can do tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a long race, and hopefully we can bring back some solid points for the team.”
Can Rand Norris recover again?
For consecutive days on the second Sunday, Randnoris faces prospects for a recovery drive.
Last Sunday, he finished 6th in Bahrain Norris. He got off to a tremendous start and picked up some spots shortly after the lights came out and crept into P3, but he was quoted for the wrong start and had to offer a five-second penalty.
He ended up finishing third. However, the false start penalty may have cost him the opportunity to gain further positions on the track and in the rankings.
Now he needs to pick up more ground in Saudi Arabia. He has the chance to pick up the spot and can always intervene in the form of a safe vehicle, but McLaren may need to roll Norris and strategy dice if he wants to maximize results on Sunday.
Benefits, Williams?
As pointed out towards this week, the midfield battle is fascinating. In the Constructors Championship standings, 14 points P5 separates HAAS on P5 into Sauber on P10.
Haas: 20 points
Williams: 19 points
Aston Martin: 10 points
VCARB: 7 points
Alpine: 6 points
Sauber: 6 points
Alpine has a tiebreaker advantage over Sauber thanks to Pierre Guthrie’s seventh place result in Bahrain, the best finish of either team this season.
You might think Williams has an advantage thanks to Saturday’s qualifying results. Carlos Sainz Jr. starts with his best qualifying result of the season, P6. Adding Alex Albon, starting at P11, Williams has a big chance with double the results.
But it’s not just midfield drivers starting from the top 10. Guthrie has a solid chance with another big result of his own as he becomes ninth when the lights go out.
Next is the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls duo from Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, which will launch P12 and P14 respectively. Can they move forward based on pace and strategy?
Williams may have midfield advantages when the lights go off on Sunday, but anything can happen on race day.
especially…
Chaos Factor
Yes, Chaos Factor.
The Jeddah Corniche circuit is one of the fastest street circuits in the world and is a track that punishes mistakes. Corner 27 and the looming walls can instantly turn your glory knee into a disaster. In other words, the team is preparing for intervention in the form of a safety vehicle.
Since its inception in 2021, at least one safe vehicle has been seen at all Saudi Grand Prix. Last year, Lance’s walk on lap 7 took a walk in the safety car and saw the majority of the field jump into the pits and change required tires.
However, at the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, not only saw safety cars, but two red flags and four virtual safe periods.
Chaos factors can be high today, and teams with the best unexpected can reign at the best.
