by VALERIO BARRETTA
F1 Arabia, the report cards of those promoted
1. Ollie Bearman. At 18, 99% of us had as our main concern not to look like a complete idiot in front of the girl/guy we liked. Bearman Oliver from Chelmsford is suddenly catapulted into a world that is not (yet) his own. In just a few hours he learns new systems, procedures and mechanisms and puts them into practice on perhaps the most difficult track for a rookie. Perhaps thinking he is still in F2, he drives like a veteran, without even bowing to King Lewis. Indeed, at the risk of throwing him out of qualifying as well: you understand the kid. And applause also to Carlos Sainzwho with fever and appendicitis shoots himself for two hours on the most dangerous track on the calendar.
2. Max Verstappen. One of the battles of this column is not to promote those who win. In some cases it is not possible, and Gedda is one of those. Speaking of strong-headed riders, here's the strongest. At Red Bull we are at redde rationem and he triumphs with the pipe in his mouth, as if the world wasn't exploding around him. As written many times, it is not the numbers that impress Schumaxer but rather his solidity and consistency. He will have missed five corners from 2019 onwards, and he certainly hasn't always had the dominant car: he is so scandalously good and capable of marginalizing thoughts and words once he lowers the visor. And you have this ability on a Red Bull as on the Sauber.
3. All of us. Two agony races, boredom and the photocopy of boredom. Overtaking: 36 in Bahrain and 25 in Jeddah. Emotions arising from everything that doesn't have a running engine. Zero-point surprises. It's not a question of GPs with the same winner, but of GPs with the same common thread. So well done to all of us who resist while waiting for better times. Special mention for the only one who entertained us, a Kevin Jan Magnussen from Roskilde in Buffon 2006 version (or Schmeichel 1992) on a Haas that started in silence but improved a lot in terms of pace. If Hülkenberg continues to be this, he can get more satisfaction than 2023.
F1 Arabia, the report cards of those who failed
3. Lance Stroll. Guess riddle. What do the three who hang out on the weekend (him, Zhou and Sargeant) have in common? Do they have beautiful hair? Do they speak German fluently? Do they have excellent personal hygiene? Do they sympathize with Pistoia? You are off track. But thank goodness the good Lance was there, you know how boring yesterday was otherwise.
2. Lewis Hamilton. And thank goodness Mercedes should have been a car, as Toto promised before the World Championship. Fourth strength and with a perceptible gap not only from Red Bull but also from Ferrari. The problem is the car, because Hamilton tries everything to change the fate of a marked weekend, starting with the heaviest load on the rear wing and ending with a strategic gamble in the race, when he doesn't stop in the Safety Car hoping for another strolled. But in the end, in the Mercedes chaos, Russell is managing better, having beaten him twice in Bahrain and twice in Jeddah. It could mean something, at least at the level of internal hierarchies.
1. Daniel Ricciardo. Not to mention the Alpine which further delights us by starting with a broken gearbox, the RB is no joke when it comes to disappointments. It seemed like they were supposed to be a constant top-8, but instead they get by in the mediocrity of an F1 split in half, with five teams that regularly score points and another five that can only hope for it if Stroll hits the wall. On this right side of the standings, the evanescence of Ricciardo is surprising, as last year (Mexico aside) he saw the plaque in Tsunoda and in 2024 he started in the same way. There could also have been a strategy to return to Max's side. However, I fear that he lacks the meat, if he doesn't go strong even with the motivation of the Red Bull carrot.
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