The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix provided an eventful showcase of Formula 1 racing, blending moments of excitement with unexpected challenges on the track. Max Verstappen’s dominance continued as he secured pole position and clinched victory for Red Bull, taking thre 56th win of his career, to date.
Verstappen’s triumph was undeniably impressive, yet it wasn’t the runaway victory witnessed in Bahrain. His Red Bull teammate, Checo Perez, kept him honest throughout the race, trailing closely behind. Although the timing sheets will show that Perez finished more than ten seconds adrift, a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in the pitlane masked the true competitiveness between the Red Bull duo. At least in this early stage of the season it appears that Perez is more comfortable in this year’s Red Bull. It comes at a crucial time too for the Mexican who will be pushing for a renewal of his contract for 2025.
The race kicked off with a bang, quite literally, as Lance Stroll’s early crash into the barriers prompted the deployment of the safety car. This incident shuffled the pack and injected an element of unpredictability into the proceedings. Notably, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton opted to stay out on the track during this period, gambling on the hope of another safety car to bolster their strategy. However, the anticipated opportunity never materialized, causing both drivers to slip down the field, with Hamilton facing a more significant setback than Norris.
Adding to the pre-race drama was the shocking revelation concerning Carlos Sainz. Initially believed to be suffering from food poisoning, Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis, ruling him out of the race weekend. In a remarkable turn of events, Formula 2 driver Ollie Bearman, a mere 18 years old, was drafted in as Sainz’s replacement. Despite the monumental challenge and minimal preparation time, Bearman showcased remarkable resilience and skill, securing a commendable seventh-place finish.
While Red Bull were on their merry way to yet another one-two, Charles Leclerc ran a fairly anonymous race to finish third. Oscar Pastri, who’d spent most of the first stint stuck behind Hamilton, was fourth while Fernando Alonso and George Russell were fifth and sixth. The ever impressive Bearman was seventh and earned the driver of the day vote from F1 fans. Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Hulkenberg were eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively. Hulkenberg’s tenth place came about thanks to a masterful strategy from Haas. After incurring 20 seconds worth of penalties, Kevin Magnussen was used as a de facto blocker, which allowed Hulkenberg to build a big enough gap to score the single point on offer.
What was glaring was the lack of tyre strategy required by teams. Pirelli’s conservative choice of compounds is all but sucking the entertainment out of the race. Yes, safety is unequivocally paramount but it is clear for all, if only one stop is required, that their decisions are far too conservative.
The difference in layout and characteristics between Bahrain’s Sakhir and Saudi’s Jeddah Corniche circuits is quite significant. Bahrain is highly technical with a mixture of medium and slow-speed corners while Jeddah is a high-speed rollercoaster ride. The fact that the Red Bull has excelled at both types of circuit solidifies that the RB20 is once again a car for all tracks and, quite clearly, the one to beat. F1 next head’s down under for the Australian grand prix.
