The primary Method 1 race of 2024 noticed too little drama on-track – and slightly an excessive amount of off-track.
Whereas Max Verstappen cruised to a routine win which recalled the least thrilling rounds of final season, his Purple Bull crew was grappling with an unfolding disaster surrounding crew principal Christian Horner.
On high of that the president of the game’s governing physique, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is now reportedly beneath investigation by his personal organisation for allegedly interfering in final yr’s race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit – scene of this weekend’s grand prix.
Whereas these storylines proceed to unfold, the hopes of a aggressive 2024 season relaxation on Purple Bull’s rivals getting their act collectively – or Sergio Perez replicating his race-winning efficiency at this race final yr.
These are the speaking factors for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Purple Bull ‘civil conflict’
Verstappen has been thrust into the centre of the unfolding row at Purple Bull over the way forward for its crew principal. Christian Horner was cleared of inappropriate behaviour following an inside investigation final week, however a subsequent leak of messages allegedly involving him and a feminine member of employees have raised recent questions. Horner denies the claims made in opposition to him and has refused to debate the leaked materials.
The loudest voice calling for him to face down has been Verstappen’s father Jos, who advised reporters final weekend the state of affairs was tearing the crew aside. It additionally emerged Ben Sulayem had requested the three-times champion to make a public present of help for Horner. How Verstappen will stroll the road between supporting his father and his crew principal is a dilemma he would absolutely slightly not need to face as he focuses on his bid for a fourth world championship.
In the meantime Purple Bull’s rivals have urged FOM and the FIA to take the lead in figuring out whether or not the crew has dealt with the state of affairs appropriately. Ben Sulayem acknowledged the state of affairs is “damaging for F1”, however he now seems to be concerned in an argument of his personal.
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Ben Sulayem investigation
The results of final yr’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was determined a number of hours after the chequered flag fell, when a penalty which had been utilized to Fernando Alonso was rescinded. The choice to cancel the penalty was broadly welcomed and it restored Alonso to the rostrum.
However yesterday a report claimed Ben Sulayem had sought to affect the stewards’ resolution to cancel Alonso’s penalty. The FIA has been approached for remark.
Alonso’s penalty was overturned after Aston Martin requested the stewards overview their resolution. The problem at stake was whether or not the crew had infringed the principles by touching Alonso’s automobile with a jack whereas they have been serving a five-second time penalty within the pits. This was later clarified in an replace to the principles.
Can Perez repeat his Jeddah victory?
The 2024 season started in near-identical style to final yr, with a Purple Bull one-two in Bahrain as Verstappen received comfortably forward of crew mate Perez.
Because the world champion is now on an eight-race profitable streak stretching again to final yr’s Japanese Grand Prix, it will be simple to imagine he already has one hand on the trophy for subsequent Saturday’s race.
Nevertheless, Jeddah has usually been considered one of Perez’s strongest circuits on the calendar. In 2022, Perez led from pole earlier than a poorly-timed Security Automotive took him out of the lead. And final season, automobile quantity 11 took the primary of its two victories of 2023 from pole place in Saudi Arabia.
However even in that victory, Perez benefitted from the very fact Verstappen began properly down the sphere in fifteenth place after his driveshaft failed in Q2, providing Perez a transparent run on the victory from pole place. Though Verstappen needed to accept second after making his method by means of the sphere, he did snatch away the quickest lap from his crew mate on the ultimate lap of the race.
Will Perez be capable of put up extra of a problem this weekend?
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Disarray at Alpine
A handful of groups underperformed beneath what that they had hoped to attain final weekend in Bahrain. Mercedes, Aston Martin and RB all would have pictured themselves being stronger when arriving in Bahrain earlier than the pre-season check than they finally carried out on Saturday.
However none endured anyplace close to as deflating a gap spherical as Alpine did. The crew that completed sixth final season and fourth the yr prior sit on the very backside of the championship on the finish of the opening spherical of the 2024 season. After Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly locked out the ultimate row of the grid in qualifying, they completed down in seventeenth and 18th, respectively. Solely forward of two drivers who suffered issues out of their management throughout the race.
On the launch of the crew’s A524 at their Enstone manufacturing unit, technical director Matt Harman described Alpine as having taken a “very daring strategy” with the brand new automobile that he believed has “an terrible lot of potential to extract.” Yesterday the crew confirmed Hamilton had left together with aerodynamics chief Dirk de Beer.
Though the crew has put a brand new construction in place, that is the most recent in a sequence of high-profile departures from Alpine over the previous eight months.
There’s hope no less than for the crew, nevertheless. Ocon believes that Jeddah “ought to go well with our automobile a bit of bit higher” and hopes ” we’re going to be nearer to the pack than [last] weekend.”
A greater circuit for McLaren?
After back-to-back terrible begins to the season in Bahrain over the past two years, McLaren began 2023 on a a lot greater notice by taking a double factors end with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri final weekend.
It might have been a good higher starting, with Norris admitting he felt a mistake on his closing qualifying lap prevented him from taking a entrance row begin. However regardless of McLaren getting off to a strong begin, they weren’t near the rostrum locations like they often have been in direction of the tip of final season.
Nevertheless, Norris expects that the excessive pace sweepers of Jeddah – one of many quickest circuits of the 24 on this yr’s calendar – will probably be one which performs extra to the strengths of their new automobile.
“I’m extra constructive for this sort of circuit, particularly if you take a look at turns six and 7 right here [in Bahrain], flip 11 – they have been corners we have been a bit higher at relative to the remaining,” Norris defined. “You take a look at the final nook, flip one, flip 10 – we’re simply stunning. There’s much less of them subsequent week. I’m hoping there are extra corners which go well with us subsequent week.”
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One other race with out retirements?
For the primary time ever in Method 1 historical past, each single driver who began the opening spherical of the season noticed the chequered flag.
There was not a single retirement on Saturday, regardless of the most effective efforts of Logan Sargeant’s Williams to pressure him out of the race early on. However what is maybe extra outstanding is that Bahrain was the second consecutive grand prix with no official retirements.
The final driver to formally retire from a grand prix was Norris, when he crashed out of the Las Vegas Grand Prix within the early laps. Carlos Sainz Jnr pulling into the pits on the ultimate lap in final yr’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix however was nonetheless a labeled finisher.
If all 20 drivers full no less than 45 laps of this weekend’s race in Jeddah, it is going to be the primary time ever that three consecutive grands prix have run with out an official retirement. Two vehicles dropped out of final yr’s race – and no less than 5 within the two earlier than that.
Though the probabilities of which can be slim in Jeddah, as there have been a mixed 11 ‘Did Not over the primary three races across the circuit, in addition to two ‘Did Not Begins’.
Safety issues
Returning to Saudi Arabia, the context of latest world occasions and regional politics can’t be ignored. Again in 2022, the Jeddah race weekend was overshadowed by a missile assault on the North Jeddah Bulk Plant – simply 10km away from the circuit – throughout Friday’s second apply.
The assault introduced the safety of the 2022 occasion beneath query, however after assurances, the race ran as deliberate with no additional incident – as was additionally the case in 2023. The FIA confirmed that “Yemeni insurgent group Houthi” had “claimed duty” for the assault.
With Saudi Arabia bordering Yemen, and British and US militaries having out strikes on the Houthis since January in response to their assaults on Purple Sea delivery, Method 1 will need to keep away from any extra uncomfortable conditions in Jeddah. There have been no questions over the safety of this yr’s occasion and no motive to counsel there must be, however as a global sport, it’s inevitable that F1 will sometimes discover itself adjoining to some complicated geopolitical realities which make its inside paddock strife appear small beer.
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Are Jeddah’s days numbered?
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is an uncommon creation, also known as a ‘road’ monitor regardless of being a purpose-built building separate from the encompassing street community. Drivers experience its grippy floor, take pleasure in its medium-to-high pace corners and delight within the problem of threading their vehicles between the partitions.
However they might solely have a number of years left to take pleasure in it. The long-term plan for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was that it will relocate to a brand new monitor in Qiddiya, additional particulars of which emerged right this moment. Final yr the race’s CEO indicated that might occur after 2027.
Are Qiddiya’s days subsequently numbered? Maybe, however Saudi Arabia is spending big sums of cash on sport by means of its Public Funding Fund. If they’ve the urge for food for 2 rounds, count on it to occur.
Are you going to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
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2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
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