Can Max Verstappen keep 18-year-old Ollie Bearman behind him in qualifying for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen is champion again, but the question is whether he will win as many (or more) races with Red Bull as last year. If the race in Bahrain becomes the benchmark, then the answer is an unequivocal 'yes'. But to be fair, the difference was somewhat smaller in qualifying. On tracks where overtaking is very difficult, this could well become the Achilles heel for Red Bull in their quest to do everything they can to win all races from now on.
Today, VER and associates feel they have one less competitor. At least, Carlos Sainz will not participate due to appendicitis and will be replaced by 18-year-old Oliver Bearman. Oliver, affectionately known as 'Ollie' by the British after Olav Mol, is the third youngest F1 driver ever. Only Max Emilian and Lance Vance Dance were younger on their debut. It is a leap into the unknown for the F2 driver. In any case, it speaks in his favor that he took pole position in F2 yesterday.
In itself it is cool that Ferrari shows confidence in the young man who is part of the training program. Bearman previously made progress for Haas F1. Team red could also have chosen to put Hülkenberg in the red car and give Bearman a debut at Haas F1. But no, just immediately without swimming armbands in the three-meter deep pool. Swim or go blub blub, owner. Death or the gladiolusas Louis van Gaal would say.
In the free practice Max was ultimately the fastest again, although Alonso was still at the top of the list yesterday. So the expectation is Max on 1 and then a fight for P2 between about eight men. But…the proof of the pudding…and so on.
Q1
Hülkenberg is held up by Sargeant, while the McLarens lead the time table. Piastri has a 'moment' but is faster than teammate Norris. Leclerc follows, but Bearman is faster than the Monegasque! The camera switches to dad Bearman who watches intently. A promising start, although Charles puts things in order a little later.
The Hares also seem relatively fast in qualifying trim. Not as in fighting for pole, but perhaps another cameo in Q3. Magnussen is marginally faster than the Hulk this time. Hamilton is initially the fastest of the Mercs, but so far we have not seen the silver brigade at the highest position of the pecking order.
On the other side of the spectrum we see what is already emerging as the usual suspects of the new season. The two Alpines, the two Saubers and Sargeant. Guanyu Zhou doesn't seem to be taking any action at all in this session after his lapse in Q3. But then with less than two minutes to go, the car goes outside.
Bottas is now dragging himself to a spot within the top 15 and that is putting pressure on the Visa Cash Grab RBs. RIC is 15th, Tsunoda 16th. But RIC then goes to P11 and TSU to P9 (with which RIC falls back to P12). And that means that the dropouts will ultimately be those already mentioned usual suspects are. Bottas ahead of Ocon, Gasly, Sargeant and Zhou, who ultimately does not set a time.
There is four thousandths of a second between the two Frenchmen. So there is simply nothing more to the Alpine. Well, maybe three tenths if you put Max behind the wheel. But even then they would be eliminated in this session.
Pos | Driver | Q1 |
---|---|---|
16 |
Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber |
01:29,179 |
17 |
Esteban Ocon Alpine |
01:29.475 |
18 |
Pierre Gasly Alpine |
01:29,479 |
19 |
Logan Sargeant Williams |
01:29,526 |
20 |
Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber |
DNF |
Q2
Russell goes for the first time, but we are distracted by Hulkenberg. He claims that his Haas F1 no longer has any power. And since he is standing still next to the track, that seems to be an accurate assessment. A red flag follows, although the Hulk is far off the track. The competition management rightly takes no risks in this regard. You will just see someone fly off in that bend and launch themselves at the stationary Haas.
Under the watchful eye of Zlatan, Russell is currently the fastest man, just ahead of Norris and teammate Hamilton. The Red Bulls, Ferraris and many others don't have time on the board yet. The first man since 1972 to make his F1 debut at Ferrari, then brakes and throws away a set of new softs. Too bad for the bear man, the 97th Ferrari F1 driver ever.
Verstappen and Perez then go to P1 and P2, but ALO has two purple sectors. Will there be the thunderous surprise from team green that we expected last year? Not quite yet, because ALO is not fast in the last sector and joins P2 behind Max. Nevertheless, Aston seems faster than in Bahrain, with Stroll in P5. Leclerc moves to P3, behind Alonso and ahead of Perez.
That is a disadvantage for Mercedes and Bearman. They have to work hard for a spot in Q3. The McLarens are also in the middle of the battle. Bearman once again has a mediocre first sector. Maybe the pressure is boiling over a bit at this point. A sloppy lap means that he is more than two tenths short of the current tenth time. Maybe there is still a chance, but it has to be on the same set of tires.
The 18-year-old just can't manage it. Perhaps he should have cut the line to the finish, because the difference is 36 thousandths with compatriot Hamilton in P10. Albonio doesn't make it either, nor does Magnussen. Ricciardo once again loses out to Tsunoda and emerges as the new Nyck de Vries for the time being. The Q2 dropouts are familiar with this.
Pos | Driver | Q2 |
---|---|---|
11 |
Formula 1 Qualifying: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 Ferrari |
01:28,642 |
12 |
Alexander Albon Williams |
01:28,980 |
13 |
Kevin Magnussen Hare |
01:29.020 |
14 |
Daniel Ricciardo RB |
01:29.025 |
15 |
Nico Hulkenberg Hare |
00:00,000 |
Q3
Russell, Piastri, Norris, Hamilton and Tsunoda are the early top 5. But then comes Red Bull. First Perez goes to P1. Verstappen is then still more than three tenths faster. Look, the bullis have held back again. Alonso comes closest, but concedes more than half a beat. Leclerc is P4 but even concedes exactly eight tenths. It's going to be a loooooong year.
Mercedes is not going fast, but McLaren is improving. Norris goes to P4, but is then beaten by teammate Piastri. Perez does not improve and Leclerc benefits. The Monegasque goes to P2, but still gives in more than three tenths to Max. Alonso is suddenly only 1 tenth behind Verstappen in sector 2. But we have seen before that the Aston is not good in the latter sector. ALO loses so much there that P4 remains for him at the finish.
The McLarens are fifth and sixth, the Mercs seventh and eighth. Tsunoda is participating nicely with P9 and Stroll must once again feel a bit ashamed. Although he makes it to Q3, Alonso shows that there is more to the Aston than Lance gets out of it. That is deadly this year, because it is exciting behind Max.
So tomorrow another 1-2 for Red Bull after the Ferrari's tires gave up. Behind that it gets exciting. Will Leclerc hold on to the podium, or will Alonso give him champagne? Or are the McLarens and Mercs perhaps a bit faster than expected? And of course: how will Bearman fulfill his task in the race? We'll see, on the cool circuit of Jeddah.
Pos | Driver | Q3 |
---|---|---|
1 |
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing |
01:27.472 |
2 |
Charles Leclerc Ferrari |
01:27,791 |
3 |
Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing |
01:27,807 |
4 |
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin |
01:27.846 |
5 |
Oscar Piastri McLaren |
01:28,089 |
6 |
Lando Norris McLaren |
01:28.132 |
7 |
George Russel Mercedes |
01:28.316 |
8 |
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes |
01:28,460 |
9 |
Yuki Tsunoda RB |
01:28,547 |
10 |
Lance Stroll Aston Martin |
01:28,572 |
This article Formula 1 Qualifying: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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