Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Hamilton on pole, Leclerc on the podium, Verstappen crowned: the GP in question

At what time is the departure given?

At 6.30 p.m. French time.

Will Valtteri Bottas succeed in his departure?

Nothing is less sure ! “The left side of the track is going to be really dusty, but I’ll try to keep my position“, he promised.

Do Mercedes have a plan?

The Mexico fiasco had a big impact on team boss Toto Wolff and Valtteri Bottas is aware that he cannot afford to offer another avenue to Max Verstappen (Red Bull), placed just behind this Sunday. Lewis Hamilton is clearly waiting for him to lock his part of the track, if he can. But the Finn has rarely been seen rushing to one side of the track to block the way of an opponent. He’s not like that, and will have to force his nature.

Will Red Bull change Max Verstappen’s gearbox?

That’s the big question, and the team will keep the info secret for as long as possible. Nevertheless, the sports advisor, Helmut Marko, was clear: if there is the slightest doubt, the transmission will be changed. The team prefers to take a five-place penalty rather than risk a crippling retirement in the title race. And for that, the misadventure of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in Monaco serves as a lesson for Red Bull.

It wouldn’t be “not the end of the world” as the Austrian veteran said. Because the world No. 1 could reasonably aim for third place in the final. The loss of 10 points compared to Lewis Hamilton, which he precedes by 8 units in the World Championship, would ultimately change nothing in the data of the last Grand Prix: the winner will win the title.

Note that at the end of free practice 3, Max Verstappen complained of a gearbox synchronization problem, which had cost him a bad start in Austin.

Can Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) aim for a podium?

Why not if Red Bull changes Max Verstappen’s gearbox. What must be seen, above all, is that the Monegasque has only made a top 3 this year, at Silverstone, and that he is ready to take risks for that, especially since Ferrari made the break against McLaren for third place in the Constructors’ World Championship.

“It was really difficult to get back in the car with confidence, explained the native of Monte-Carlo, who hit hard Friday. I took things step by step, before really getting into the last lap in Q3. It was great. The risks you take here save a lot of lap time. “

What result can Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) expect?

Stay 6th, as in qualifying. His problem remains how to transform the speed of his AT02 on one lap into a lasting performance on Sunday, as his tumble from second place on the grid in the 11th final in Qatar showed.

Moreover, he did not find the right formula this weekend. “I was not comfortable in the car, I got scared in Q1 and Q2, he confessed. I really had to work on my trajectories and to do everything right, I succeeded in Q3 so I’m happy. It’s not going to be easy for us: there are a lot of high speeds, it will be hard on the tires … But it can’t be worse than Qatar. “

A top 5 for Esteban Ocon (Alpine)?

This is what the native of Evreux expects, despite qualifying in 9th place. Because all the elements are there for him. “We worked hard to build the confidence I needed to attack hard in these qualifying rounds, said the winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Our long stints in free practice 2 are also a good point. We looked very fast and very competitive, in the Top 5 in race pace. “

What will be the particular difficulty of the race?

Concentration. All the riders describe Jeddah as a tough circuit mentally and physically. “Fortunately, the race only does 50 laps! Physically, it’s hard, very wet at the moment, emphasizes Esteban Ocon (Alpine). So we will have to concentrate and try to avoid problems because things are going to happen. The walls are very close.“The likelihood of an intervention by the safety car is indeed extremely high on Sunday.

What strategy for the race?

For Pirelli, it will only be necessary to stop once during the 50 laps on the program. The fastest sequence is a start in “medium” (that is to say all the pilots of the top 10 except Lando Norris who will be in “soft”) then a passage to “hard”.

What results for Max Verstappen (Red Bull) to be world champion?

Four scenarios are favorable to it: