The Formula One roadshow remains in the Middle East for the second round of the 2024 season, as the ten teams head to Saudi Arabia off the back of a dominant start to the season from Red Bull.
Sergio Perez claimed his first win of the season in Jeddah last year in another one-two finish for Red Bull Racing and the Milton Keynes-based team will be hoping for a similar outcome this weekend.
- Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium
- Max Verstappen to be fastest qualifier & race winner
- Over 10 second winning margin - Verstappen
WATCH IN THE ZONE WITH JOHNNY HERBERT
Leclerc Can Bounce Back
Charles Leclerc finished a disappointing fourth in the season opener in Bahrain, but that was not down to his own performance and he can bounce back with a podium finish in Jeddah.
The Monegasque driver showed incredible pace to put his Ferrari on the front row in qualifying, but suffered a brake problem in the race which ended his hopes of challenging at the front of the pack.
Despite this problem, he still nursed his Ferrari to a decent finish and held off the Mercedes of George Russell behind him.
Carlos Sainz showed the Prancing Horse has the pace with an excellent drive to third, with the outgoing driver even managing to keep up with the Red Bull of Perez ahead.
If Leclerc can produce another of his trademark qualifying performances and is given a reliable car, expect him to be the best of the rest in Saudi Arabia.
CHARLES LECLERC TO FINISH ON THE PODIUM
Verstappen To Dominate All Weekend
Max Verstappen started the season in the same way as he spent the vast majority of last season, by winning with complete and utter ease in Bahrain.
He was given a run for his money by Leclerc in qualifying, but edged the Ferrari man to take yet another pole position and once the race began on Saturday he was in a class of his own.
It was rare for the viewers to see any other car on the screen at the same time as the defending champion coasted to his eighth successive Grand Prix win and more of the same should be expected in Jeddah, where he romped from 15th on the grid to second last year after a reliability issue in qualifying.
Verstappen has secured pole position 13 times since the beginning of the 2023 season and has converted each of those into race wins, so do not discount him doing the same on Saturday.
MAX VERSTAPPEN FASTEST QUALIFIER AND RACE WINNER
Comprehensive Win For Verstappen
Verstappen drove to another dominant win in Bahrain as he finished some 22.46 seconds ahead of team-mate Perez.
He has now won by a ten-second margin or greater ten times since the start of the 2023 season and could easily have had a couple more, including a safety-car finish in Melbourne and a 9.57-second win in Canada.
Given the level of his dominance last weekend, another runaway victory is expected from Verstappen.
VERSTAPPEN TO WIN BY MORE THAN 10 SECONDS
