After an eventful season opener in Bahrain where Max Verstappen dominated, Formula 1 fans were eagerly anticipating the second round in Jeddah.
In the second night event of the week, FP1 saw Verstappen leading for Red Bull, while FP2 showcased Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin setting the pace. Despite Verstappen’s impressive showing, Red Bull’s overall dominance seemed intact on Jeddah’s smoother track compared to Bahrain.
Here’s a summary of the key takeaways from the first day of track action at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The F1 action commenced at 4:30 pm local time under the scorching sun at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The track’s challenging nature, nestled between the Saudi coast and desert, posed initial difficulties for drivers, with Charles Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg testing the limits.
Verstappen led the way in FP1, closely followed by Alonso and Sergio Perez. The session highlighted the struggle for grip on the hot track surface.
In FP2, Alonso secured the top spot with a stellar performance, followed by George Russell and Verstappen. Mercedes encountered some setbacks, with Russell facing traffic issues and Hamilton reporting a power problem towards the end of the session.
During long-run data gathering exercises, Red Bull maintained its superiority, with Verstappen showcasing a significant advantage over his competitors, including Mercedes and Ferrari.
Despite Mercedes’ struggles, its long-run averages appeared competitive, albeit with a lower lap count. Red Bull’s consistent performance reaffirmed its status as the favorite for the race.
Ferrari showed promising signs, with Leclerc and Sainz demonstrating steady progress in long-run simulations. However, McLaren seemed to lag behind, with Piastri’s performance trailing behind expectations.
Quotes from drivers highlighted their mixed feelings about the day’s performance, with Alonso expressing confidence in his team’s pace, Russell acknowledging room for improvement, Verstappen focusing on data analysis for improvement, Leclerc anticipating tight competition, and Norris expressing satisfaction despite areas for improvement.
