Beneficiaries and Those at a Disadvantage from the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Another day, another race, and Max Verstappen’s dominance is pushing the boundaries of what seemed impossible: a clean-sweep of the season. With 22 races left in the 2024 calendar, there are ample opportunities for setbacks in strategy, weather, machinery, or driver performance. However, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix showcased Verstappen’s sublime synchronization with his car, marking a level of harmony rarely witnessed in F1.

 

Despite Red Bull’s off-track turbulence, their on-track performance remains formidable, with the RB20 appearing virtually flawless. At present, there appears to be no tangible obstacle preventing Verstappen from potentially sweeping the season, save for the sheer audacity of such an achievement.

Yet, someone must conjure a remarkable feat swiftly to challenge his supremacy. While Verstappen’s victories unquestionably merit acknowledgment as triumphs, this article aims to spotlight other narratives from race weekends when his dominance is paramount.

There’s only so much praise one can heap upon Verstappen’s current level of excellence before it becomes repetitive. Thus, we commence our assessment of the Winners and Losers from the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a nod to the historic context.

Triumphant – Oliver Bearman

It’s amusing to note that Oliver Bearman currently holds six points and occupies the 10th spot in the Formula 1 standings, a stark contrast to his score of zero and a 22nd place ranking in F2 – a role that he won’t be holding for much longer.

 

The decision by Ferrari to forego Bearman’s F2 weekend, where he secured pole position, in favor of having him step in for the sidelined Carlos Sainz due to appendicitis speaks volumes about the esteem in which Bearman is held. It suggests that, barring any unforeseen setbacks, he will likely secure a full-time F1 seat in 2025.

His 11th place qualifying finish and seventh place in the race were commendable results, reflecting a composed drive in Jeddah where he navigated cleanly and executed a remarkable overtake on Yuki Tsunoda at Turn 1 following a Safety Car restart.

Considering he had never piloted the car prior to FP3 and narrowly missed out on advancing Lewis Hamilton in Q2, Bearman’s performance as a stand-in driver was as impressive as could be expected.

At just 18 years old, Bearman became the 776th driver to start a Grand Prix and the third youngest in history, behind only Verstappen and Lance Stroll – the latter of whom had a less than stellar weekend.

While Bearman faced minimal pressure going into the weekend due to his lack of experience, he simultaneously shouldered immense expectations as he was entrusted with Ferrari machinery during an F1 event. He undoubtedly passed that test with flying colors.

            Underperformer – Mercedes

At present, Mercedes finds itself at best occupying the fourth position in the hierarchy, having been surpassed by both Ferrari and McLaren, although these teams also have areas that require improvement.

 

Despite this being Mercedes’ third attempt at a ground-effects car, which ideally should have been introduced in 2022, the team still finds itself struggling.

Throughout practice sessions, Hamilton expressed concerns about lacking confidence in the rear of the car and needing more stability in high-speed sections. During the race, the McLarens he battled with displayed significantly higher speeds in Sector 1, with only his defensive skills preventing Oscar Piastri from overtaking.

While Mercedes grapples with mastering one ground-effect concept, Red Bull is already refining its second iteration, and Ferrari appears to have finally achieved cohesion with the SF-24.

Looking ahead to the next season, the outlook doesn’t seem to change much, especially considering the significant carry-over of car designs before the next rule reset in 2026. It appears that Mercedes’ best opportunity to return to its winning ways might hinge on the forthcoming rules reset.

                                       Triumphant – Kevin Magnussen

Now, a driver who accumulates a total of 20 seconds in time penalties for avoidable incidents and then finishes 12th without challenging for points typically wouldn’t warrant inclusion in the Winners section.

 

However, Kevin Magnussen’s performance in Jeddah was exceptional and ranks among the finest of his F1 career.

Here’s what happened:

During the Safety Car pit-stops, Magnussen opted to pit while his teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, did not. This decision propelled Magnussen into a points-scoring position.

Although some drivers, including Bearman, managed to overtake Hülkenberg, the scenario presented an opportunity for Hülkenberg to potentially secure a top-ten finish and one point if he could execute a successful pit-stop ahead of competitors like Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Esteban Ocon.

Given the limited pace of the Haas car, this outcome seemed unlikely. However, Magnussen showcased remarkable race-craft, reminiscent of few on the grid, perhaps only rivaled by Fernando Alonso.

For numerous laps, Magnussen successfully defended his position against Tsunoda by strategically managing his battery usage in the twisty sections, driving cautiously to preserve energy, and then deploying maximum power on the straight stretches while aggressively braking into corners.

When Hülkenberg eventually made his pit-stop, he emerged approximately five seconds ahead of Magnussen. Yet, Magnussen swiftly closed the gap and reclaimed 12th place, with only Albon managing to overtake him.

While Magnussen didn’t secure a points finish, this race arguably showcased his finest driving performance in F1 since his debut at the 2014 Australian GP, where he achieved second place.

                         Underperformer – Daniel Ricciardo

It’s disappointing to acknowledge Daniel Ricciardo’s struggles in the race, particularly evident when even after Kevin Magnussen’s 20-second penalty, Ricciardo remained significantly adrift.

The Australian driver has encountered a challenging start to the season, finding himself overshadowed by his teammate Tsunoda, and his aspirations of reclaiming a Red Bull seat from Sergio Perez appear to be diminishing.

Ricciardo’s inability to explain the qualifying performance deficit to Tsunoda, who secured a spot in Q3 while Ricciardo languished in 14th, is concerning. Furthermore, his spin after hitting the Turn 1 kerb late in the race was reminiscent of a rookie mistake, rather than the actions of a seasoned driver with 241 starts under his belt.

There’s a pressing need for Ricciardo to address these issues and reverse his declining performance trend. His primary objective in the Red Bull team is to demonstrate his worthiness of the seat he regretfully departed from. While there’s still time for improvement, the window of opportunity is rapidly narrowing.

 

                       Triumphant – Sergio Perez

Ricciardo’s situation isn’t being helped by Sergio Perez’s impressive performance with Red Bull.

Perez has started the season on a much stronger note, seemingly accepting that he may not be able to outpace Verstappen over the course of a full season – a realization similar to what Bottas and Barrichello once faced.

However, Perez is delivering precisely what Red Bull desires, consistently securing P2 finishes behind Verstappen and remaining poised to capitalize if any issues arise for the team’s lead driver.

While qualifying might be considered a weak spot, with Leclerc often displaying the fastest pace over a single lap, the current race hierarchy typically sees Verstappen leading, followed by Perez, and then Leclerc, all things considered.

As long as Perez maintains this performance level, there’s little reason for Red Bull to contemplate a change on his side of the garage.

 

                        Disappointee – Oscar Piastri

While finishing fourth typically signifies a commendable result, it’s a slightly different story for Oscar Piastri and McLaren. As the third-fastest team but plagued by a significant deficit in straight-line speed, a fourth-place finish was likely the best they could have hoped for.

However, one wonders if Piastri could have contended for a podium. He certainly seemed to be in contention during the early stages of the race. Unfortunately, his chances were dashed as he spent nearly 25 laps stuck behind Hamilton’s car, unable to execute a successful overtake.

Piastri never managed to overtake the Mercedes before Hamilton eventually pitted, effectively ending any hopes of a podium for the Australian. Despite this setback, Piastri’s performance was relatively strong.

 

Known for his prowess in high-speed corners, Piastri outperformed his teammate Lando Norris throughout the weekend, who notably escaped penalty despite a potential jump-start incident.