Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – Free Practice 1: Max Verstappen already erases the suspense and sets the fastest time

Max Verstappen set the fastest time during the first practice session of the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix, confirming already his serious contender status for the world title. On the Corniche circuit in Jeddah, lit up by the floodlights for this second leg of the season, Verstappen dominated his rivals with an impressive performance.

The Dutch triple world champion set a timed lap in 1 minute and 29.659 seconds, thus convincingly surpassing his competitors. He outpaced Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, who climbed to second place in the time rankings, proving that he is not there to make up the numbers.

The test session took place under special conditions, as the race will take place in the evening, but that didn’t stop Verstappen from imposing himself with authority. His teammate at Red Bull, Sergio Perez, also showed good performances by finishing third, confirming the potential of the Austrian team for this season.

But the session was not without incidents. George Russell managed to clinch fourth place despite some difficulties, while Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – who was unwell – from Ferrari completed the top six. Leclerc notably reported unusual observations regarding the track conditions, even comparing it to the world of Mario Kart. “The track is like in Mario Kart. There are plastic bags everywhere,” Leclerc reported to the team radio.

Despite a few brushes with the barriers, Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll finished eighth and ninth respectively, while Alex Albon completed the top ten.

The classification of Free Practice 1 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix