The first free practice session in Jeddah ends with the first time set by Max Verstappen followed by Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso. Same podium as Bahrain therefore, despite the fact that the Saudi circuit has totally different characteristics. Precisely for this reason, the various teams are experimenting with different set-ups, working on different programs and they know that the values seen in the first season are not indicative. Aston Martin is currently the second most competitive car. Immediately behind the first three we find the other Aston Martin of the group, that of Lance Stroll, followed by the two Mercedes. However, the most indicative session will be that of the afternoon, at the same time as qualifying and the race. Ferrari, after a subdued start, closes only seventh with Sainz and eleventh with Leclerc. Let's see what happened in this first phase of the day in Jeddah.
The session began with some problems for Perez, who was unable to hold the steering wheel when leaving the garage and had to stop to avoid cutting the pit wall. No damage done. The Mexican is the first of the two Red Bulls to take to the track, with the softs. After about 20 minutes Max Verstappen also took to the track, finally arriving in Jeddah. On the second round of pushes with the soft tyres, the Dutchman takes the lead with a time of 1:30.494s – 0.015s faster than Alonso.
In Ferrari, however, the work begins on the opposite front. We work with the hard. The Jeddah circuit has a less abrasive asphalt and this could benefit the Maranello team which still has some problems managing the tyres.
The return of Max
Max Verstappen who was largely absent on Thursday due to stomach problems returned to the track making his first statements in Jeddah. Red Bull raced solo in Bahrain, and the feeling is that we could see this dominance for practically every Grand Prix. Precisely with regards to this superiority and the possibility of winning all the races, Max declared: “it would be great to win all the races but that's not how we approach it, the tracks are all different and there are so many things that can happen over the weekend. We have to focus only on ourselves, always trying to put the most competitive car on the track. We know that not every weekend will be like the one in Bahrain.”
Ferrari had several problems in Bahrain. First of all, he couldn't find the right set-up, the car understeered too much and the tires were more degraded. Furthermore, the ECU tilt deprived Leclerc of his first podium of the season. In Saudi Arabia, however, the music could change, and the reasons are perfectly listed by Max Verstappen "In Bahrain Ferrari was very fast, on the straight, here (Jeddah) there are many and also the tire degradation is less so I expect we will all be closer. "
Ferrari, after the control unit there are other changes
Charles Leclerc in Jeddah will start with 10 positions of penalty having to resort to the third seasonal control unit. The team was unable to salvage either unit used at the Bahrain weekend. It was a wiring that shorted the two ECUs. On the first Sunday morning on the occasion of the usual engine ignition that precedes each race, while the second went haywire during the 41st lap of the debut GP of the 2023 season. Reaching the second race of the season with a penalty was certainly not in the plans of the team aiming for both world titles, but the hope is that it was a problem of youth and that it is not due to reliability.
The control unit is not the only element that will be replaced on the Monegasque's SF-23. In fact, both riders will mount the second ICE of the season. Furthermore, Leclerc will also mount the second MGU-H. The other changes on the grid concern McLaren – Norris changes ICE, MGU-H, MGU-K, exhaust, while Perez uses the second battery, second ECU and second gearbox.
Traffic paradise and understeer
The first session highlights the problems of a street circuit like that of Jeddah in its third year on the calendar. Traffic prevents some drivers from keeping time and the high speed makes it difficult to correct your position. Furthermore, almost all the cars showed particular understeer in some areas of the circuit - in particular in turn 22.
During the session, Pierre Gasly reports that he has problems with the brakes, calling them "disgusting". An unusual thing given that they are not particularly solicited in Jeddah. The classification of the first session of the day ends with the Alfa Romeos and Lando Norris who yesterday wanted to break a spear in favor of McLaren, in difficulty in this initial part of the season.
Here is the final standings first session
