The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix witnessed another dominant performance from Red Bull with a one-two finish, but ranking the drivers proved to be a challenging task. Several unexpected factors came into play, including a debut, inconsistent performances in the midfield, and more. Here is Edd Straw’s final assessment of the drivers’ performances in Jeddah.
Drivers will be ranked based on their performance during each Grand Prix weekend. Factors such as speed, racing ability, consistency, and avoiding crucial errors will be taken into consideration. Also, how much each driver maximized the potential of the car will be considered. It is important to note that this ranking reflects the performance of the entire weekend and does not evaluate the overall qualities of each driver. Rankings will vary significantly from weekend to weekend due to the variable performance of each car and external factors affecting race results.
Bearman’s impressive ranking reflects the unique circumstances he faced compared to the rest of the grid. He had to adapt to a car he had never driven before during FP3, but managed to perform exceptionally well. Although he had the pace to reach Q3, he couldn’t put it all together. However, he delivered an exceptional race performance, making crucial overtakes, especially on Tsunoda, and maintaining a strong pace to stay ahead of Norris and Hamilton.
Verdict: Bearman exceeded expectations given the circumstances.
The Verstappen/Red Bull combination once again dominated the race, comfortably winning from pole position. Verstappen’s second Q3 attempt could have been better, but his first attempt was exceptional and secured the top spot on the grid. Overall, he was in complete control throughout the race.
Verdict: Verstappen was in total control.
Leclerc’s weekend was not defined by his inability to keep up with Verstappen’s pace, as the Ferrari was clearly the second fastest car. He managed to outqualify Perez and maintained a clear lead over the chasing pack. Given Red Bull’s pace, Leclerc maximized his results in qualifying and the race.
Verdict: Leclerc maximized the car’s potential.
Despite Norris’ strong performance in qualifying, McLaren’s DRS disadvantage limited his chances of a better result. He secured fourth place by overtaking Alonso at the start of the second lap. Norris spent a significant amount of time behind Hamilton after the safety car period due to McLaren’s top speed disadvantage. However, he eventually claimed fourth place when Hamilton made a pit stop.
Verdict: Norris maximized his results in qualifying and the race.
Hulkenberg had the opportunity to secure a place in Q3, but encountered a technical issue that forced him to stop on track during Q2. Despite starting in 14th, he stayed out during the safety car period and took advantage of Magnussen’s slow pace to secure a point for 10th place.
Verdict: Hulkenberg needed Magnussen’s help, but played his role well.
Alonso had another strong weekend, extracting good pace from the car during qualifying. His race performance was also impressive, although he could have finished one position higher if he had managed to keep Piastri behind him at the start of the second lap. However, he did well given the car’s performance in a single lap compared to race pace.
Verdict: Alonso could have achieved a better race result.
Perez had a good weekend, although he faced the challenge of being compared to his exceptional teammate. He had the opportunity to secure a front-row grid position, but struggled with understeer during the last lap of Q3. However, he managed to overtake Leclerc and secure second place early in the race, despite an unsafe pitstop release. Perez showed decent race pace, even compared to Verstappen.
Verdict: Perez had a strong weekend, just not at Verstappen’s level.
Norris had a close battle with his teammate Piastri, with just a 0.043s difference in qualifying. He briefly led the race after staying out on track during the safety car period, but was unable to capitalize on it. McLaren’s disadvantage with the soft tires prevented him from climbing higher than eighth place.
Verdict: Norris was the second best performer in the McLaren team.
Albon faced traffic problems during Q1, but managed to secure a solid grid position in Q2. He was part of the midfield battle, ultimately standing out despite some damage caused by an earlier contact with Magnussen.
Verdict: Albon performed close to the maximum potential of the Williams car.
Russell was more comfortable with the Mercedes car than Hamilton throughout the weekend. However, he was unable to fully capitalize on qualifying due to a mistake that sent him off track. Still, he outperformed his teammate by a tenth and a half. In the race, he closely followed Alonso and finished in sixth place after Norris made a late pitstop.
Verdict: Russell could have done better in qualifying.
Tsunoda surpassed Ricciardo in qualifying and secured a spot in Q3, outperforming both Bearman and Hamilton in faster cars. The race was frustrating for Tsunoda, especially after Magnussen overtook him with an illegal move off track. An unsafe pitstop release also hindered his progress.
Verdict: Tsunoda showed speed, but struggled with lack of organization and bad luck.
Bottas had a tough weekend, facing bad luck during his final qualifying lap due to traffic. He struggled with the car’s lack of pace in high-speed corners, which affected his race performance. Despite dropping back in the pack, he managed to finish ahead of the Saubers after a late pitstop.
Verdict: Bottas faced challenges, but performed better than expected.
Magnussen’s single-lap speed was stronger than in previous races, but poor timing from the team prevented him from showing it in Q2. His race was eventful, including a collision with Albon. However, his remarkable defensive skills in support of his teammate Hulkenberg earned a valuable point for Haas.
Verdict: Magnussen’s defensive action improved his ranking.
Ocon struggled with the car’s performance during qualifying and felt lacking necessary grip. He briefly entered the points battle after the safety car period, but lost his position due to Magnussen’s slow pace. The lack of speed from Alpine prevented Ocon from capitalizing on any opportunities.
Verdict: Ocon fought hard, but faced insurmountable challenges.
Ricciardo believed he had made progress in terms of pace, but struggled to find the expected grip during qualifying. His race was effectively ruined by issues during the safety car pitstop, which left him in last place. He finished ahead only of the two Saubers and had a late spin after hitting a kerb.
Verdict: Ricciardo had a subdued weekend.
Gasly had the potential to do well in qualifying, but a lack of rear grip on his final lap prevented him from advancing to Q2. Unfortunately, a gearbox issue on the formation lap forced him to retire at the end of the first lap, depriving him of a chance to show his race performance.
Verdict: Gasly’s qualifying was affected by circumstances, not performance.
Sargeant showed promising pace compared to Albon at times, but an accident during FP3 cost him valuable track time. His performance in Q1 qualifying was adequate, but not enough to secure a position among the top 15. In the race, he struggled to keep up with the pack led by Magnussen and faced tire wear.
Verdict: Sargeant’s crash and declining performance affected his qualifying.
Stroll’s qualifying performance peaked in Q1, where he set his fastest lap of the session. However, he was unable to replicate this performance in Q3 due to a lack of electrical power at the end of his lap. He struggled with pace at the start of the race and sustained damage after hitting the inner wall, ultimately leading to his retirement.
Verdict: Stroll had a forgettable weekend.
The weekend for Zhou took a turn for the worse after crashing during FP3. The resulting repairs prevented him from setting a time in qualifying, despite making it out late for the session. Cooling issues during the race forced him to back off, but he still showed impressive race pace. Unfortunately, a pitstop problem cost him valuable time.
Verdict: Zhou’s qualifying was affected by the FP3 crash, despite a strong race performance.
Sargeant showed solid pace compared to Albon at times. However, he was hampered by hitting the wall during his first timed lap in FP3, costing him the session. His performance in Q1 qualifying was respectable but not enough to secure a top 15 position. In the race, he struggled to keep up with the pack led by Magnussen and faced tire wear.
Verdict: Sargeant’s crash and declining performance affected his qualifying.
Bottas had a tough weekend, facing bad luck during his final qualifying lap due to traffic. He struggled with the lack of car pace in high-speed corners, affecting his race performance. Despite dropping back in the pack, he managed to finish ahead of the Saubers after making a late pitstop.
Verdict: Bottas faced challenges but fared better than expected.
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Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is in advanced negotiations to return to the club where he began his career, Sporting Lisbon. According to close sources, the negotiations are at an advanced stage and an agreement may be reached soon. The news has caused a stir among Sporting fans, who are eager to see Ronaldo’s return to the club.
Ronaldo left Sporting in 2003, when he was signed by Manchester United. Since then, he has had successful spells at Real Madrid and Juventus, but he never forgot his roots. The player has always expressed his love for Sporting and now he may have the opportunity to end his career at the club.
In addition to bringing back a great idol, Ronaldo’s signing would be a huge boost for Sporting both in sporting and financial terms. His presence in the team would attract sponsors and increase fan interest, as well as strengthen the team on the field. It would be a great reinforcement for the club, which aims to win titles and establish itself as a powerhouse in European football.
Although nothing has been officially confirmed, the expectation is that the deal will be finalized in the coming days. The details of the contract are still being discussed, but everything indicates that Ronaldo will be back at Sporting soon. Fans are eager to see the star in action again at the José Alvalade stadium and are counting down the days to his possible presentation.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Sporting would be a historic moment for the club and for Portuguese football as a whole. It would be the realization of a dream for many fans and a proof of Ronaldo’s love for his country and the club that launched him to stardom. Now we just have to wait for the negotiations to unfold and hope that everything is finalized. Sporting is about to gain a heavyweight reinforcement and fans can’t wait to see their idol back in the club’s colors.
