Piastri shall be laborious to beat this 12 months
There is a sure logic in the truth that Oscar Piastri took the championship lead so unspectacularly, after a measured and managed drive, delivering all the pieces he wanted.
Sure, Verstappen took pole, however Piastri did sufficient to power him to defend in Flip 1 – and finally earn his rival a penalty. After that, all he wanted to do was keep shut sufficient to take the lead throughout the pitstop sequence, after which drive to the end.
McLaren most likely wasn’t that a lot quicker than Pink Bull in Jeddah, and Max appeared robust all through the race. However Piastri did all the pieces proper and now sits on the high of the standings. And given his efficiency over the previous few weekends, he is more likely to keep there for a very long time…
– Oleg Karpov
Norris’ restoration too little, too late
It was a weekend the place Lando Norris wanted to make an announcement. And he did, however not the correct one. His race in Saudi Arabia was just about outlined by Saturday’s shunt in Q3, which left him tenth on the grid for Sunday, removed from his two major rivals, team-mate Piastri and Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Peter Fox – Getty Photos
Norris was lucky to keep away from Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda’s crash in Flip 4, which additionally gave him two free positions. He then handed Carlos Sainz, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton – after outfoxing the seven-time world champion on DRS – and used his hard-tyre option to go lengthy in his pitstop technique, which put him in a very good place for the ultimate 15 laps.
He had no downside overtaking George Russell, however got here up brief in opposition to Charles Leclerc and needed to accept fourth place.
The truth is that Norris ought to have been combating for victory as a substitute of praying for a podium and he leaves Jeddah in a a lot worse place than he arrived. The few weeks earlier than Miami will definitely be helpful for a reset.
– Federico Faturos
Pink Bull reveals enchancment, however how a lot is track-specific?
Only a week on from a poor Bahrain Grand Prix, Pink Bull has proven a marked enchancment in kind. Verstappen took pole place with (one more) magical Q3 lap, and on Sunday confirmed a a lot better race tempo than he feared within the post-qualifying press convention.
It is a much-needed response after Bahrain, though the important thing query is: how a lot of this efficiency is track-specific and the way a lot is precise progress?
Pink Bull put some new components on the automotive in Jeddah, and there is extra to come back for Miami and particularly Imola. That, mixed with a greater understanding of the RB21 and its slim set-up window, might give the workforce hope, though Verstappen himself stays cautious.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
He insists that the monitor structure – with loads of high-speed corners – the grippier asphalt in Jeddah and barely cooler monitor temperatures could have helped Pink Bull. He underlines that not all the pieces is solved but, though that is undoubtedly the response Pink Bull wanted after final week’s struggling.
– Ronald Vording
No, Hamilton nonetheless hasn’t discovered what the SF-25 likes
Only a week after declaring that he had found out how you can deal with his new automotive, Hamilton took one other step backwards in Jeddah, the place he certified and completed seventh – properly behind Leclerc, who was fourth on the grid in the identical automotive and put the Ferrari on the rostrum.
On Saturday, Hamilton admitted he had no solutions, describing his qualifying periods as “at all times unhealthy”, and in reality celebrated a seventh-place end “given the extent”. Within the race, he confirmed he hadn’t misplaced his expertise, fooling Norris for 2 laps, permitting him to overhaul after which making the most of DRS, however finally lacked the tempo to even break into the highest six.
If he has found out how you can drive the automotive, maybe the automotive has modified its preferences. Or possibly, as Andrea Stella mentioned after Norris’ qualifying crash, “these F1 automobiles are too quick to assume” and it simply has to come back naturally. One thing Lewis nonetheless cannot obtain.
– Jose Carlos de Celis
Boring races must be a priority for F1
Keep in mind the outcry about Pirelli tyres being so mushy that drivers needed to nurse all of them the way in which to the end – and even that did not assist them cowl the entire distance with one cease? Two or three was the norm.
George Russell, Mercedes
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
Nicely, possibly that wasn’t such a very good motive to complain – one-stoppers are actually rather more simple and fewer enjoyable to observe.
F1 has now created a particular rule for Monaco to power drivers to cease at the least twice throughout the race. Maybe one thing to consider for different circuits as properly?
– Oleg Karpov
Images from Saudi Arabian GP – Race
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