JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 09: Fireworks explode as race winner, Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, drives the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 (1), second place Sergio Perez, from Mexico, and Oracle Red Bull Racing and third place Charles Leclerc, from Monaco, and Ferrari, stop in parc ferme during the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 09, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Charles Leclerc denied Max Verstappen the fastest lap in Jeddah, which may have irked Verstappen, but was just a minor inconvenience after his consecutive poles and wins.
It is important to remember that Red Bull is operating under less than ideal circumstances, with the ongoing saga of Christian Horner and the involvement of Helmut Marko. The only positive aspect is that Jos Verstappen is not present, likely only a missed presence for his son.
Although Sakhir and Jeddah Corniche are different tracks in terms of downforce and abrasiveness, the top order of classification remained the same, with Red Bull still fast and Ferrari doing their best to catch up.
Behind them, McLaren emerged as the third best team, closely followed by Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso. Mercedes, on the other hand, struggled.
Oscar Piastri finished ahead of Alonso in fourth place, while the gamble of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton to stay out on track during the Safety Car did not pay off. However, Mercedes has other issues to address at this moment.
Once again, the races were not particularly thrilling, and it seems we will have to get used to this trend for the rest of the season, unless there is some surprise.
A positive note was Oliver Bearman, who impressed during last Saturday’s race. Although his opportunity arose due to Carlos Sainz’s surgery for appendicitis, Bearman offered something to follow.
Moving on to our conclusions from the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull demonstrated another flawless race despite the challenges and controversies they faced even before the start of the season.
The storm around Red Bull not only persisted, but also intensified, with new twists emerging every day. However, the team shows no signs of weakening. The drivers excel on track, and the engineers, mechanics, strategists, and other staff fulfill their roles with utmost professionalism.
We don’t know who deserves credit for this united front at Red Bull, but a team that has consistently shown strong form over the years, even when their cars weren’t winning, will require more than just challenges to crumble. We hope this outcome does not materialize.
It is crucial for Red Bull to resolve their issues soon, not only for their own benefit, but also on behalf of Formula 1. It would be a shame to see a team disintegrate, especially due to controversies that have affected them.
First and foremost, we must extend our best wishes to Sainz, and it was fantastic to see him in the Ferrari garage less than 24 hours after his surgery. However, the positive aspect of the situation was Bearman’s debut in Formula 1 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The young Ferrari driver was thrown into a challenging situation, with only FP3 available for preparation before qualifying. However, he performed admirably. In qualifying, he almost made it to Q3, and in the race, he showed mature driving. Starting in the middle of the pack, which is a tough task even for experienced drivers in treacherous territory, he managed to keep Sainz’s SF-24 intact.
Throughout the race, Bearman remained focused, executing clean maneuvers and impressive overtakes. He managed to hold off Norris and Hamilton, who had fresher tires, and crossed the finish line in seventh place.
Bearman has recently been praised as a rising talent, and his performance in Jeddah proved that the hype surrounding him was justified. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is that he accomplished all of this in a Ferrari, a car that carries significant weight and scrutiny from top Scuderia officials, including John Elkann, who was present at the event. Additionally, he faced immense media pressure.
In a weekend overshadowed by controversies and predictable race results, Bearman’s debut was a breath of fresh air.
Mercedes introduced a newly designed car for the 2024 Formula 1 season. This car features conventional sidepods and a seating position that Hamilton finds more comfortable.
Despite the initial positive feedback on the W15, with Wolff stating that it seemed like a significant improvement compared to its problematic predecessors, the car’s performance on track did not meet expectations.
While George Russell seems to be adapting well to the car, Hamilton is struggling with it. Even with adjustments to his seating position, he still can’t tame the car.
To make matters worse, the W15 has a characteristic of being a “bouncy castle”, a feature that Mercedes hoped to leave behind with their 2023 and 2022 models. In Jeddah, both the Silver and Black cars struggled to keep up with their rivals in high-speed sections, a concern that Hamilton expressed while trying to catch Norris.
It seems that the car has a significant underlying issue, which Wolff described as “fundamental” and cannot be resolved through configuration changes.
Although the team initially aimed to provide Hamilton with a competitive Mercedes for his final season with the team, the W15 falls far short of meeting that standard. As the switch to Ferrari looms on the horizon, Hamilton’s motivation may naturally be waning, and it seems that this last year of partnership will not be pleasant for either him or Mercedes.
© 2024
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