![]() ![]() “I am not here to be second, especially when you are working very hard back at the factory to come here in a good state and making sure everything is spot on. “Personally, I am not happy,” Verstappen said. Verstappen’s recovery from DNFs at two of the opening three rounds of 2022 to lead the standings after six is evidence that early reliability problems need not be season defining, and the World Champion’s post-race comments in Jeddah felt reminiscent of his demanding – some may have argued disproportionate – reaction to Red Bull’s brief drop in standards a year ago. The end result may have been the same and the pace of the car was once again almost too good for the greater good, but with another driveshaft fright late in the race there was a vulnerability about Red Bull this weekend not seen since the start of last season. ![]() ![]() Red Bull fast but fragile? The last hope for an exciting 2023 title battle Yet letting Perez have this one so early into the new season, and so soon after Brazil, should help ease any lingering suspicions – and ensure Checo’s compliance when Red Bull next call upon him to assist Verstappen.Įven if Perez was bemused to lose the point for fastest lap, this should be a key step in Red Bull moving on from the bitter end to last season. Having not been in this position since his last win in Singapore, there was a clear agitation in his voice in the latter stages as he questioned Red Bull’s pace management over the radio, the spectre of the team orders controversy in Interlagos still hanging awkwardly over the team. Taking pole position by a margin of half a second to Alonso – and two tenths to Charles Leclerc’s penalised Ferrari in P2 – was proof that Perez is not only capable of meeting the challenge of filling a Max-shaped hole when required but, largely thanks to Red Bull’s work, is now better equipped to do so too. The demise of Verstappen in Q2 brought its own pressure on Perez, suddenly carrying the hopes and expectations of Red Bull on his shoulders having seemed slightly vulnerable – despite the RB19’s clear straight-line speed advantage – to Alonso’s Aston Martin in practice and the early stages of qualifying. With Verstappen suffering a driveshaft problem in qualifying in Jeddah, this weekend revealed an additional benefit to Red Bull’s focus on bringing the bottom up. The result in Bahrain spoke for itself, Perez closer on pace to Verstappen in qualifying than ever before at a season opener as Red Bull began a campaign with a one-two finish for the first time in the team’s history. ![]() Here are our conclusions from Jeddah… Perez victory vindicates Red Bull’s work on bringing the bottom up – and should secure his buy-inĪs noted in the conclusions from Bahrain, with Verstappen and Perez both struggling to access the full potential of the RB18 at various points last year Red Bull entered 2023 with the aim of pleasing the pair at all times.ĭuring pre-season testing Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko revealed the team had made a conscious effort to build a car suited to the different driving styles of both drivers, Checo excelling with the slower rotation at the start of last season before fading as development moved in Max’s direction.Īnd with Verstappen trusted to deliver every time he sits in the car, the most representative running in testing was given to Perez with the aim of providing him with the best possible preparation for the new season. Sergio Perez won the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as team-mate Max Verstappen recovered from an ill-timed reliability issue in qualifying to register Red Bull’s second one-two finish of the new Formula 1 season.įernando Alonso joined the Red Bulls on the podium and, after incurring a post-race penalty, was eventually reinstated to third place to continue Aston Martin’s fine start to the campaign. ![]()
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