Max Verstappen Warns Of Ferrari Dominance At Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen had a fantastic start to the 2023 Formula 1 season as he dominated the season opener in Bahrain. However, the Red Bull driver expects his rivals to be a lot closer in the upcoming race in Saudi Arabia on March 19th, especially Ferrari.
Verstappen was unchallenged at the Sakhir circuit and managed to create a significant gap between himself and the rest of the field.
Mercedes driver George Russell predicted that Red Bull would sweep every single race in 2023, but Verstappen dismissed the idea of a whitewash and anticipates a more competitive round in Saudi Arabia. The Belgian-Dutch driver explained:
"Saudi is quite a different track to this one. You have a lot more straights, fast corners, and a lot less degradation. And I think here [in Bahrain] we were particularly good on the deg. So, I do expect, in terms of race pace, that everyone is closer in Jeddah."
The Red Bull RB19 was untouchable in Bahrain due to its superior acceleration out of low- and medium-speed corners, and their ability to manage tyres on the abrasive asphalt. Once Charles Leclerc retired with a Ferrari engine failure on lap 39, Verstappen cruised to an 11.9s victory over teammate Sergio Perez, while Fernando Alonso finished a distant third.
The Jeddah street track has a less coarse surface and is more flowing, which should favour the top speed advantage of the Ferrari SF-23. Verstappen won at the venue in 2022 when the car characteristics were seemingly reversed. The two-time champion continued:
"Jeddah is going to be quite different again.
"Our car seems quite strong in high speed, but I think Ferrari is quite quick on the straight, which in Jeddah, of course, is very nice to have. Time will tell. It's really hard to know. We've only really driven these cars here in Bahrain, so we just have to wait and see."
Verstappen expects a tough race in Saudi Arabia and hopes to arrive in the best shape possible. With the competitive spirit of F1, anything can happen on race day, and Verstappen is determined to maintain his lead and secure a victory in Saudi Arabia.