Let’s analyze how the gap at the end of the Saudi Arabian GP has changed compared to 2023 between Red Bull and the pursuers.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen dominate the race ahead of Sergio Perez. Let’s see how the gap to the other cars has changed compared to last season.
Just like last year, in 2024, Red Bull’s absolute dominance at the Jeddah circuit remains unchanged. The winner has changed (it was Sergio Perez in 2023), but the essence remains the same. This season, too, Red Bull secured a one-two finish, but let’s examine how the gap from the pursuers has changed.
Comparison between 2023 and 2024
Last year in Saudi Arabia, the first driver behind the Red Bull duo was Fernando Alonso, who finished the race 19.1 seconds behind the winner. In 2024, Charles Leclerc finished in third place, 18.6 seconds behind Max Verstappen. However, there are some variables to consider when evaluating the two races.
In particular, the impact of the Safety Car was different in the two seasons. Last year, it was called into action on lap 18 due to an issue with Lance Stroll’s car. In 2024, once again, the safety car came out on the seventh lap, also caused by the Canadian. All teams took advantage of the situation to pit, forcing the drivers into a very long stint on hard tires.
Doing a quick calculation, the average gap considering only the laps after the Safety Car substantially decreased. While in 2023 Fernando Alonso was about 6.4 tenths per lap slower than the winner (Hard Tires, 32 laps), in 2024, Charles Leclerc performed much better. The Monegasque driver lost 4.7 tenths per lap to Max Max Verstappen (Hard Tires, 43 laps), including a fastest lap towards the end.
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The numbers themselves might not tell the whole story, as both races were already decided well before the checkered flag, with the Dutchman clearly on top and the Ferrari driver running a lonely race in third place, which means they could manage they pace and not push at all times. However, they indicate a group that is gradually closing in on Red Bull’s two powerhouses. Max Verstappen remains untouchable, but if Sergio Perez doesn’t maintain the level seen in Jeddah, he could be vulnerable to a Ferrari, currently the undisputed second force in this start of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign.
Source: f1ingenerale
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