After an overall quiet debut in Bahrain, where pre-season testing also took place, Formula 1 arrives in Jeddah for the second race of the season. The Arab one is a completely different route. A the circuit which subjects drivers and cars to a test of courage by combining high speed with nearby walls. This makes the feeling with the car crucial, especially in qualifying. Red Bull leaves Bahrain as the first undisputed force but in Jeddah the gap with Ferrari could be reduced also because in Bahrain the Maranello team was held back in part by some problems on the number 16 car. However, if there is a track on which the Ferrari fans are pinning their hopes, it is precisely this one. However, compared to Bahrain the teams have no references given perhaps by the tests, so every test session becomes fundamental. So let's see what happened in free practice 1, the results and sensations of the first approach on the Jeddah track.
Jeddah, a whole different circuit
Although this session is the least indicative because neither qualifying nor the race will be held in these conditions, it is necessary for the teams to collect as much data as possible. On the degradation side there shouldn't be any problems. But aerodynamic efficiency will be fundamental, as will the power unit. Precisely on this front, a team that had quite a few problems in Bahrain is the Mercedes. Due to a miscalculation caused by too much confidence, the Brackley team had to deal with the overheating of the power unit. Erasing all the good that had been done over the rest of the weekend. In Jeddah the team therefore wants to discover the true potential of the W15, also considering that this track rewards setups with lower ground clearance.
Sainz on track, but not yet 100%
Among the first to take to the track we find Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard from Ferrari had to leave the paddock yesterday because he wasn't feeling very well, but he found the strength to get on track in this first free practice session. In the first part of the session everyone, or almost everyone took to the track with hard tyres, With the mediums Norris, Gasly, Albon, Hulkenberg, Bottas and Ocon.
In Jeddah the walls are really close and the first to have had a close encounter with them was Lance Stroll, who suffered a puncture after touching the inside wall in turn 22.
Qualification attempts
Among the first to mount the soft tires for a push lap, after the first half hour of the session Lando Norris set the best time, taking advantage of the first sector, pro McLaren. In the meantime, Mercedes is working on the set up and ground clearance. There are also many aerodynamic checks, at Ferrari we try to understand the quality of the new wing with specific flow rate. in Jeddah. With the soft tires the fight begins to heat up, with Russell particularly fast in the second sector, who prevails over the group and Max Verstappen by just three thousandths. The Dutchman opened up more than once on team radio to complain about the rear end and the bouncing.
Despite this, Max manages to take the lead of the group, giving 3 tenths to Russell. Leclerc's attempts were not particularly satisfactory, 7 tenths behind, also paying off towards his teammate. However, the Monegasque improved subsequently, in a subsequent attempt in which he also hit a plastic bag.
With 10 minutes to go the top 3 sees Verstappen in the lead followed by Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez. The podium from last season but with the positions reversed.
The results at the end of the session
The first free practice session of the weekend ended with the best time of 1:29.659 set by Max Verstappen, followed by Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez. This is the top 10 of the session.
P1 VERSTAPPEN
P2 ALONSO
P3 PEREZ
P4 RUSSELL
P5 LECLERC
P6 SAINZ
P7 NORRIS
P8 HAMILTON
P9 STROLL
P10 ALBON
