Saudi Arabian GP: New Kid in the block: Oliver Bearman
Verstappen takes 9th win in a Row and his 100th Podium in Saudi. The 3x world champion has now won the last 19/20 races.
The 2024 Formula One season delivered another action-packed race in Jeddah, with Max Verstappen securing a dominant victory, marking his 9th win in a row and taking his 100th podium on Saturday. He was followed by teammate Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, the true story of the weekend belonged to 18-year-old Oliver Bearman.
Free Practice 3
Ferrari's race weekend took an unexpected turn when Carlos Sainz Jr. was diagnosed with appendicitis and withdrew from the event to undergo surgery, forcing him out for the race weekend. 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, a Ferrari junior driver on pole position for the Formula 2 Feature Race that weekend, received the call-up to the big leagues. With only one hour of practice in the vastly more powerful F1 car, Bearman surprised everyone by finishing an impressive P10, just 0.7 seconds behind his teammate Leclerc.
Qualifying
Verstappen cemented his dominance in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, clocking a blistering 1:27.472s to secure pole position with a comfortable 0.3-second lead over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Sergio Perez, last year's winner in Saudi Arabia, secured third place but wasn't able to improve his time on his second run. Meanwhile, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso displayed sharp strategy, utilizing Lewis Hamilton's slipstream to his advantage and grabbing a surprising fourth place on the starting grid.
Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman raised eyebrows with a stellar performance. Despite narrowly missing out on the final qualifying session (Q3) by a mere 0.036 seconds, he secured an impressive 11th place on the grid. This is particularly commendable considering he received the call to drive just hours before hitting the track and outperformed his expectations.
Both Mercedes drivers failed to improve their times and ended up a disappointing 7th and 8th. Meanwhile, Alpine’s woes continued with 17th and 18th positions, and although Sauber managed to repair Zhou Guanyu's car after a crash, he couldn't set a time and would start from the back of the grid.
The Race
Verstappen controlled the race from the start, translating his pole position into a commanding victory. Despite an early Safety Car incident, he maintained a comfortable lead throughout. The Safety Car triggered a wave of pit stops, with Red Bull opting for a risky double-stack strategy. However, their execution was flawless, solidifying their advantage. Sergio Perez crossed the finish line second, marking a consecutive one-two finish for Red Bull. A five-second time penalty was imposed for an unsafe release during his pit stop, which nearly caused a collision with Fernando Alonso. Luckily, the gap between him and Charles Leclerc in third place was sufficient to maintain his position.
Oliver Bearman delivered a memorable performance in his Formula 1 debut. Starting from 11th, he showcased impressive racing skills with several well-executed overtakes, ultimately securing a commendable 7th place finish and scoring his first points. This placed him ahead of his fellow countrymen Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton who finished 8th and 9th respectively.
Nico Hulkenberg, driving for Haas, rounded out the top 10 and secured the team's first point of the season. He also opted for a delayed pit stop strategy, similar to Hamilton and Norris. Haas reinforced their performance with clever tactics, as Kevin Magnussen held back a group of drivers, creating the gap for Hulkenberg to rejoin the race in points after his eventual pit stop.
Conclusion:
The race provided key takeaways, notably highlighting the exceptional talent of young rookies like Oliver Bearman, surpassing expectations, and offering a promising glimpse into the future of F1 talent. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari next year signals positivity, suggesting the car is adaptable and competitive, boding well for the sport's future. Another standout performer was the Haas F1 team, securing points under the new leadership of Ayao Komatsu, sparking optimism for a potential team revival.
Up next: Down Under!
The Formula 1 grid travels to Melbourne, Australia for the 3rd Round of the championship from 22-24th March. You can catch all the action live on F1TV Pro and Fancode in India.