Max Verstappen has proven once again that he’s a force to be reckoned with, even when battling a stomach bug. The Red Bull driver led both practice sessions for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday, showing off his skills and speed on the Jeddah Corniche circuit. Despite a valiant effort from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Verstappen managed to prevent a Red Bull one-two on the timesheets.
Verstappen, who won the Bahrain season-opener, set the pace with a best lap time of 1 minute 29.603 seconds on the fastest soft tyres during the evening session. He also managed to lap in 1:29.617 in practice one, showcasing his consistency and ability to perform at the highest level. His Mexican teammate, Sergio Perez, was the second fastest in session one, while Alonso took third place.
Alonso, a double champion, proved to be a formidable opponent throughout the day, consistently challenging Verstappen and Perez for the top spot. Despite the Dutch driver delaying his arrival in Saudi Arabia due to illness, he was able to get up to speed quickly and push himself to the limit. The only minor hiccup occurred when Verstappen had a close encounter with the wall at the final corner during practice two.
Perez trailed behind Verstappen in session one by 0.483 seconds, while Alonso was 0.208 seconds adrift in the evening floodlit running on the fast street circuit with soft tyres. Lance Stroll, who is still recovering from injuries sustained in a cycling accident during the pre-season, managed to secure fourth place in session one and seventh place in the evening for Aston Martin.
Other notable performances included Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who was the fourth fastest in session two, and Mercedes’ George Russell, who secured fifth place in both sessions. Russell’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, took sixth place in session two and 11th place in the first session. However, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz struggled with engine problems and had to change the electronic control unit. Leclerc will also face a 10-place penalty on the grid for Sunday’s race, which is not an ideal start to the race weekend.
Verstappen’s impressive showing in practice indicates that he’s a serious contender for the podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, with strong performances from Alonso, Perez, and other drivers, it’s anyone’s game. Fans can look forward to an exciting race on Sunday, where the drivers will battle it out on the challenging Jeddah Corniche circuit.
