The thrilling qualifying session at the Saudi Arabia GP has set a grid which should provide an entertaining race. Max Verstappen edged out Oscar Piastri by a fraction. Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris, crashed in Q3, bringing out the red flag. The Brit will start in P10, in a car which should have been challenged for pole position.
This is not the first time Lando Norris has struggled in qualifying. Norris could only put his McLaren in P6 for the sprint race in China. In Bahrain, Norris started in sixth place while his teammate Piastri grabbed pole position. However, in Bahrain, Norris managed to recover, but can he do the same in Jeddah?
How can McLaren bounce back?
Oscar Piastri missed out on pole position by just 0.010 seconds. The Aussie was happy with the lap he produced, but was just pipped to the post by Max Verstappen. Throughout practice, McLaren looked to have the edge on the field on the long runs, which should give Piastri hope to challenge the Dutchman.
However, George Russell also has strong pace and will look to challenge the top two. Piastri might also have to look in his mirrors while pressuring Verstappen ahead. The McLaren driver will also need to get a good launch off the line. This might be his best chance of passing Max, so that he doesn’t get caught up in the Red Bull’s dirty air.
On the other side of the garage, Norris could see his championship lead evaporate. His crash on the exit of turn 3 cost the Brit. He will start in P10 and knows the race will now be more difficult to win.
He said: “Obviously, I’ve made my life and everyone in the team’s a lot trickier for tomorrow, but it is life. This happens on a rare occasion, so it is a tough one, but I will look on the bright side and hope we can have a good race.”
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In Bahrain, Norris got a good launch off the line, gaining three positions. However, in Jeddah, the track is narrower and will be harder to replicate that start. Also, the strategy will be unlikely to play a part. It looks like it will be a one-stop race, as there is low tyre degradation. Norris will need to show his overtaking quality to recover from his mistake.
Will Max Verstappen dominate the Saudi Arabia GP?
Four races have been held in Saudi Arabia, and Red Bull has won three of them. Max Verstappen won the most of any driver with two wins and dominated the grand prix last season. The four-time world champion has finished on the podium in every race around the streets of Jeddah.
However, in previous visits, Red Bull has had the best car in the field. This time around, they are behind McLaren and Mercedes. Verstappen will unlikely dominate this race as the pace of the cars around him means they might keep up with him. He needs a good launch off the line and to break the DRS buffer as soon as he can.
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Red Bull does have a saving grace for the Saudi Arabia GP. Jeddah is a high-speed circuit which suits their car. Oscar Piastri alluded to this, saying: “Max did a good job at another high-speed circuit, where they seem to do well.”
With dirty air also likely to play a key role, Verstappen will believe he can stay ahead of the McLarens like in Japan. Although there are more overtaking opportunities in Saudi Arabia, staying close to the car ahead in the first two sectors will be key. Piastri must keep close and put pressure on Verstappen, or the Dutchman could dominate once again.
