2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Jeddah, March 17 - 19

[Vanja #66]

Leclerc relatively close to a Red Bull - albeit you’ve got to assume Max would have been several tenths down the road.

2 tenths at most, he was already insanely quick in all FP sessions, pushing to the limit in every lap...

[Spacepace]

Alonso had similar pace to Verstappen but it was Perez that showed the best pace on the medium yesterday. Alonso's real problem will be Verstappen getting a safety car and ending up behind him. Should be stroll, Russell, Sainz and Hamilton trailing them

[AR3-GP]

Yeah, I expect VER to be in the mix tomorrow. At least a podium, possibly a win.

I expect a podium. Win if theres a safety car.

But of course, this presumes he makes it out of the first corner...

[organic]

Leclerc relatively close to a Red Bull - albeit you’ve got to assume Max would have been several tenths down the road.

2 tenths at most, he was already insanely quick in all FP sessions, pushing to the limit in every lap...

I mean Max's fp3 time already has him in p2 on the grid you assuming that he wouldn't find time from track evolution like everyone else did?

[AR3-GP]

Alonso had similar pace to Verstappen but it was Perez that showed the best pace on the medium yesterday. Alonso's real problem will be Verstappen getting a safety car and ending up behind him. Should be stroll, Russell, Sainz and Hamilton trailing them

No one has RB's straight line speed. That's the problem.

RB are doing 340km/h on their own with the DRS open. Now get them sitting in a slipstream with the wing open. How is anyone, least of all the Aston Martins, going to defend themselves?

[Stu]

My god this is depressing. Max half a second clear. Jesus

When I read stuff like this I just think back to 1992-3, 2004 or 2014 and think how close it is throughout the field now!

[Spacepace]

FP3 the track was quicker according to information Bernie Collins got from the teams. Though I would have expected Verstappen in the high 27s

[search]

don't think it will make much of a difference on this track, but both Ferrari saved a set of new softs for tomorrow. No one else in Q3 did (while Verstappen has plenty, of course)

[86legacy]

Leclerc relatively close to a Red Bull - albeit you’ve got to assume Max would have been several tenths down the road.

I hope, based on all their FP prep, Charles is actually set up for the race (given he knew he had the grid pen) but still not quite the pace we expected from Ferrari this year (and Sainz is nowhere).

Charles doesn’t seem very confident about race pace tbh so probably not gonna hold out too much hope for him having a race setup.

It sounded as if he doesn’t think it will give them much an an advantage, since many of the teams won’t struggle with it much. Didn’t sound as though he thought it was necessarily bad.

[organic]

don't think it will make much of a difference on this track, but both Ferrari saved a set of new softs for tomorrow

Might be useful for a late safety car/red flag

[AR3-GP]

don't think it will make much of a difference on this track, but both Ferrari saved a set of new softs for tomorrow

Max also has 2 new sets by virtue of not participating in Q3.

[max_speed]

For a moment i thought alonso has chance at pole. The redbull is as dominant as mercedes in glory days. I think verstappen will win.

[f1316]

Leclerc relatively close to a Red Bull - albeit you’ve got to assume Max would have been several tenths down the road.

2 tenths at most, he was already insanely quick in all FP sessions, pushing to the limit in every lap...

Hopefully you’re right - and Perez pulled out a special Q3 lap here last year to beat Max (somewhat out of nowhere), so perhaps it’s just a Checo special circuit.

Still, ultimately Ferrari not where they clearly expected to be from Charles’ demeanour. Clearly they were massively turned down in engine through FP (as we all expected) - and 3 tenths up on the nearest non-RB in quali isn’t bad - but you can tell Charles was expecting more this weekend.

[f1316]

Leclerc relatively close to a Red Bull - albeit you’ve got to assume Max would have been several tenths down the road.

I hope, based on all their FP prep, Charles is actually set up for the race (given he knew he had the grid pen) but still not quite the pace we expected from Ferrari this year (and Sainz is nowhere).

Charles doesn’t seem very confident about race pace tbh so probably not gonna hold out too much hope for him having a race setup.

It sounded as if he doesn’t think it will give them much an an advantage, since many of the teams won’t struggle with it much. Didn’t sound as though he thought it was necessarily bad.

True yeah, I think you’re right that they’re not at all worried about race pace. But also not an “ace up their sleeve” which I was somewhat hoping for, especially on Charles’ car, given they knew he would have to come through the field.

[max_speed]

Only 2 racers in current batch Alonso & lecrec can fight & win against verstappen but irony they both have min half a second slower car atm.