Post by Preston Poole | @PrestonPoole405 on Twitter
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Preview
Week two of the Formula One season is set to get underway from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Two weeks ago we saw Max Verstappen, and Checo Perez dominate the Bahrain GP securing P1 and P2 finishes for Red Bull.
The star of the race weekend though was Aston Martins Fernando Alonso, as he secured a podium spot finishing P3.
Now on to some Saudi Arabian GP history:
- The Saudi Arabian GP debuted in 2021, with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton getting the inaugural victory.
- Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied with one Saudi Arabian GP win a piece.
- Jeddah is one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar, with an average speed of 160 mph.
Now to the preview:
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix takes place on the streets of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is located on the western coast of the country. The GP is fought over 50 laps, 27 turns, and 3 DRS zones.
Here are the current standing coming into the weekend:
Last year’s winner Max Verstappen comes into the weekend as the favorite. His Red Bull car looked as good as ever two weeks ago in Bahrain, so a win is definitely there for the taking for Max. He will show up to Saudi Arabia due to a stomach illness, but should be fit to drive this weekend.
Aston Martin looks to back up their performance from Bahrain capturing a P3 and P6 finish, and should be fast enough to do so.
It’s been a different story for Ferrari and Mercedes since the Bahrain GP just two weeks ago. Ferrari has employees quitting the team, and Mercedes has released a statement to fans apologizing for the car after just one weekend. Can the two legendary car brands get things figured out quickly, and salvage the young season?
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start the race this weekend with a 10 place grid penalty, as he’s already on his third power unit this season. The hits keep coming for Ferrari.
Here are a couple teams to pay attention to this weekend:
Williams had a great start to the season with Alex Albon finishing P10 and American rookie Logan Sargeant finishing P12. While it might not sound great. It’s amazing considering where this team was last season. Can Williams follow up the Bahrain GP with another points finish in Jeddah?
McLaren had a troubling start to the season, as rookie Oscar Piastri had to change his steering wheel during the race and eventually had to retire from the GP. Lando Norris ended with a P17 finish, so can McLaren figure things out and get points this weekend?
As always, follow me on twitter @prestonpoole405
I’ll be live tweeting during the race!