The report on the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be available after the race concludes. Refresh this page for the updated version. Enjoy the race!
Who can surpass Max? Nobody. No driver possesses the combination of skills and speed to match Verstappen. Red Bull’s teammate Sergio Perez has struggled and once again finished in P3 in the Saudi Arabian qualifying, three tenths slower than car number 1. However, they will start side by side on the grid tonight.
We anticipate a dominant performance from Red Bull, securing the first and second positions, just like they did last year and in Bahrain last week. Any result below a one-two finish for the World Champions will be disappointing, given their significant advantage. Similar to last year, if not more, the RB20 sets the standard.
With nobody able to stop Verstappen, what can? Force Majeure, of course, refers to unforeseen circumstances beyond his control. For example, a wrong pitstop call, an accident during a pitstop, mechanical failure, or an incident. Before the high-speed race in Jeddah, two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen predicted “Safety Cars and accidents” tonight. We sincerely hope the latter does not happen.
Starting on the front row alongside Max, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will challenge the Red Bulls, with Carlos Sainz unable to participate due to appendicitis. This provided an F1 debut for 18-year-old British driver Oliver Bearman. Despite having less than an hour in the car, the teenager performed admirably and nearly beat Lewis Hamilton in Q3. Consider that for a moment…
Bearman will become the 776th F1 driver and the 112th driver to race for the Red Ferrari in the top category. He will face a challenging task, competing in the midst of a highly competitive midfield, starting in P11 in his first Grand Prix.
The reliable Fernando Alonso. Give the Spaniard a decent car and he can work wonders, as he demonstrated on Friday, securing P3 on the grid for his 380th start in GPs. On a related note, a surprising statistic is that the 42-year-old Spaniard won his home race in Barcelona on May 8, 2005, the same day Bearman was born.
Behind the veteran front row of Perez-Alonso, there are younger drivers, with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri starting in P5 and P6. This sets the stage for potential chaos and a busy first lap.
The next row is occupied by the Silver and Black duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who are struggling with their unstable Mercedes. Furthermore, their race pace may be lower than their qualifying performance. This could prove to be a challenging night for the German team.
