We delve into the question: Can Max Verstappen win at Jeddah coming from 15th
[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
After a driveshaft failure in Q2 that cost Verstappen what looked to be a certain pole, the reigning world champion believes it is a tough ask for him to be able to come through and win from 15th.
However, his rivals are predicting that he will rise through the field comfortably and are not ruling out a similar repeat of Spa last year where the Dutchman cruised from 14th to take a dominant victory.
Fernando Alonso, who will start on the front row alongside Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, said that he expects Red Bull’s advantage to be such that he won’t have a chance to fight either of them.
“I think Max will come [catch me] eventually in the race”, Alonso said.
“They have this advantage. I think there is no doubt that he will be on the podium, probably, minimum.”
With Jeddah being a track where overtaking opportunities are plentiful, and the RB19 being super-efficient on the straight, Verstappen shouldn’t have a problem edging his way up through the field in the first stint. That is, if he can navigate his way through the first lap as this track is notoriously tricky if you are starting from the mid pack.
His main adversary at the beginning should be Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, who is starting 12th after a 10- place grid penalty for taking third control electronics. The Ferrari showed strong top speeds in qualifying after they turned the engines down in free practice as a precaution.
Red Bull may opt to start Verstappen on the soft compound considering he has a fresh set to have better grip off the line and in the opening stages. The RB19 is kind on its tyres, but the medium is the better race tyre and it’s likely the team will want to keep Verstappen out a little longer in case of potential safety cars or red flags – before pitting for the hard in what theoretically is a one stop strategy.
If he can get himself among the front group before the stops, he has every chance of catching the leaders.
Perez’ set the pace on the medium tyre on the long runs in FP2 on Friday, with an average around two tenths quicker than that of Alonso. Assuming that is the case today, you’d expect Verstappen to have a few tenths a lap on that advantage.
Perez said that he isn’t thinking about his teammate catching him but is expecting him to come through.
“We certainly have a good race car”, said Perez. “It’s probably where we are a little bit better than the competition. But it depends. Like Fernando says, so many things can happen in a race, but I do expect him to come back.
“The competition, it’s only going to get closer. So, to be able to maximise maximum points will be important.”
He added: “I’m not going to approach the race thinking about Max.
“First of all, I have to make sure I’m able to keep the lid on the initial laps. And if i’m able to do that, to keep this Lion [Alonso] behind, it will be good, because I can focus on my own race.”
Just like at Spa last year, Verstappen, in the correct circumstances, has the pace to come through and win the Grand Prix. But Jeddah is a street track, and with it comes its own set of challenges when climbing through the field.
[adrotate banner=”7″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing