Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen enters this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the hope that he can maintain his perfect start to 2023, after winning the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Verstappen was imperious in Bahrain, with many already suggesting that the crown is going to be his for a third consecutive season. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit, though, is a very different track to the Bahrain International Circuit, meaning that victory might not come quite as easily to Verstappen. He does enter this weekend with a brilliant record in Saudi Arabia, with the Dutchman having won last year’s race, whilst he came second at the first event in 2021.
The double World Champion certainly isn’t expecting “an easy task” this weekend and recognises the importance of his RB19 being quick, especially with the likes of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team looming large in his mirrors. Verstappen is pleased to have seen modifications made to the circuit following some previous visibility issues for the drivers, with the twenty-five year-old admitting that the track has previously been “definitely dangerous”.
“After a great start in Bahrain I don’t expect it to be an easy task in Jeddah, it is a completely different circuit and needs the car to be quick. Nevertheless, with the high-speed corners, I do believe we can have a strong car around this track. The track changes that have been made are mainly for visibility, so hopefully it has improved things a bit for us drivers, as it was definitely dangerous in some areas.
“It’s a really cool street circuit, with quite a lot of grip, so I always enjoy going back there to race.”
“I was very unlucky last year” – Sergio Pérez
On the other side of the Oracle Red Bull Racing garage, Sergio Pérez is hoping for better luck this weekend in Saudi Arabia, after having his hopes for victory snatched last year by an unfortunate Safety Car.
Pérez performed well at the season-opener in Bahrain and claimed a well-deserved second place, with the Mexican having comfortably been the second fastest driver on-track. He’ll be hoping to make it two podiums in a row this weekend in Saudi Arabia, where he famously claimed his first pole position last season.
The Mexican clearly has pace around the streets of Jeddah, meaning he could very well be a driver to watch come Saturday and Sunday. Pérez is hoping to “keep the momentum going” this weekend and continue to push in the right direction, with “a lot of work” having been done at the team’s Milton Keynes base ahead of the second round.
“We have to try and keep the momentum going from Bahrain. There are definitely a lot of improvements we can still do, to try and make our car better. We gathered plenty of information from the first race and we have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes. It will be very interesting to see how everyone performs in Jeddah this week, it is a very different track to Bahrain.
“I am looking forward to going back to this circuit after getting pole in 2022. I was very unlucky last year with the timing of the safety car while leading the race so hopefully it can be my turn to win.”
Credit: Mark Thompson/ Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool