The second ever qualifying session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was not without drama: a shocking Q1 exit for Lewis Hamilton, a monster joke for Mick Schumacher and an unexpected first F1 pole sitter in Sergio Pérez.
But what does this mean for Perez’s future? How bad is the result for Hamilton and Mercedes?
Our reviewers give their verdict on F1 qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton may be in contention for the race win this year
Scott Mitchell
Whether Hamilton’s plight was a direct symptom of a tweaking gamble or simply the inherent complexity of the W13, the reason is the same: a Mercedes F1 car is not where it should be.
The extent to which Mercedes struggles to resolve its dolphin problem and is limited by domino effects was revealed by Hamilton’s humiliating exit from Q1.
Teammate George Russell talked about how much the problem is holding Mercedes back at the moment because it has to spend most of its time improving one particular thing and less time optimizing other areas.
So even if Hamilton just didn’t have the right balance and got away because of it, it’s all because Mercedes can’t set up the car the way it wants to.
For now, this has served as strong evidence that the World Champions team will have a big uphill battle for this season’s wins, not to mention the titles.
This is a good omen for Perez’s future.
Edd Straw
When Red Bull signed Sergio Perez for 2021, he seemed like the perfect number two. It didn’t work out last year, and it was only in fits and starts that he did the work needed to support Max Verstappen.
There were days like in Baku when he did exactly what he was supposed to do, something he also did with that series of podium finishes at the end of the season, as well as weird cameos like supporting Hamilton in Abu Dhabi. but it wasn’t enough.
He hoped that the presence there from the beginning of the new automotive philosophy would allow him to show the results that he is capable of, which should make him a stable and capable number two behind Verstappen. So far this season he has done it.
His pole position is not only an emotional moment considering it took him over a decade to get there, but it also shows that Pérez can be there to pick up the pieces when things don’t go so well for Verstappen.
We only have two selections from two races this year and Pérez should be consistent, but for those who thought Red Bull was doomed to a year-end elimination, it’s a reminder that there is a very capable driver on the team. there is one who could still make the work of the led Verstappen his own.
He still has work to do if he wants to achieve this. But it was a good start.
Russell made the most of his experience at Williams
Gary Anderson
I think it’s great to see Sergio get his first pole, he’s shown in the past that racing is what he concentrates on, I’m sure it still is, but starting from pole can make the traction a little easier. the podium is the result of his Saturday efforts.
You could say that Perez has less pressure than Verstappen and even Leclerc or Sainz. The team would be very happy if he finished fourth, two or three tenths behind Verstappen, but right now to challenge if the opportunity presents itself.
I guess it’s a bit like Mercedes, Hamilton is his man, so most of the team’s attention will go in that direction, with Russell picking whatever he can.
Russell, who has driven Williams for the past three years. learned not to strive for perfection, but to get the best out of what you have on any given day.
Hamilton hasn’t really been in that situation for many years if ever, today was an example of this, if the car was perfect then I’m sure Hamilton would be right there but it’s not and until it happens I think George will have the upper hand.
Missed Opportunity for Ferrari
Jack Cozens
Ferrari was fastest in every session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix until the third quarter.
That doesn’t mean pole position was in the bag – qualifying simulations that Verstappen aborted in FP2 in particular, but also in the last practice session suggested that if he tied one together he would be on pace with Leclerc and Sainz – but he must have grown up. more and more confident that he will win the second pole position in a row.
Then, out of nowhere, Perez appeared.
Ferrari will continue to be happy that its speed in testing and in the first round of the season has been confirmed on a second, very different track. But it’s impossible to avoid a 1-2 on the grid – and the ability to dictate the course of the race – begged for, given that qualifying isn’t traditionally Perez’s forte.
All these beautiful fields add up. After getting two cars ahead of an unusually subdued Verstappen, who complained that he had no grip in the third quarter, the last thing he needed was to lose to a second Red Bull.
As early as it may be in the title race, the prospect of a second Ferrari 1-2 in two races might have seemed a lot more real than it is now if she had kept her front-row lockout. It would have set Red Bull back even more than it did at the start of the weekend, but Perez’s pole gave him the chance to put his foot on the net again and start clinging to the ground.
Hamilton and Mercedes shouldn’t panic… yet
Josh Suttil
On paper, 16th at pure pace is a hellish result for the seven-time world champion and his worst finish since the 2009 British Grand Prix.
But in fact, the performance of his Mercedes teammate George Russell demonstrates that going out of Q1 is still an exception to the results, even if fifth place on the grid was the maximum possible.
Whether it’s a problem with tire warm-ups or a failed experiment with extreme tuning, Mercedes definitely seems vulnerable in one lap for most of the midfield.
But in Bahrain we saw that the W13 had to have legs to land well between the leading Red Bull/Ferrari group and the pursuing midfield in the race. And a likely start-stop in tomorrow’s Grand Prix should give Hamilton plenty of opportunities to get back there, especially if he uses the pit lane start to “change car again.”
And more importantly, the upcoming races will really decide whether Hamilton and Mercedes should be worried. He didn’t have enough time to come up with proper solutions to the problems he knows he has.
If this pain persists until the middle of the season, then it’s worth worrying, but for now it’s just a painful carry over of problems that were already evident in Bahrain.