JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 07: Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on the track during practice before the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 07, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
The reigning Formula 1 champions and their star driver chose to showcase their performance early at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. However, it seems they may have forgotten to bring the necessary precautions, as if they had left their sandbags behind in Bahrain.
Although it’s no surprise that Verstappen set the fastest time, it’s important not to take the overall session results too seriously. Track grip was still at its lowest point and the conditions during the session differ from those in qualifying and the race, which take place at night.
The second race of the 2024 Formula 1 season is now upon us, with the sport moving from Bahrain to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite also being a night race, this event will be a completely different experience from the previous one. Top speed will play a crucial role, something that Alpine may be concerned about, and the track surface will be different from the abrasive asphalt of Sakhir. Therefore, a lower downforce setup will be used compared to last week.
Similar to Bahrain, the entire weekend schedule has been moved up by a day. The grand prix will now take place on Saturday, as Ramadan begins on Sunday.
Off-track drama is expected to continue, with the ongoing saga involving Christian Horner. However, with Jos Verstappen absent for a rally, Red Bull may have a more low-key racing weekend.
Além da saga de Horner, a Fórmula 1 como um todo terá que lidar com tópicos mais controversos. O presidente da FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, está atualmente sob investigação por supostamente manipular o Grande Prêmio da Arábia Saudita de 2023 e tentar obstruir a aprovação da pista de Las Vegas. Esperamos que a emoção das corridas desvie a atenção dos boatos e foque na competição.
Para esta corrida, a Pirelli forneceu os compostos de pneus C2 (Duro), C3 (Médio) e C4 (Macio).
Jeddah é conhecida por ser a segunda pista mais longa do calendário, com 27 curvas sinuosas. O circuito possui uma superfície lisa, mas as velocidades alcançadas são incrivelmente altas, com uma velocidade média de volta de 250 km/h. É superado apenas por Monza em termos de velocidade.
(Fonte: Pirelli Motorsport Twitter)
A sessão começou em condições claras e ventosas, com temperaturas mais altas do que as experimentadas no Bahrein. A temperatura da pista chegou a 41 graus Celsius, enquanto a temperatura ambiente era de 27 graus.
Dado que a classificação e a corrida ocorrerão à noite, a primeira sessão de treinos não é indicativa do verdadeiro desempenho. Em vez disso, serve como uma oportunidade para as equipes testarem seus sistemas de carro e os pilotos se familiarizarem com a pista.
Embora gostaríamos de determinar a hierarquia das equipes nesta pista, será necessário mais tempo para avaliar seu desempenho além da Red Bull, que é esperada para ser a mais rápida.
A ação na pista começou logo depois, com uma mistura de escolhas de pneus compostos Duro e Médio. Bottas liderou o pelotão com Zhou logo atrás, e Hamilton seguindo o par da Sauber.
A sessão em Jeddah começou! 🤩
🟢 LUZ VERDE FP1 🟢
Ocon expressou insatisfação logo no início com o Alpine, afirmando: “Experimentei saltos no primeiro setor, o que não é ideal”.
Within 15 minutes, Stroll had a close encounter with the wall at Turn 22, almost making contact and causing the left front tire to come off.
The Canadian driver returned to the pits for repairs, while television images showed mechanics struggling to remove the damaged tire.
An early reminder of the narrowness of this track 🤏
Lance Stroll brushes against the wall at T22💥
By the halfway point of the session, all cars except Ricciardo and Tsunoda in the RBs, went to the pits for setup changes. Alonso soon joined them, followed by Bottas.
Sainz, who had been feeling unwell on Wednesday, remained in his car in the pits as mechanics made significant changes to the setup. FIA delegates even inspected the rear of the SF-24.
Norris was the first driver to switch to Soft tires during the session and quickly climbed to the top of the timing sheets. Previously, Russell held the top spot with Hard tires. Norris was 0.130s faster than Russell on the Softs.
More drivers followed suit and opted for the red wall tires.
Verstappen quickly surpasses Norris by over four tenths, only for Russell to go even faster by a mere 0.003s and reclaim the top spot. Russell’s middle sector remains unbeatable at this point, with 25 minutes remaining in the session.
Hulkenberg and Magnussen, driving for Haas, deviate from the norm and choose Medium tires during their second runs, while all other drivers stick with the Softs.
With twenty minutes left on the clock, Verstappen faces some concerns with “engine noise” and “strange engine behavior” under acceleration. Despite these issues, he manages to improve his time and regain the lead from Russell by over three tenths.
Leclerc finds debris, possibly a plastic bag, in his front left wheel. He returns to the pits for a quick clean-up.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the session, Leclerc compares the track to “Mario Kart” due to the presence of plastic bags scattered everywhere. Replat’s front suspension reveals remnants of a plastic bag wrapped around it.
With three minutes remaining, Sargeant narrowly avoids a collision with Sainz, resulting in some colorful words from the American over the team radio.
© 2024
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