Miguel A. HerguedasSpecial Envoy Jeddah
Jeddah Special Envoy
Updated Saturday, March 9, 2024-19:41
Saudi Arabia GP Classification and times
Red Bull A chaos of leaks, investigations and revenge
World Cup 2024 Verstappen, leader
It was a turbulent afternoon in the
paddock
and a quiet night on the track.
One more Saturday at the office for Red Bull, whose crazy backroom is giving F1 the excitement it is missing on the asphalt.
The meeting between
Oliver Mintzlaff
, a senior executive, and
Helmut Marko
, a renowned advisor, ended in a white smoke.
There was a truce in front of the gallery before celebrating the double of
Max Verstappen
and
Sergio Pérez
at the Corniche Circuit.
The achievements of
Charles Leclerc
, on the third step of the podium, 19 seconds from the lead and with a final fastest lap (1.31.632), can also be considered good at Ferrari.
At this start of the World Championship, there is not much margin for
Fernando Alonso
, fifth at the finish line after a wild effort.
With 10 laps to go, the Asturian warned his engineers by radio: "Give me the countdown of the laps, because I'm in qualy mode."
He had to stay between
George Russell
and
Oscar Piastri
, driving a McLaren with more features.
He did so, with the usual sufficiency, as long before he had sailed for so many minutes to maintain seventh place.
At first, the Spaniard wanted to defend his territory against the McLarens, until Piastri made his speed evident with a fantastic overtake.
Verstappen did the same from
pole
, moving Leclerc off his radar in a couple of laps.
Demoralized, the Monegasque did not even resist Pérez.
Red Bull's double was a fact.
Stroll's blunder
Nor should anyone doubt the
safety car
, omnipresent here in the three previous editions.
It was
Lance Stroll
who called him up, with an absurd mistake against the inside wall of turn 22, when he was riding alone.
Again the same story for the Canadian, who had already committed a very similar one on Thursday.
The favorites, except
Lando Norris
and
Lewis Hamilton
, took the opportunity to make a free stop.
With so much traffic in the
pit-lane
, it is normal for dangerous scenes to occur.
Alonso almost collided with Pérez, who was released at the wrong time, for which he received a five-second penalty.
Leclerc was also slowed down by excess traffic and Norris took the lead, at least for a couple of laps.
When Verstappen poked his nose out for the first time, the Briton did not put up the slightest resistance.
From then on,
Mad Max
chained rapid turns with terrifying frequency.
From the Ferrari garage, the limping
Carlos Sainz
closely followed the career of
Oliver Bearman
, elected driver of the day with 48% of the votes.
From the beginning, with the soft tires, the rookie fulfilled his mission, until he crossed the flag seventh.
It would have been unfair to ask more from an 18-year-old rookie, with plenty of attitude to complete a nice pass on
Yuki Tsunoda
and another, simpler one, on
Nico Hulkenberg
.
Many more responsibilities fell on Leclerc, who left the pitiful Hamilton fried, lacking speed in the W15.
"Any Plan B options?"
The Ferrari was sharp on the straights and the Monegasque could run regularly in low 1:33s.
He confirmed himself as the second force on the grid, several steps ahead of McLaren and Mercedes.
And many more regarding Aston Martin, as Alonso himself maintained.
"Any Plan B options? Because they are in another league," asked the Spaniard, stuck in seventh place, between Piastri and Russell, for most of the night.
Stepping into that no man's land is the fate of the Asturian.
A week after the sad spectacle in Sakhir, the F1 leaders were able to boast to their sponsors of a race, if not exciting, then at least entertaining.
A lesser evil, among so much scorched earth.
There was also a double 10-second penalty for
Kevin Magnussen
, first for causing a collision with
Alex Albon
and shortly after for gaining an advantage off the track to overtake Tsunoda.
There was nothing to blame Hamilton either, whose last stint with the soft tires was defended with too many lurches from Norris on the finish line.