2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen pips Alonso by 0.2s in second F1 practice.
Max Verstappen grabbed the fastest time in Formula 1's second practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, beating Fernando Alonso by two tenths of a second.
17th March 2023, 18:12
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
Motorsport.com

Once the early choices of medium and hard tyres were shed following the opening 20 minutes of laps, soft tyre running subsequently began in earnest as Alonso sought to topple Verstappen's current headliner.

But his 1m29.985s on the first soft-tyre run in anger was just a smidgen shy, and Perez's 1m29.902s on the same soft compound was enough to place the Mexican on top of the order.

Verstappen waited until later to do his own lap on softs, crossing the line at the half-hour mark with a 1m29.603s to put nearly 0.3s over Perez, but still had to withstand a later challenge from Alonso, who logged a 1m29.811s in another soft-shod effort.

‘Max Verstappen grabbed the fastest time’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...tice/10444714/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
17th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:29.603
2. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.208
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.299
4. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.436
5. George Russell Mercedes +0.467
6. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.497
7. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.507
8. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.578
9. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.738
10. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.989

‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second free practice ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Jeddah’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-81636


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
17 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2Pg4L8h9x.html


Verstappen ahead of Alonso in Saudi Arabian FP2
17th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Max Verstappen topped both of the practice session in Jeddah as Red Bull and Aston Martin continued to be the fastest teams.

The second practice, the only representative session the drivers will have before qualifying tomorrow, got underway under the lights in Jeddah. Lance Stroll led the pack out as the majority of drivers were raring to get out and circulating at the start, the exception to that though was Sergio Perez who remained in his garage for a few extra minutes.

The timesheets didn’t change and so it was Verstappen who ended fastest with a 1:29.603, just beating his FP1 time, while Alonso was just over two tenths slower for Aston Martin while Perez took P3 three tenths off his teammate’s pace. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon ended the day P4 with a 1:30.039 ahead of George Russell and the other Alpine of Pierre Gasly.

‘Verstappen ahead of Alonso’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...bian-fp2-81640


2023 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 results
17 March 7:00PM
Author RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen continued to set the pace around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez.

The Red Bull driver set a fastest lap of 1:29.603s which was just 0.208s faster than Alonso. Esteban Ocon was fourth fastest 0.436s off the best time, while George Russell rounded out the top five.

‘Max Verstappen continued to set the pace’;

https://racingnews365.com/2023-f1-sa...tice-2-results


Alonso splits Red Bulls in second Saudi Arabian GP practice
17th March 2023.18:12
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Max Verstappen remained at the head of the order in second practice for the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin splitting the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez as the Ferraris again made little impression

Key moments:
> Verstappen sets best time on fourth lap on softs
> Alonso gets between Red Bulls on second run
> Alpines fourth and sixth; Russell between
> Ferraris only round out top 10

‘Ferraris again made little impression’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alons...n-gp-practice/


Verstappen in command as traffic bedlam sparks Saudi Arabian GP qualifying fears
Friday 17 March 2023 18:01
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Red Bull's stronghold at the top of the F1 timesheets continued with Max Verstappen finishing fastest in second practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Verstappen's confidence with the RB19 was clear for all when the two-time champion instantly pushed to the limit, narrowly avoiding contact with the wall on the exit of the final corner during his initial medium-tyre runs.

The Dutchman set a best time of one minute, 29.603secs to finish 0.208s faster than Fernando Alonso, who continues to impress for Aston Martin. Sergio Perez was third in the second Red Bull, within a tenth of Alonso as the teams completed their representative qualifying simulations under the lights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The big takeaway from the session ahead of qualifying, however, was the difficulties drivers will face with traffic. Leclerc labelled Hulkenberg 'a joke' for hugging the apex at turn 13 early in the session before further ranting on team radio in the dying embers of the hour.

‘Difficulties drivers will face’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...esults-report/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso coy on Aston Martin chances after Saudi Arabian GP Friday.
Fernando Alonso has refused to declare that Aston Martin currently have the second-fastest car in Formula 1 after once again being the only driver to trouble the dominant Red Bulls in Friday practice at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
17 Mar 2023 8:00 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

After starting the 2023 season with a podium in Bahrain, Alonso was a fixture in the top three throughout the opening day of running in Jeddah. Having been third in FP1, seven tenths adrift of Max Verstappen’s table-topping time, Alonso rose to second – ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez – and closed the gap to Verstappen to two tenths in the evening session.

Alonso, however, stopped short of claiming his car is the second best right now. “I have no idea,” he said. “I just drive the car and [in] qualifying I see where I am.”

“But obviously, there are a lot of free practice [sessions], a lot of days between races, a lot of data to analyse and a lot of predictions and estimations for you guys to do. That’s the beauty of Formula One as well, but for us teams or drivers it’s difficult to read anything [into] free practices.”

‘The beauty of Formula One’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...ian-gp-friday/


Aston Martin boss Krack reveals Alonso 'infection'
Friday 17 March 2023 15:45
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack believes Fernando Alonso is "infecting" the team with his energy and motivation for success in F1.

Noted during a conversation with Sky Sports F1 after the opening session of the weekend in Jeddah that Alonso's energy levels were as high as ever, Krack said: "[He] is infecting all of us, to be honest. "It is like we are riding on a wave, it feels like, and him especially.”

"You heard on the radio during the race [in Bahrain], how he was getting himself into this mode. It is very good for us, he is very inspiring - he pushes the team forward like that and everybody is flat out to try and do as much as possible."

‘Alonso 'infection': Riding on a wave, everybody is flat out’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...nso-infection/


Alonso mysterious over Aston Martin's Jeddah pace
17 March 9:10PM
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Fernando Alonso insists he has "no idea" about the pecking order for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, despite another strong practice outing for the team.

Fernando Alonso once again provided a strong performance during the free practice sessions to raise hopes of a podium-challenging performance from the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.

When asked about the strong showing from Aston Martin, the two-time F1 champion gave a positive reaction, but cooled expectations by pointing to the lower qualifying result of the previous race.

‘Alonso mysterious’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-mys...ns-jeddah-pace


Helmut Marko tips Alpine to take the fight to Fernando Alonso in Jeddah
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that the battle for ‘best-of-the-rest’ behind his team at the Saudi Arabian GP will see Alpine and Fernando Alonso playing key roles.
17 Mar 2023 8:45 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

It is Verstappen though who spoke of anticipating fiercer competition at Round 2 in Saudi Arabia, and while he would top both Friday practice sessions, Alonso cut the Dutchman’s advantage to two-tenths by the end of FP2. So, Marko does not seem to believe that Red Bull will be facing much of a challenge at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but does expect plenty of competition behind, though one of the teams he mentioned are a surprise entrant into this conversation.

The team in question are Alpine, who following a troubled opening weekend in Bahrain, had said that they were in a situation where they still did not really know the actual performance level of their A523.

And their Friday pace in Jeddah suggested that it is pretty promising, Esteban Ocon having claimed P4 in FP2, four-tenths off Verstappen’s time, while the Dutchman’s former team-mate Pierre Gasly was P6, half a second adrift.

‘Alpine to take the fight’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...alonso-jeddah/


Red Bull retain their advantage in Jeddah but Alpine have joined the chasing pack
2023 Saudi Arabian GP Friday practice analysis
Posted on 17th March 2023, 23:2217th March 2023, 23:44
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

If there was one thing that all 10 teams and 20 drivers unanimously agreed on at the conclusion of the opening round of the season, it was that you cannot make grand assumptions about this year’s championship based on the results of opening round of the season.

While the Red Bull looked fastest in terms of one-lap pace, the relative performance between teams in the second half of the hour was far more intriguing – not least of which for the surprise appearance of Alpine among the chasing pack.

Behind the top three, it was surprising to see that the closest to their high-fuel pace was not the Mercedes or the Ferraris, but the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Both Alpines had an average stint pace of a 1’35.3, only hundredths of a second faster than Hamilton and around a tenth quicker than the second Mercedes of George Russell.

‘Alpine have joined the chasing pack’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/17/...-chasing-pack/


Alpine still feel there is ‘more on the table’ after mighty Friday in Jeddah
Alpine delivered an eye-catching display on Friday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but do not believe they have peaked yet.
17 Mar 2023 10:20 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Already then this is an extremely strong start for the team, with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko tipping them to take the fight to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso for ‘best of the rest’ behind Red Bull, Alonso of course a former Alpine driver.

And if that is a fight that Alpine are about to pick, then it is encouraging that Gasly still thinks he can extract more from the A523. “I must say I am pretty happy,” Gasly told media in Jeddah. “Strong Friday for the team, [and] we’ve got some good potential. We’ve shown some good speed. It’s very positive.”

“I can still feel there are a couple of things here and there that I am not fully happy about. So, there’s probably more on the table, but looking at the lap times, we seem to be there. So, good start.”

‘More on the table’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...di-arabian-gp/

[Fortitude]

RED BULL DOMINANCE CONTINUES IN FREE PRACTICE THREE AT THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX.
Max Verstappen makes it three out of three after free practice three at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
March 18, 2023
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds

As the excitement for free practice three, and qualifying afterwards, builds, Mercedes remains the talk of the paddock. Following free practices one and two yesterday, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff sat down with Sky Sports F1 to talk about his team’s drop in performance.

At the halfway point, it was also announced that Verstappen will take a brand-new gearbox for the race on Sunday. This will not result in any sort of penalty for the Red Bull driver as it is within his allocation. But the Dutch driver was complaining about his gear shifts in practice on Friday, hopefully, he will be happier following the change.

At the end of the session, it was the Red Bull of Verstappen that was back at the top of the timesheet with a 1:28.485. He was followed by his teammate in P2, who was 0.613 adrift from the Dutchman. Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Hamilton rounded out the top five. The two Ferraris were well down the order, with Leclerc finishing the session in P6, with his teammate Sainz in P10. The second Mercedes of Russell was just behind Sainz in P11.

‘RED BULL DOMINANCE CONTINUES’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/re.../?nowprocket=1


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
18th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 1:28.485
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.613
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.998
4. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.024
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.083
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +1.103
7. Lando Norris McLaren +1.205
8. Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.213
9. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.216
10. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.276

‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final free practice ahead of this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Jeddah’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-81644


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from final practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
18 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘LIVE COVERAGE’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cV8DTyxCH.html


Everything that happened in final Saudi Arabian GP F1 practice
Mar 18 2023
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen completed a clean sweep of practice sessions for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.
________________________________________
Key moments:
> Verstappen six tenths clear
> Red Bull in league of its own
> Aston best of the rest again
> Hamilton improves after Friday struggles
> Light at the end of tunnel for McLaren
________________________________________
Verstappen was already just a tenth off table-topping team-mate Sergio Perez after the initial runs, despite using hards to Perez’s softs, and proved untouchable after swapping to the red-walled compound himself.

‘Everything that happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/every...p-f1-practice/


FP3: Max Verstappen bags a practice hat-trick, over six-tenths ahead of the chasing pack
18 Mar 2023 2:34 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen claimed the practice hat-trick for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, the Red Bull driver laying down a 1:28.485 to beat the sister Red Bull by over six-tenths of a second. The good news in the mix, though, is P3 to P17 were also separated by just six-tenths.

The rush of drivers taking new parts from their season’s stock pile continued with news Verstappen had a new gearbox fitted in his RB19 while Nyck de Vries didn’t complete a single lap as his AT04 needed a new PU.

The final 20 minutes saw the traditional switch to new soft tyres as one by one the drivers did their qualifying simulations. Verstappen went quickest with a 1:28.756, 0.371s up on Perez, with Hamilton jumping up to third place with Alonso P4 in the Aston Martin.

‘A practice hat-trick’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/saudi-...23-fp3-report/


Lewis Hamilton hand gesture caught on camera as Mercedes star left furious at Saudi GP
Several drivers have reported similar concerns over the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.
14:46, Sat, Mar 18, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth


Lewis Hamilton’s angry reaction has been caught on camera as the seven-time champion struggled in Saudi Arabia. The Mercedes star made the gesture after he appeared to be held up by an Aston Martin on his hot lap. Hamilton caught the AMR23 in the run-up to the quick right-hander at turn 15 which prompted the 38-year-old to run wide. He aborted his lap but made sure to make his feelings clear as he flicked his hand in annoyance while driving past.

He took to his team radio to complain about the heavy traffic as drivers struggled to find space on the tight street circuit. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington simply responded: “Copy, Yeah, very busy now.” Hamilton has continued to lack pace in Jeddah despite winning the Grand Prix back in 2021. He was only fifth fastest on Saturday afternoon with a lap one second slower than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

‘Lewis Hamilton left furious’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rand-prix-news

[Fortitude]

Perez on pole as Verstappen hit with mechanical issues.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Sergio Perez beat Charles Leclerc to pole in Jeddah after Max Verstappen’s day ended in Q2 with a driveshaft issue.
18th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Once the eight early runners had set their first times it was Perez in provisional pole with a 1:28.265, half a second ahead of Leclerc who set an identical time to what Alonso had managed in Q2.

Everyone was out for the final couple of minutes of the session as they tried to set themselves up to give themselves the best chance of improving. Stroll looked like he’d be challenging for the front row or even the pole after setting the fastest first sector but the remainder of the lap didn’t pan out for him so he only finished P6.

Perez remained on top and didn’t need to put in a final flyer, Leclerc took P2 but with a 10 place grid penalty will drop him back to P12 and promote Alonso on to the front row. George Russell’s 1:28.857 saw him end P4 ahead of Sainz. Esteban Ocon took P7 ahead of Hamilton while the top ten was rounded out by Piastri and Gasly.

‘Sergio Perez beat Charles Leclerc to pole’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/perez-on-p...l-issues-81661


Qualifying Results – 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
18th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -1:28.265
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.155
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.465
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.592
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.666
6. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.680
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.813
8. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.958
9. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.978
10. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.092

‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s 2023 F1 World Championship race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-81652


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
18 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1...udi+Arabian+GP


Perez on Saudi Arabian GP pole, Verstappen starts 15th
Mar 18 2023
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

A driveshaft failure for reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen left him 15th on the grid for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on pole instead.

Verstappen had topped every practice session of the Jeddah weekend and was almost half a second clear of the chasing pack in the first qualifying segment – but suddenly slowed dramatically in Q2 before he could set a time.

He limped back to the pits but climbed out of the car with six minutes left on the clock, the issue clearly impossible to rectify in time. The Dutchman’s exit left an open goal for Perez, and though Perez didn’t go quickest by much in Q2, he then found a good chunk of time on his very first run of Q3 to go half a second clear.

‘Driveshaft failure’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez...n-starts-15th/


Verstappen 'realistic' of Saudi Arabian GP chances after 'annoying' Red Bull reliability woe
Saturday 18 March 2023 18:07
Sam Hall
GPFans

Max Verstappen is keeping a lid on his expectations for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following an 'annoying' reliability problem in qualifying. The Dutchman dropped out of qualifying in Q2 after a transmission problem struck.

Asked if there had been previous issues in this area, Verstappen told Sky Sports: "No, it's the first time I've heard about it as well. Coming out of turn 10 it happened, which is very annoying for it to happen. I think we'd, so far, had a really good weekend. Every session was going really well and every time we were on the track, the car was working really well.”

"Now, it will be a bit more tricky to get to the front. But it is all about scoring points. It's a very long season. Of course, I would have hoped to start a bit further up the road but we cannot change that now."

‘It is all about scoring points’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...liability-woe/


Perez on pole after Verstappen’s driveshaft fails, Alonso inherits second from Leclerc
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on 18th March 2023, 18:13
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

Sergio Perez secured pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for a second consecutive year after team mate Max Verstappen was eliminated in 15th after a driveshaft failure.

Verstappen lost power midway through Q2, dooming him to start no higher than 15th. With the other Red Bull out of contention, Perez duly secured pole position with Charles Leclerc second for Ferrari ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. However, Leclerc’s 10-place power unit grid penalty will see him drop to 12th, promoting Alonso onto the front row.

Despite going fastest of all through the first sector, Stroll could not trouble the front row with his final lap, moving to sixth, while Russell took to fourth with his last effort. Perez did not need to improve and abandoned his final run, while Leclerc was the only driver to come close to his pole time, moving second behind the Red Bull.

‘Perez did not need to improve and abandoned his final run’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/18/...-from-leclerc/


Leclerc unhappy with Ferrari pace despite strong qualifying in Jeddah
Leclerc will start the Saudi Arabian GP from outside the top 10 as he serves a grid penalty for changing power unit parts.
March 18, 2023
By Matt Neill
Total Motorsport

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has said that Red Bull are on “another planet” to the Scuderia despite the Monegasque qualifying second for the Saudi Arabian GP. Leclerc will start the race in Jeddah from outside the top 10 as he serves a 10-place grid penalty after Ferrari opted to change parts on his power unit following his retirement at the Bahrain GP last time out.

He will be joined in the midfield by Max Verstappen, who was forced to retire in Q2 after his car suffered a driveshaft failure, which left the Dutchman limping back to the pits before his session was prematurely ended. And while Leclerc said while he was happy with the flying lap which put him second behind pole sitter Sergio Perez, he was less optimistic about Ferrari’s overall performance.

“On one hand, I think it’s been a very difficult weekend in terms of pace for us, but I’m very happy about my lap. I think I put everything in it. It was really, really on the limit,” Leclerc told Sky Sports F1. On the other hand, Red Bull are in another planet and we are struggling a little bit, so we need to we need to keep pushing.”

“Another planet”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ifying-jeddah/


Perez and Alonso set for thriller as Verstappen issue rattles Red Bull
Saturday 18 March 2023 18:08
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Sergio Perez picked up the pieces for Red Bull to take his second consecutive Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pole. The Mexican took full advantage of issues for team-mate Max Verstappen, setting a time of a one minute, 28.265secs, faster than Charles Leclerc by 0.155s.

With Leclerc's grid drop, Fernando Alonso will line up on the front row for Aston Martin. The Spaniard recovered from an early spin to eventually finished third-fastest on the night, ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell.

‘Perez and Alonso set for thriller’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...esults-report/

[Fortitude]

Alonso eyeing victory and fast cars out of position – What To Watch For in the Saudi Arabian GP.
From some extremely quick cars starting out of position to Fernando Alonso chasing a first win in a decade, and from a five-team fight for the podium to a mixed-up midfield, we’ve picked out some key areas to keep an eye on when the lights go out at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit…
18 March 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site

1. Verstappen and Leclerc out of position. Heading into qualifying, many observers had already assigned pole position to Max Verstappen, such was the pace advantage he had shown in FP3. He was quickest in all three practice sessions but it was earlier on Saturday when he had gone nearly a second clear of the first non-Red Bull car.

2. Can Alonso threaten a win? The Red Bull is the quicker of the two cars and Alonso knows he is the underdog, but the Aston Martin’s pace is still strong enough to put up a fight if he can take the lead off the line – and he’s been known for some rapid launches in the past.

‘3. A five-team podium fight, 4. Will there be points on the table for the rest? 5. Safety Cars and DRS battles’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...McA2npJWg.html


Fernando Alonso doesn’t believe Aston Martin can win Saudi Arabian GP
The Spaniard was rather pessimistic despite qualifying third and starting second in the race
March 18, 2023
By Joe Ellis
Total Motorsport

“I don’t think so,” Alonso said, when asked by the media if there is any chance of beating Perez in the race. “I don’t want to sound pessimistic but if we see the pace all weekend and throughout free practice as well as the Bahrain pace, we have to be honest with ourselves and know that Red Bull is a little bit ahead of everyone.”

“That [the race win] is not the target tomorrow, but as I said before, Formula 1 is not exact mathematics. Anything can happen and today it has put Verstappen P15. I expect a very tight race and I think that will be defined by small details,” Alonso continued. “One will be the start, one will be the tyre management and the other one will be the strategy.

‘Defined by small details’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rabian-gp-win/


‘No doubt Verstappen will be on the podium, minimum’ – Alonso
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 18th March 2023, 20:4018th March 2023, 21:51
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Fernando Alonso believes Max Verstappen will easily overcome the disadvantage of starting 15th on the grid for tomorrow’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “I think Max will come eventually in the race,” he said. “They have this advantage – I don’t know which race it was last year that he started last, he changed the power unit and still finished P2 or even he won the race. So I think tomorrow there is no doubt that he will be in the podium, probably, minimum.”

“On pure pace, I think Red Bull is in another league and I think we have to concentrate more on the teams behind,” he said. “Ferrari will be very strong, Mercedes are strong, also Alpine they are fast here. So I think our race is just behind us.

‘On the podium, minimum’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/18/...inimum-alonso/


Sergio Perez achieves F1 feat managed only once before with Saudi Arabian GP pole position
Perez took advantage of Max Verstappen's misfortune to park his Red Bull on pole position for the race in Jeddah – a result which caught the eye for more than one reason
22:04, 18 Mar 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer.

Sergio Perez joined former Formula 1 star Jean Alesi in a very exclusive club by sticking his Red Bull on pole for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday. The Mexican's performance was a great relief for his team after they watched a disaster unfold for Max Verstappen. He suffered a suspected drive shaft issues which left him unable to set a lap time in Q2, consigning him the 15th place on the grid for tomorrow's race in Jeddah.

Perez will be thrilled, especially considering how often he is forced to live in Verstappen's shadow. In taking pole, he also lived up to his reputation that he is a real force to be reckoned with on a street circuit. Speaking after the session, Perez said: "It was tricky. It was tricky that Q3, especially [after] not getting that second lap. That [first lap] was quite good, you know, it was quite clean, really clean.”

"Nailing that lap, you really feel the Formula 1 cars coming alive in this place and yeah just maximising that lap was very important, you know, because with the issue we had into the final run it was really important as the track was improving.

‘Great relief for his team’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-feat-29495161


‘We must make sure these things don’t happen’ says Verstappen as fault leaves him 15th
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 18th March 2023, 18:48
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Verstappen’s radio messages after driveshaft failure
Verstappen I have a problem. Engine, mate, problem.
Lambiase Understood.
Verstappen I don’t know. I put in the clutch. Let me know what I have to do.
Lambiase Will do.
Lambiase Okay you can continue to limp home.
Verstappen It doesn’t sound good.
Lambiase Okay next car coming through Hulkenberg
Verstappen It’s almost not accelerating.
Lambiase Okay understood Max, we’ll do what we can. We’re happy for you to try and limp home if possible.
Verstappen Just give me recommendations, what gear.
Lambiase Can we have recharge on and diff 12.So you’ve got Ocon at five seconds, he’s coming through quickly.
Verstappen Any other cars?
Lambiase Just Magnussen at the moment. Eight seconds. Now six. Five. Recommend letting him through before 27, Max, in case you have an issue. Track clear behind Magnussen. And box.
Lambiase So look out for the weigh bridge.

‘Messages after driveshaft failure’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/18/...aves-him-15th/


Ferrari star Charles LeClerc lauds Oscar Piastri's 'extreme talent' after the Aussie rookie's 'impressive' performance will see him start the Saudi Arabia GP at eighth on the grid
• Leclerc impressed by Oscar Piastri
• Rookie will start in eighth on grid
• Sergio Perez took pole position
Published: 22:58, 18 March 2023
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia and Jonathon Mcavoy For The Daily Mail
Mail Online

Oscar Piastri exceeded all expectations in the final phase of qualifying to record the ninth-best time. The Aussie, in just his second F1 race, was the only McLaren to reach the final stage - beating his teammate by ten places.

'It's impressive,' Leclerc told Speedcafe when asked about the youngster's performance. Especially after a year off and [this is his] second race, in a street track, in a very challenging one – probably one of the most challenging of the season.”

‘Oscar Piastri's extreme talent';

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ualifying.html


It's all to play for at Saudi Arabian GP as Sergio Perez is new favourite to seal victory.
19:50 Sat, 18 Mar 2019.
Wheels24

Sergio Perez claimed pole position for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to salvage pride for Red Bull after Max Verstappen was forced out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure in Q2.

The 33-year-old Mexican clocked a best lap in 1:28.265 seconds to beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who faces a 10-place grid penalty, by 0.155sec in a closely fought qualifying session.

It is Perez's second career pole and second in Saudi Arabia, while Verstappen will start from 15th. "Good job, guys," said Perez. "Hopefully, Max will be able to fight through in the race, and we can enjoy a good result. We've got a good car, and it's a good circuit for me."

"Good job, guys";

https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...e-win-20230318

[Fortitude]

Perez dominates as Verstappen converts P15 to P2.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Sergio Perez dominated from the front to take the pole to victory that the Safety Car denied him last year.
19th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

As the lights went out to start the race Perez wasn’t able to enjoy his position at the front of the pack for long as Alonso got the better of the Red Bull driver at the first corner however the Spaniard has been noted by the stewards for incorrect starting location, a couple of laps into the race he was handed a five second penalty for the being too far left in his grid box.

Perez crossed the line over five seconds ahead of Verstappen, the Mexican had looked like he would be leading the world championship standings but Verstappen took the fastest lap point, with a 1:31.906, at the very end to ensure he remained ahead. Alonso took P3 ahead of the two Mercedes drivers while Sainz and Leclerc finished P6 and P7 the Ferraris not making up any ground on the hard tyres. The Alpines both took points with Esteban Ocon ahead of Gasly while Magnussen took the final point for Haas.

‘Perez dominates’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/perez-domi...15-to-p2-81671


Race Results – 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
19th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing – 50 laps
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +5.355
3. George Russell Mercedes +25.866
4. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +30.728 *
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +31.065
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +35.876
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +43.162
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +52.832
9. Pierre Gasly Alpine +54.747
10. Kevin Magnussen Haas +64.826

‘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete race results from today’s 2023 F1 World Championship race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-81668


AS IT HAPPENED: All the action from the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
19 March 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ICXhSpeR7.html


Alonso loses podium finish after team fails to serve penalty correctly
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 19th March 2023, 18:5619th March 2023, 19:18
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Fernando Alonso has lost his podium finish in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the stewards ruled he failed to serve a penalty correctly during the race.

The Aston Martin driver was originally penalised when the stewards deemed he did not line up in his starting position correctly. He was given a five-second time penalty which he served when he made his only pit stop of the race during a Safety Car period.

However after studying replays the stewards determined Aston Martin had not served that penalty correctly. Alonso was therefore given a further 10-second time penalty.

‘Alonso loses podium’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/19/...lty-correctly/


Russell disobeys Hamilton team order and Leclerc fumes as Perez wins Saudi Grand Prix
Sergio Perez dominated the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from start to finish, but that was far from the only talking point of the race.
18:35, Sun, Mar 19, 2023
By Stuart Ballard
Daily and Sunday Express

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix finished with the same top three as the season-opening race in Bahrain, although Sergio Perez managed to hold off Max Verstappen to take the chequered flag in what proved to be an eventful race. Express Sport takes a look at four things learned from the Grand Prix.

Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have had a harmonious relationship in their short time together at Mercedes, but that might be tested following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Hamilton was the faster car on medium tyres after the Safety Car period ended and Mercedes gave Russell orders to let his team-mate through.

But the 25-year-old was not willing to give up his place, insisting he wanted to "manage the tyres" and "fight later". There also appeared to be a bit of confusion as Russell believed Fernando Alonso still had a five-second penalty to serve before he was told the Spaniard had already taken the penalty. Shortly after the radio exchange, Hamilton dropped back from Russell possibly with the medium compound starting to wear off.

‘Sergio Perez dominated’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Verstappen-F1


Perez holds Verstappen at bay for Saudi Arabian GP win
19th March 2023, 18:41
The Race

Sergio Perez claimed his fifth Formula 1 victory by keeping his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen at bay in the second half of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Polesitter Perez briefly lost the lead to a fast-starting Fernando Alonso on the run down to Turn 1 on the opening lap, but he reclaimed the lead into the same corner on lap four.

Perez held a margin of just over six seconds at that stage and he was able to more or less maintain that with Verstappen never getting the gap below four seconds.

Both drivers complained of potential issues with their RB19s – Perez complained about his brake pedal while Verstappen was spooked by noises aboard his car – and the team effectively attempted to call off the fight by asking the drivers to stick to 1m33s lap times.

‘Perez holds Verstappen at bay’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez...rabian-gp-win/


Perez shines in Saudi Arabian GP victory as Verstappen survives Red Bull gremlins
Sunday 19 March 2023 18:30
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Sergio Perez secured a comfortable Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory as team-mate Max Verstappen recovered from 15th on the grid to secure a second consecutive one-two finish for Red Bull.

The Mexican beat Verstappen home by 5.3 seconds to secure his fourth F1 victory, though a fastest lap on the final lap for the Dutchman puts him top of the championship. Red Bull was given a fright in the final quarter as both drivers called in with suspicions of issues.

Verstappen worryingly suggested his driveshaft sounded 'rough', the sane component that quashed his qualifying hopes on Saturday. Leader Perez then complained of a long brake pedal, though the Mexican was assured this was only down to general wear.

‘Perez shines’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...bull-gremlins/

[Fortitude]

Horner: Saudi Arabian GP best race of Sergio Perez career.
Christian Horner has claimed that Sergio Perez’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory was the Mexican’s best in his Formula 1 career.
March 19, 2023
By Joe Ellis
19:57 Sun, 19 Mar 2023.

The Mexican resisted pressure from his teammate to take victory on the streets of Jeddah. Perez had the advantage of starting from the front of the field after Max Verstappen suffered mechanical woes in qualifying but he still drove the wheels of his Red Bull to keep the Dutchman at arm’s length.

Red Bull team principal Horner could not praise Perez enough for his performance at the fastest street circuit in the world in which he claimed that both his drivers were indeed going as fast as they could. “The team, all credit to them, have built an incredible car,” Horner said to Sky Sports. “What we saw today was two drivers pushing each other.”

“Max we saw come from 15th and by half distance, he was already fourth and for Checo, I think that was probably his best-ever race. Managing the pace, the restart and those guys behind we were going absolutely flat out.”

‘The Mexican resisted pressure’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/hor...-perez-career/


'Street fighter' Sergio Perez leads Red Bull sweep in Saudi Arabia
Mar 20, 2023
The Japan Times

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – Red Bull's Sergio Perez flexed his street circuit muscles in dramatic fashion by storming to victory ahead of teammate Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday.

While there was no question about the top two finishers, the next two places remained unsettled long after the race had finished, with Fernando Alonso first stripped of third place and then reinstated in the early hours of Monday morning.

Perez, a 33-year-old Mexican, came home 5.355 seconds clear of the two-time defending world champion as Red Bull reeled off a masterful 1-2 triumph with the Dutchman storming through the field from 15th on the grid to finish second.

'Street fighter';

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...treet-fighter/


Perez thought “Not again!” when Safety Car appeared while he led in Jeddah
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 19th March 2023, 19:50
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Sergio Perez said the appearance of the Safety Car while he was leading the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix reminded him of how he lost a potential victory in last year’s race.

“Once I got past Fernando, I could do my own race,” Perez recalled. “But once again, when that Safety Car came out, it reminded me all over Jeddah last year again and I was like ‘not again’. But luckily, we hadn’t pitted at the time. So it was a new race after the Safety Car.”

“Very early on Max came back and we were basically towards the end just making sure we kept the gap between between myself and Max,” he said. “But that meant we were pushing quite hard and trying to maintain the gap. I was on [for] the victory last year, finally I got it and the team did a fantastic job. The job they’ve done, they’ve worked so hard during the weekend. We had a lot of mechanical issues and these guys have been on top of that. So I’m really happy for them and it’s time to celebrate.”

“Not again!”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/19/...led-in-jeddah/


Verstappen: We decided to 'call it a day' in Perez Saudi chase
19 March 8:05PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen says he decided to "call it a day" in his Formula 1 pursuit of Sergio Perez in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - settling for second. Following his 15th place start, Verstappen was running inside the Top 5 when the Safety Car was deployed for Lance Stroll's retirement, allowing him a free pitstop for the change to Hard tyres.

Restarting fourth, Verstappen quickly cleared George Russell and Fernando Alonso to run second on Lap 25, by which time Perez had bolted out front. The gap remained around the five second mark until the flag, although Verstappen did nick fastest lap on the final tour to maintain his championship lead by one point.

'Call it a day';

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...ez-saudi-chase


Max Verstappen angry at Red Bull after Sergio Perez win: "I'm not here to be second"
Verstappen appeared pleased with his result at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when speaking to the TV cameras but, in the post-race press conference, was critical of his Red Bull team
21:42, 19 Mar 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror

Max Verstappen declared: "I'm not happy," as he criticised his Red Bull team after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

He told reporters: "It's not only about the pace of the car, we need to make sure we are reliable without any issues. My first weekend was not very clean because of just the big balance shift from testing to the race weekend, some other things which were going on in the background.”

"Now again, after three positive practice sessions, I have an issue in qualifying. Of course, I recovered to second which is good. In general the whole feeling in the team, everyone is happy – but personally I'm not happy because I'm not here to be second.”

"I'm not happy";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...eddah-29499620


‘Were you not told?’: Red Bull stars in frosty exchange after Mad Max’s defiant move
March 20th, 2023 11:31 am
Alex Conrad.
Fox Sports (Australia)

In the cooldown room, Perez was slightly baffled as to why his teammate was able to go for it. Perez asked: “Am I the fastest lap in the end? On the last lap? Perez takes a moment and runs his hand through his hair before serving a follow-up question that hinted at the anger bubbling away inside him: “Were you not told to keep the pace?”

Verstappen, not squirming at the direct line of questioning, said: “Ah, 33.0, yeah. But then I asked what as the fastest lap and I think it was a tenth faster than what we were doing.” According to Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, the push on the final lap was just “typical” Max behaviour.

“That was uncontrollable,” Marko told Austrian television station ORF. “That’s just Max. Both were constantly asking who had the fastest lap and Max waited until the last lap so Perez couldn’t counter. It means the lead in the world championship for him. We are very satisfied with the race.”

‘Were you not told?’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b3f23f0c554df2


'What a sore loser' - Fans bemused as Jos Verstappen blanks Perez
Sunday 19 March 2023 21:15
Ronan Murphy
GPFans

Max Verstappen had an amazing race in Saudi Arabia, coming from 15th on the grid to finish second behind Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. Recording his first win of the season, Perez was warmly embraced by Red Bull personnel, family and friends after the chequered flag, but Verstappen senior looked on in stony-faced silence.

That was captured on camera, with many Formula 1 fans on social media saying the reaction was 'rude' and 'unsportsmanlike' while some even referred to the ex-Arrows and Minardi driver as a 'sore loser.' Here's a sample of how F1 Twitter reacted to Jos Verstappen's snubbing of Sergio Perez:
- Jos Verstappen getting caught up in the Sergio Perez celebrations ��
- Jos Verstappen blanking Checo while all around him celebrate - how rude and unsportsmanlike. I know they have differences but to not congratulate him is petulant and not what #F1 is about - a really poor example to set to younger generations.
- Oh wow, what a sore loser! Just because your golden boy didn't win.
- Jos Verstappen when his son doesn’t get P1
- HAHAHAHA JOS VERSTAPPEN WAS SEETHING AT CHECO
- jos verstappen when his son drives a near perfect race, gets p2 and driver of the day but just misses out on the win

‘Snubbing of Sergio Perez’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-sergio-perez/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso chaos: F1 risks losing credibility and fans with another FIA mess.
That is not healthy for any sport, let alone one which has already seen its governance heavily scrutinised over the last 18 months.
22:58, 19 Mar 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror

Once again, the final result of a Formula 1 race was as clear as mud to absolutely everybody for several hours after it had actually ended. Even George Russell, who benefitted from that punishment, was surprised. Alonso was furious – not necessarily over the penalty itself, but that it had taken the last 35 laps of the race plus the podium ceremony for the stewards to decide that he was deserving of one.

But Aston Martin exercised their right to appeal, rejecting the assertion that there was a clear agreement that a jack touching the car would amount to "working" on it. And so, more than FIVE HOURS after the conclusion of the race, the penalty was reversed and Alonso had his 100th career podium after all.

Regardless of personal opinion about the decision, the issue here is the time delay and chaos between the end of the race and the final call being made public. For all that time, fans, journalists and even the teams and drivers themselves did not know what the final result of the race was.

‘Fernando Alonso chaos’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...chaos-29500038


Why the FIA stripped Fernando Alonso’s Jeddah podium…then gave it back three hours later
19 Mar 2023 10:40 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Fernando Alonso has been reinstated in third place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, having been given a post-race time penalty that dropped him to fourth. The FIA have outlined how the stewards were shown video evidence of seven different instances where cars serving penalties were touched by a jack without being penalised.

The documentation details how Aston Martin say the “alleged representation of an agreement between the FIA and the teams that ‘touching the car in any way, including with a jack’ was ‘incorrect’ and, therefore, the basis of the stewards’ decision was ‘wrong'”. Under the Petition for Review, the stewards determined Aston Martin’s presented evidence, combined with the minutes of the most recent SAC meeting, showed the ‘substratum of the original decision’ could be ‘called into question’.


Reviewing the evidence presented by Aston Martin, the stewards have decided that there is no clear agreement that can be relied upon to determine whether all parties had agreed that a car being touched by a jack would be considered ‘working on the car’. As a result, the stewards opted to overturn the 10-second time penalty imposed on Alonso, re-instating him to third place.

‘Stripped…then gave it back’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/whyfia...-gave-it-back/


IN FULL: Stewards overturn Alonso penalty
Monday 20th March, 2023 - 9:44am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Fernando Alonso officially finished third in the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a post-race penalty was overturned.

Aston Martin lodged a Right of Review following the race, which prompted stewards to reverse their decision to penalised the Spaniard.

In doing so, they published their rationale in first applying the penalty before subsequently reserving that decision.

‘Below, both decisions have been reproduced in full’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/03/20...lonso-penalty/


How Alonso lost his 100th podium finish to a post-race time penalty — then got it back
Mar 19, 2023
By Madeline Coleman
19 Mar
The Athletic

Alonso was told he had failed to correctly serve a five-second penalty he had been given at the beginning of the race, for incorrectly lining up on the grid (he was a touch to the left of his starting box).

The bizarre bit is that the race stewards waited so long — more than half the race — to apply the penalty.

The really bizarre bit is that a few hours after that, they changed their minds again, putting Alonso back in third.

‘Here’s what happened — and why’

https://theathletic.com/4325481/2023...-gp-explained/


Alonso reinstated to P3 after a review of his penalty
20th March 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

As the drivers headed onto the podium at the end of the race the Stewards announced that they would be investigating Alonso for incorrectly serving a time penalty during the race. After celebrating his 100th podium alongside race winner Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen Alonso was handed a 10 second penalty for incorrectly serving his 5 second penalty which he had received for starting the race too far to the left of his grid box.

The Stewards granted the review and Aston Martin’s main arguments were that jacks hadn’t been cause for penalties previously, the team presenting “video evidence of 7 different instances where cars were touched by the jack while serving a similar penalty to the one imposed on Car 14 without being penalized”, and that there hadn’t been any agreement made that which stated that touching a car was counted as working on it.

Presented with the new facts the Stewards had no choice but to reverse their earlier decision as “there was no clear agreement, as was suggested to the Stewards previously, that could be relied upon to determine that parties had agreed that a jack touching a car would amount to working on the car.” That meant that Alonso and Aston Martin could once again celebrate his 100th F1 podium finish and it has definitely made it a memorable occasion for all.

‘P3 Alonso P3’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/alonso-rei...-penalty-81690

[Fortitude]

No bullsh*tting, demands Vasseur.
Ferrari boss, Frederic Vasseur has one demand of his team's engineers, he doesn't want any bullsh*tting.
20/03/2023
NEWS STORY
Pitpass13:45

As the team regroups ahead of the trip down under, the Frenchman was asked what his main priority will be when he sits down with his engineers. "To not bullshit ourselves," he replied. "The most important thing in this kind of situation is to know where we are going well and what we are doing wrong," he continued.

"We cannot bullshit ourselves. We have to change. We have to understand where we are wrong, and we have to push. It's not enough to speak, we will not be faster like this. For me the picture is quite clear," he added. "The potential of the car is good, but it's not enough compared to Red Bull, because we are not able to extract the maximum from the car every time.”

‘No bullsh*tting’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74758/No-bul...emands-Vasseur


Vasseur slates ‘unacceptable’ Ferrari weakness but makes vow to Leclerc and Sainz
Monday 20 March 2023 13:20
Daniel Austin
GPFans

"We certainly didn't expect to be in this position," the Swiss said post-race, as reported by Correire dello Sport. "We need to analyse clearly. With the hard tyres, we had a huge lack of pace. Unacceptable! We need to understand and correct it as soon as possible.

"I can't comprehend a car finishing on the front row in qualifying (as Leclerc did before his 10-place grid penalty), and then in the race, it's nowhere."

‘Unacceptable’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-saudi-arabia/


Saudi F1 struggles show Ferrari not second best, says Sainz
20:54 Sun, 19 Mar 2023.
By: Matt Kew
Motorsport.com

Ferrari's poor performance late in Formula 1's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix proves the team "lacks a bit of race pace" and is not second fastest, reckons Carlos Sainz.

The Spaniard finished some 36 seconds adrift of Red Bull victor Sergio Perez in Jeddah to clock sixth place, one spot ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was recovering from a 10-place gird drop.

Sainz said: "The last stint on the hard [tyres] proves that we are not where we want to be, that we still deg more than the Mercedes, that we still deg more than the Aston Martins. We lack a bit of race pace." Understanding Ferrari's early struggles compared to its rapid start in 2022, Sainz said the team could no longer consider its subdued showing in Bahrain to be track specific.

‘Not second best’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...ainz/10446180/


Charles Leclerc tears into Ferrari after Saudi Arabia struggles: 'Just not good enough'
20th March 2023, 11:28
Wheels24

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz slammed the performance of their cars as "not good enough" after the Ferraris finished sixth and seventh in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, 19 March. Leclerc started 12th on the grid after a 10-second penalty for taking a new electronic control unit. He climbed to seventh but was dissatisfied that he was unable to compete for the podium.

His feelings came out during an exchange on team radio when he complained that race engineer Xavier Marcos Padros had failed to inform him that Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton had pitted ahead of him under the safety car. "You need to tell me that before... Come on!" he cried.

‘Tears into Ferrari’;

https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...nough-20230320


‘There wasn’t much more in the car’ – Leclerc calls on Ferrari to improve ‘a lot’ after distant P7 finish in Jeddah
19 March 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Leclerc said: “Once I got within a second and a half to Carlos, it was very difficult to get closer than that. The pace difference wasn’t big enough. I did a small mistake when I was within DRS, and then when I lost it, that was it.”

“I just stayed there. It’s like this. Honestly, I don’t think there was much more anyway in the car today. We just need to work to find some pace.”

‘There wasn’t much more in the car’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Q1wPmeZfX.html


Charles Leclerc fumes at engineer in Jeddah as his patience with Ferrari runs out
Charles Leclerc started the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from 12th, as a result of a 10-place grid penalty.
19 March 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Leclerc was told to “push” at a section of the circuit whilst he’d already arrived there, something which resulted in the Monegasque falling behind Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc was absolutely furious with the error from his team, which effectively cost him fifth, given that is where Hamilton finished the race.

“Try to push from Safety Car Line One. Lewis Hamilton just pitted.” said Leclerc’s race engineer. “XAVI YOU NEED TO TELL ME THAT BEFORE! I MEAN COME ON!” Leclerc shouted. Leclerc ultimately crossed the line in seventh, whilst Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz claimed sixth.

‘Fumes at engineer’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/charles-l...rari-runs-out/


Jeddah performance shows Ferrari have “a lot of work to do” – Sainz
2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 20th March 2023, 11:35
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

The second race of the season showed Ferrari are not as close to the pace as they thought they were, Carlos Sainz Jnr admitted. Ferrari arrived in Jeddah hoping to be the closest rivals to Red Bull. “I’m a bit surprised because after Friday and before the weekend, I thought that we had a chance of being the second force here in Jeddah,” said Sainz.

“But I think that last stint on the hard proves that we still have a lot of work to do. We have a weakness in the race and that we need to wait for the developments to come to see if we can improve that weakness.”

“A lot of work to do”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/03/20/...k-to-do-sainz/


Sainz says it's 'difficult to take positives' from Ferrari's Saudi Arabian weekend
20 March 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Carlos Sainz: "It's difficult to take positives when you are P6 and P7, especially the last stint when you are all fair and square in pace… and they [the top three drivers] all pulled away. So it’s difficult to take a positive. Yeah, at least we got the reliability and the double points, but [this is] not where we want to be right now."

"Post-race, obviously it looks like we still have some work to do – especially race pace towards the second half of the stints, we just [wear our tyres] a bit too much, we cannot keep the pace of the front-runners. We need to keep the heads down: we know the car at the moment is not where we want it to be, and [we need to] start improving it as the season goes on," he concluded.

'Difficult to take positives';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2MyU934BS.html


Sainz in Ferrari demand after lacklustre Saudi Arabian GP
Monday 20 March 2023 09:40
Jack Walker
GPFans

Carlos Sainz : “…we were the fourth-fastest car on track. We need to know why and how we can improve. It’s already two different tracks where our race pace is not great, so we know we have work to do.”

“Even after quali when Charles did a brilliant lap and I struggled, we thought in race pace we were going to be okay. So [there is] work to do [and] developments to come. Unfortunately, we need time for these developments to come so this is what we have. It’s proved we need to bring some upgrades.”

‘Ferrari - fourth-fastest car on track!’

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...sainz-ferrari/

[Fortitude]

Sergio Perez reflects on victory in Jeddah: “I had a wicked race”.
Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez took his fifth career victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, successfully converting his pole position and holding a gap to team-mate Max Verstappen, who crossed the line in second.
March 20, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag

“I had a wicked race – which is a new word I learnt this week! I didn’t have a great start but after I got back around Fernando, I was able to create a good gap between the rest of the field and me… until the safety car came out and I was reminded of Jeddah 2022… It was a new race after the safety car though and I’m happy I was able to build a gap again and then keep it, even when Max was pushing at the end.”

Perez said that he was excited to have achieved another amazing result with the team, once again proving to be a dominant force on the 2023 grid. He thanked his team members on site in Jeddah and back at headquarters for delivering such a strong car and helping secure a “massive team result.”

“Everyone back in Milton Keynes and here at the track have built such a fantastic car for us this season. I love being a part of this Team because of the way we push and the way we deliver, I’m so proud of us. The Team is working at such a high level so it’s really great to be a part of. In the end, we must remember it’s a long season but tonight was a massive team result.”

‘Built such a fantastic car’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...a-wicked-race/


Martin Brundle on Saudi Arabian GP: Sergio Perez lands 'significant' blow on team-mate Max Verstappen
Last Updated: 21/03/23 6:08am
Martin Brundle
Sky Sports

Perez out front matched whatever his team-mate Verstappen could muster speed-wise and duly won the race in fine style. His fifth victory, four of which have been on street circuits - but more significantly his first victory when Max was second.

Verstappen stole the fastest lap championship point on the final tour and that clearly annoyed Perez, who was surprised the team didn't call off the fight when they had a one-two easily in the bag and he was suffering with a longer brake pedal, and unbeknown to him, Max was feeling a vibration in his transmission.

Team Verstappen were perhaps surprised that Perez could match their pace, and they were no doubt annoyed that it was ultimately the qualifying car issue which prevented Max setting a new record of 16 victories in 21 races.

‘Sergio Perez lands 'significant' blow’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24...max-verstappen


F1 needs Perez to keep performing at his best
21:13 Mon, 20 Mar 2023.
By Alan Baldwin
Reuters

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Sergio Perez may have had his best race yet in Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but Formula One desperately needs the Mexican to keep it up in a season turning into a tale of two Red Bull team mates. Perez, who started on pole position under the floodlights in Saudi Arabia, and his championship leading team mate are separated by just one point, a fastest lap, with everybody else fighting for the leftovers.

Neutrals will join Mexican fans in hoping the 33-year-old veteran, signed at the end of 2020 as solid support for the team's star talent, can at least give Verstappen some sort of a run for his money. Horner did his best to conjure up some suspense, even if it did not sound entirely convincing, by suggesting the situation could change once the first three races are out of the way and upgrades start coming through.

"Albert Park (in Melbourne) has never been a lucky circuit for us. We’ve won there once I think, back in 2011," he added of next week's Australian GP. "So we’re going to go there and try and do the best we can." Perez agreed: "I think we did a great job," he said of the race in Jeddah. "I don't know if it's my best weekend so far with the team, but I'm sure Melbourne will be even better."

‘Neutrals will join Mexican fans’;

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sp...3-20/?rpc=401&


Perez has won his ‘greatest grand prix’, but he’ll have to start a civil war if he wants to win the title
March 21st, 2023 5:24 pm
Michael Lamonato
Fox Sports (Australia)

Sergio Perez isn’t at Red Bull Racing to be Max Verstappen’s number two. We know this because he says it often. He says it when he wins races. He says it when he’s asked to help his teammate win races. It’s just that over the last two seasons Perez has almost always finished second to Verstappen. He may not be formally cast at the Dutchman’s sidekick, but he’s yet to perform at a level that suggests he could become Red Bull Racing’s leading man.

But there’s a subtle difference to the way things are panning out this season. We’re only two races into the year, but few doubts remain that the 2023 championship is a two-driver fight between teammates Perez and Verstappen. No external rivals; just two sides of the same garage. An intrateam battle has the potential to completely change the rules of engagement, and with Perez winning comfortably in Jeddah, he’s stating his claim for promotion from supporting cast to leading role. But he’ll have to risk everything if he wants to go all the way.

So it was an undeniably great performance, but can Perez keep it up? But there’s some reason for optimism too. Last year’s fade-out was partly due to the RB18 being developed to better suit Verstappen after a troublesome start to life. This year the team believes it has a machine that can work for both drivers, so far Perez has sounded positive about the tools he has at his disposal with the RB19. And considering Red Bull Racing appears to have a massive advantage over the field, Perez might get more time to mould his car around him rather than being railroaded into a development program that makes the car faster but at the expense of his preferences.

‘He’ll have to start a civil war if he wants to win the title’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...a03e8ad0b51e69


Sergio Perez takes aim at Red Bull after fastest lap fiasco
Sergio Perez has called for Red Bull to review its procedures after losing the race's fastest lap to Max Verstappen after the Dutchman was given the push-ahead
March 19, 2023
By Ed Spencer
The Checkered Flag

Sergio Perez has called on Red Bull to review its fastest lap procedures after losing the fastest lap of the race to Max Verstappen in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In the race’s closing salvo, Verstappen was told he could push for the fastest lap, whilst Perez was told to stick with his current pace.

It meant Verstappen could snatch the fastest lap of the race to hold onto the championship lead by one point and reignited tension inside Red Bull. “I asked two laps from the end, [and] while they were telling us, they told me to keep a certain pace,” explained Perez to the media. “They told me I had the fastest lap and to keep the pace.”

“So I thought the communication was the same to Max or something. We need to review because I certainly got different information, and I just couldn’t push it there.”

‘Fastest lap fiasco’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-saudi-arabia/


Red Bull’s Christian Horner: Jeddah performance represents “the epitome of a team performing at the top of their game”
March 20, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner: “What a race! All credit to the Team today. They’ve built an incredible car. That coupled with some truly fantastic driving has made for the best start to a season in our history, consecutive 1-2 finishes. Max had a mountain to climb, overcoming a significant deficit, but with over half the race to go, was already in P4. Similarly, Checo turned in an equally outstanding performance, perhaps the best drive I have ever seen from him.”

The team came away with the maximum number of points possible in Jeddah, securing not only a one-two but also fastest lap. Horner said that the drivers put maximum effort into their battle for the victory, resulting in outstanding performances from the pair. They were both going flat out, hard at it. Both drivers were free to race and they went for it. Max secured the fastest lap and Checo came away with the victory. It was an exemplary performance from both drivers, the Team here at the track and everyone back at the factory.”

Though ecstatic about their performance in Saudi Arabia, Horner said that it will be important to keep on top of their game for the Australian Grand Prix, which has been a historically challenging event for the Red Bulls. “There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into a race such as this and it is the epitome of a team performing at the top of their game. We won’t rest on it though, Australia is just around the corner. It is a track that has not been kind to us in the past so we want to ensure we are prepared, just as we were here, to give us the best chance of success and another first class performance.”

‘Important to keep on top of their game’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...of-their-game/