RACE DEBRIEF
F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2
Magnussen to help allow Hülkenberg ahead build out a large enough gap so he could make his mandatory pitstop and stay in the points.
In the first sector Magnussen slowed right down, before utilising his battery to keep ahead on the straights in the remaining sectors of the lap. Those caught behind him – Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Albon and Logan Sargeant – grew increasingly frustrated as the race wore on.
But the strategy worked. When Hülkenberg pitted on lap 34 he resumed in 10th to claim that all-important world championship point.
Speaking after the race, RB’S sporting director Alan Permane was understandably put out by Magnussen ‘parking the bus’ – and by the overtake on Tsunoda which preceded it.
“That, to me, doesn’t seem correct, and is the very definition of unsportsmanlike behaviour,” Permane said. “I’m sure we and other teams will talk to the FIA about it for future races.”
4
Verstappen plays as Red Bull dumpster fire rages
In the record books, Saudi Arabia will stand as Red Bull’s 115th victory – taking that team one place ahead of Williams in the all-time winners’ list for constructors. Max Verstappen’s 56th triumph and 100th podium in Jeddah was also Red Bull’s 30th one-two finish. Sergio Pérez finished 13.643s down but that margin was exaggerated by the time penalty he received for his pitlane infraction.
It was another utterly dominant performance from the reigning world champion constructor in Jeddah. In fact Verstappen only had to use DRS to pass for position once, while passing Lando Norris to resume the lead after stopping behind the Safety Car.
Off-track, the mood within the senior echelons of the team continued to be uglier than a kebab shop fist fight. Turmoil and in-fighting demonstrably rumbled on and, with it, the daily drip of revelations and developments pointing to a vicious struggle for power over the team – and, perhaps, even the entire company.
Team boss Christian Horner even had to concede the possibility of not holding Verstappen to his contract (which runs to 2028) should he decide to leave.
In the midst of this brouhaha, perhaps the most remarkable aspect was Verstappen’s busy extracurricular hours. Each night, sometimes as late as 4am, he was awake in his hotel racing online – even logging on to compete before he went to the track on race day.
“I have my own sim team, so I’m catching up with
them – yeah, it’s a bit of unwinding as well,” said Verstappen. “I don’t have a rig here, I’m driving on my controller so it’s just fun.
“Not having to think about Formula 1 and just be with people that are friends. Whenever I can, I do it. I woke up this morning and had an hour spare, so I logged on for a bit of fun.”
5
Norris escapes penalty for non-jump jump
When is a jump start not a jump start? From its sixth-placed grid hatching, Lando Norris’s Mclaren clearly edged forwards while the red lights were still illuminated. He stopped – seemingly now out of position – and didn’t accelerate again until the five lights had been extinguished.
Starting alongside, Russell spotted it immediately, reporting a jump start on his team radio, but in the event no penalty came Norris’s way. The stewards reviewed video which “appeared to show Car 4 moved before the start signal was given”, and, while you might think this would present a clear-cut case, it wasn’t the end of the matter.
“However,” continued the stewards’ verdict, “the FIA approved and supplied transponder fitted on the car did not indicate a jump start.”
It appears that Article 48.1 a) of the F1 Sporting Regulations states clearly that the judgement of whether there is a jump start (or not) is made in accordance with the transponder, which in the case of Norris in Jeddah “did not show a jump start”.
When quizzed by reporters after the race, Norris was careful to avoid incriminating himself. “I don’t know what happened, it happened so quickly,” he said. “I went a little bit and tried stopping. I didn’t gain anything from it.”