Verstappen's secret weapon in Saudi Arabian GP recovery chase
Verstappen's secret weapon in Saudi Arabian GP recovery chase
Max Verstappen may have endured a difficult Saturday in Saudi Arabia but his weekend is far from being over just yet.
The Dutchman had looked unstoppable across the early stages of the Jeddah event but his progress was halted by a driveshaft problem in Q2.
As a result, the reigning world champion will line up 15th on the grid.
But unlike Charles Leclerc - the Ferrari driver who was relegated 10 places to 12th for exceeding the number of control electronics units permitted for the season - Verstappen's early bath has left him with a powerful advantage.
READ MORE: Alonso predicts Verstappen's 'minimum' result
Safety Cars, red flags and CHAOS!
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is never a straightforward race, with the Safety Car almost certain to appear. In 2021, these delays went a step further with the red flag shown twice during the 50-lap distance.
While Verstappen will be in significant danger of getting caught up in the lap one chaos, these risks and interruptions could also play massively into his hands.
F1 tyre supplier Pirelli has published a list of all the tyres available to each driver and Verstappen's rivals will be sure to have noticed something of great concern - he has TWO sets of fresh, soft tyres available to him!
In comparison, front-row starters Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso have completed at least one lap on all of their red-walled tyres.
Furthermore, Aston Martin driver Alonso has only one fresh set of the medium compound and only used hards available to him.
Perez is slightly better stocked with one set of fresh hards and two of the yellow-walled medium rubber.
No need to get your hands out and start counting fingers – we've got the remaining tyre sets available for each driver right here! 🛞#Fit4F1 #F1 #SaudiArabianGP 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/W672IOKzJd
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 19, 2023
Why is this an advantage for Verstappen?
Verstappen having a full range of fresh tyres available to him opens up every possible strategy option.
For example, Red Bull could elect to start the Dutchman on the fastest tyres, make use of this early burst of pace and then pit him into clean air on a set of fresh medium or hard tyres.
Making use of this free air, Verstappen could make a significant net gain in positions and, should there be a late Safety Car, he could switch back to a second set of fresh, soft tyres to push to the end.
With the pace advantage of the Red Bull also factored in, it is impossible to discount Verstappen from featuring on the podium or, possibly, the win!
READ MORE: Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Tyres: Key stats and analysis for Jeddah showdown
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Wolff opens up on WHY Mercedes are 'very bad'
- 47 minutes ago
F1 winner Sainz shares RAW images from surgery and recovery
- 1 hour ago
Hamilton and Cullen F1 fairytale COULD happen as clues reveal how
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Vettel CONFIRMS stunning comeback as Red Bull boss issues Verstappen statement
- Today 05:57
Hamilton fired serious warning by Wolff as F1 star takes aim at controversial FIA decision - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
F1's quirkiest star begins selling ICE CREAM in latest venture
- Yesterday 22:57
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
Marko DIRECTLY addresses Verstappen quit rumours
Top manufacturer takes HUGE step towards F1 return
Mercedes driver reveals unique BENEFIT to being Verstappen’s team-mate
F1 pundit suggests Verstappen DNF linked with Horner Red Bull chaos
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860