Gusts of wind, walls just centimeters away, many fast curves, and the need to use the curbs on a track with plenty of grip that limits degradation. Jeddah presents a completely different challenge compared to the Bahrain International Circuit, a track that puts a great deal of stress on the rear axis with many restarts from low speeds and a mix of medium-speed corners.
At the top of the timing sheet is not Max Verstappen, but just like in Bahrain, the Dutchman has little to worry about, aware that, on the one hand, the qualifying session could realistically see a closely packed group, but also that certain rivals have already exploited more aggressive power unit mappings. Although not making specific references, it’s clear that his thoughts are directed towards the Mercedes-powered cars, which occupy the top two positions on Friday.
Leading the way is the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, who finished the day about two-tenths ahead of George Russell, followed by Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The first Ferrari, driven by Charles Leclerc, is further behind in fourth place, just over three-tenths adrift. However, Charles Leclerc, in interviews, has shown great confidence for the upcoming qualifying, emphasizing that he would not hesitate to bet on a red-colored pole position at the moment. Let’s find out what the data tells us about the first day of free practice in Saudi Arabia.
Red Bull imperfect on a single lap, good on race pace
Despite the pole in Bahrain, Red Bull had shown some signs of struggle in the search for a quick lap time in the first two days, also suffering from gusty winds that disappeared on race day. In Jeddah, the wind was present, although not constant, frequently changing direction, an aspect that negatively affected some teams, especially in managing the rear.
For Red Bull, it was not a smooth first day as there are aspects that still need improvement, such as performance on a single lap. Max Verstappen has not hidden the fact that there could potentially be more concrete and faster rivals in qualifying. However, the situation is reversed on race pace, as the RB20 still stands out as the absolute benchmark. The Dutchman was the only one to consistently lap under 1 minute and 34 seconds, confirming his competitiveness with the medium tire.
On the clean lap, there is still something to improve. Max Verstappen expressed overall satisfaction with the balance found, although, in reality, he had to fight against excessive bottoming in fast corners for part of the day. This was in search of the right balance between maximum aerodynamic load and the limit necessary to avoid the annoying bouncing phenomena complained about by several drivers today. This issue was partially resolved in the second session through targeted interventions.
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The areas where he struggled the most are slow corners, such as the first chicane and the final section of the track. Throughout the first day, Verstappen had difficulty carrying speed to the apex, as if indicating a lack of grip. This is, however, also due to his specific driving style, as the Red Bull driver is very aggressive on entry, cutting with a delayed deceleration phase compared to other rivals, then attempting to close very close to the apex. It’s no coincidence that Verstappen is the driver with the lowest minimum speed, although in this case, the goal is to try to make a difference in the initial phase of the corner without sacrificing the exit onto the long straight.
A similar approach can be noticed in the first chicane, where he tries to carry more speed in the first part of the direction change, paying for it in turn two, where once again, he records lower parameters than the direct rivals. However, this tendency to focus strongly on entry can also be appreciated in other parts of the track, such as the direction change 22-23, where he brakes later than others, but brings a lower speed than those who, on the contrary, anticipate the braking to avoid understeer in the middle of the corner.
While there was difficulty in slower corners, in contrast, in fast sections, the RB20 seems to have inherited the strengths of the preceding car. This can be particularly appreciated in the sequence from turn 6 to 10, where not only the total aerodynamic load matters but also the consistency shown in travel. From this point of view, in the faster sections, the car from Milton Keynes still seems to be the benchmark, at least on Thursday.
Aston, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari: these are the top four teams on Friday, but around the Prancing Horse, there are still several doubts and curiosities, starting with the choice of the rear wing on qualifying day. The Italian team has opted for the most loaded option available in Saudi Arabia, but Fred Vasseur, the Team Principal, suggested to Sky microphones that teams might align. It is possible that engineers decide to switch to a lighter solution with the track having more rubber than on the first day, but it would also be unusual since they would have only one free practice session, under different conditions than the rest of the weekend, before the qualifiers on a track where confidence plays a crucial role.
This choice, obviously, affects Ferrari on the straights, especially on the start and the stretch towards turn 13, while in the other two straights, the parameters are substantially in line with those of Red Bull, but slightly lighter. This situation needs to be monitored to understand how much margin the Prancing Horse still has on the engine side, an aspect to be considered especially in the race where there will be no DRS to compensate.
As seen in Bahrain, even in Jeddah, the red car seems to perform at its best in medium and high-speed sections rather than in very slow corners, like the first chicane, where there are some signs of difficulty in the rotation phase. This aspect could be related to suboptimal preparation, a key aspect already seen in Sakhir but also to the slight understeer in low-speed corners that Charles Leclerc had mentioned on the eve of the championship.
Undoubtedly positive is the performance in the fast sequence of the first sector, where it seems to be second only to Red Bull, which has made sections like this one a great strength and a key point for the success of the past season. This is especially noticeable in the last phase of the “snake,” the one at the exit of turn ten, where the RB20 on Thursday showed something more.
Speaking at the end of the day, Charles Leclerc expressed great confidence in his chances for qualifying, emphasizing that if he were to bet after the free practice sessions, he would bet on a red car on pole. On this track, confidence is crucial to extract the last few hundredths of a second, and the Monegasque feels ready to fight for what slipped away a week ago.
A prominent position on the starting grid would also be vital from a race perspective. Charles Leclerc was one of the few to try the long run on the used soft tire for clean lap simulations, with good references but not in line with those of Max Verstappen. Only towards the end did Leclerc significantly lower the times, demonstrating that there was still margin, but obviously, more consistency is needed during the stint. In Jeddah, the asphalt provides a lot of grip, limiting degradation, but in recent years, the softer compound has never been the preferred one for use in the race, opting for harder solutions. It will be interesting to see which direction Ferrari will take.
Aston and Mercedes between slipstream and aggressive mappings
If Red Bull and Ferrari are the major players in this early part of the season, Fernando Alonso marked the best time on Thursday in the AMR24, showing good form since the first afternoon session. The AMR24 seems to be a car capable of delivering a bit more satisfaction on a single lap compared to last season’s car. Overall, the Spaniard expressed great satisfaction with the progress on the first day, although some elements played in favor of the quick lap, such as a slipstream used on the starting straight, where he arrived at the braking point of turn one with a small – but useful – advantage.
The real surprise, however, was seen in the fastest section, the fast sequence of the first sector. In 2023, the AMR23 had shown signs of weakness in such fast sections, especially in the second half of the season when it was no longer able to compensate for its weaknesses compared to its rivals. Alonso had explained in Bahrain how at Aston Martin, they had sacrificed something in terms of pace in the slow corners to improve performance in faster zones: some signs were already seen in Bahrain, but Jeddah returns a more concrete image.
Of course, it is too early to give a definitive answer to the improvements of the AMR24, which still shows a little less than Red Bull and Ferrari. But it is interesting to note that the “green car” has good acceleration coming out of the fast section, a sign of good balance, especially in managing the rear, or more aggressive mappings, as seen in Bahrain. An interesting aspect to mention is that in the FP2 race simulation, not particularly exceptional, the technicians divided the work into two parts: one in clean air, the other deliberately in traffic, to evaluate the behavior of the car even in the slipstream.
If at Aston Martin they look with more confidence towards qualifying day, for Mercedes, it was a two-faced Thursday. On the one hand, Russell seemed more comfortable, despite the difficulties in handling the car in high-speed zones, also stemming from the lack of downforce of the W15 that was already noticed in Sakhir. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton collided with a decidedly wobbly rear, which brought him faster to the error. It is interesting to note that Russell made a double preparation lap, instead of a single lap like other teams.
The Anglo-German team arrived in Jeddah with a very low downforce rear wing, and indeed, the data shows a particularly competitive car on the straights, perhaps also due to a slightly more aggressive mapping than other teams. This can be appreciated especially in the stretch towards turn 13 and towards the last braking point, where there is a difference not only in terms of top speed but also in progression.
However, the lack of aerodynamic load, which was partially seen in Bahrain in very fast direction changes, also shows up in Saudi Arabia, especially in the first sector. Compared to Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Red Bull, Mercedes is not able to bring the same speeds into the fast sequence, with the drivers forced not only to struggle with a more unstable car but also to have to delay the throttle for longer, also playing with the brake.
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