Five things to watch out for at the Saudi Arabian GP

Is Red Bull really in crisis after Bahrain?

Like Monza last year, the Bahrain Grand Prix was a low point for Red Bull. Max Verstappen’s sixth place finish – losing just seven points to Lando Norris – may not look so bad, but the real picture is different.

“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong”, Verstappen concluded after the race. Instead of battling the top teams, Red Bull found itself fighting Haas and Alpine, with Helmut Marko admitting it’s fair to say Red Bull is now the fourth-fastest team in F1.

Jeddah should be better for Red Bull as tyre degradation is less of a factor, and Verstappen explained that the balance isn’t too bad in the very fast corners – and Jeddah has plenty of them. But even if the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is better for Red Bull, it shouldn’t distract the team from the broader picture. Bahrain showed it clearly, and whatever happens in Jeddah, it is an extremely worrying one for the future.

– Ronald Vording

Can Norris stop Piastri?

The original question at the beginning of the season was the opposite, but Piastri has earned the right to be considered a strong contender for the title after the opening rounds. He seems to be more comfortable with the McLaren MCL25 more often, and above all, his performance is more consistent.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

If Norris wants to regain his status as a championship favourite, he should start making fewer mistakes and becoming more consistent.

Qualifying better would certainly be a good starting point, even if the Jeddah circuit allows for overtaking. With Russell, maybe Verstappen, or even the Ferraris close behind, it would be important for Norris to be ahead of his team-mate on the grid… or at least just behind. The championship is very long, but if he doesn’t react, he could soon become a pursuer rather than the pursued.

– Jose Carlos de Celis

Can Russell stay close to McLaren?

With three podiums in four rounds and an outstanding performance in Bahrain in particular, George Russell has been one of the most impressive drivers in F1 this year. No one is talking about his title ambitions just yet: the drivers of the dominant McLaren and Verstappen are the ones likely to be battling it out between them, but the Mercedes driver is not too far away. After Bahrain, he’s just six points behind the Dutchman in the standings, and given Red Bull’s performance last week, it’s not impossible to imagine Russell soon leading the chasing pack behind the McLaren.

Yes, Mercedes is still lacking speed compared to the papaya team, and in terms of pure pace, Russell would never be able to compete with Norris and Piastri, but as long as he continues to deliver consistent results, he’ll remain a threat – as one upgrade could be enough for Mercedes to close the gap and at least give the team’s new leader hope for the championship.

Can Russell stay within striking distance?

– Oleg Karpov

Jeddah to test new midfield leader Haas

Williams? Racing Bulls? Alpine? No, your midfield team leader after the first four rounds of the championship is Haas, and that is remarkable considering Haas got off to a terrible start in Australia just a month ago.

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman struggled with high-speed oscillation at the season-opener in Melbourne, with Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu admitting it looked so bad that he thought something was broken on the car during their first laps out of the garage. He even predicted that the team would not be able to find a solution for a long time, given the severity of the problem.

However, since the Australian weekend, Haas has quickly developed a new floor and scored points in every race, including double points finishes in China – with an impressive fifth-place finish from Ocon – and Bahrain last time out.

The team is still adamant that they haven’t solved their aerodynamic problem, so the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with its high-speed corners, will be a big test for the Haas VF-25. They can enjoy their well-deserved fifth place in the standings for now, but holding onto it won’t be easy.

– Federico Faturos

Will Tsunoda get closer to Verstappen?

Getting into Q3 in Bahrain and scoring a couple of points in Bahrain isn’t too bad. A performance like that would certainly have helped Liam Lawson keep his Red Bull seat for longer. But ‘not too bad’ isn’t exactly the right standard for a top team driver.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Peter Fox – Getty Images

Yes, Red Bull struggled compared to the opposition in Bahrain, but the gap to Verstappen was still too big for Tsunoda to be satisfied with his performance. A better grid position would also help the Japanese get some clean air in the race to continue learning his new machine – but so far he’s spent his races behind slower cars, and that’s not ideal if you want to explore the limits.

He is clearly making progress, but another step forward is needed in Jeddah.

You might still argue that Tsunoda could do better if he’d had the whole winter to gel with the team and the pre-season test to get to know the car better – but with each round of the championship, that’s becoming less and less of a factor.

– Oleg Karpov