Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1: Leclerc confirms

After a weekend in Bahrain that saw Ferrari achieve an important one-two finish, the F1 is back for the second time in history at the Jeddah circuit. Although the layout has slightly evolved for this new season, these modifications remain insufficient for some drivers. However, they will have to be careful to avoid the problems from last year, particularly the numerous accidents on this fast track. While Ferrari did not make many updates to their car, the focus is rather on Red Bull. The Austrian team needs to address the reliability issues with their race car.

Under a radiant sun and a disturbing wind, the second edition of the 2022 season could finally begin. The Alpine drivers were the first to take to the track, along with the Alfa Romeo drivers. It is worth noting the presence of sand on the sides, which raised a lot of dust, especially in the pit lane. In the early stages of the session, lap times were falling rapidly. Max Verstappen set the first time of the session with the hard tires in 1:34.167, quickly beaten by his teammate Sergio Perez in 1:33.02 before reclaiming the lead in 1:31.885. On the other hand, Kevin Magnussen encountered a mechanical problem with his car after just a few laps. After fifteen minutes, the four cars powered by Honda engines were positioned at the front. The question remains whether the Red Bull car will be reliable throughout the weekend or not. Following a sign destroyed into several pieces by Lando Norris, the session was stopped with the first red flag.

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

The 50 metre board has broken free from its position and needs to be cleaned up #SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/eEXdP8ziVW

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 25, 2022

Since the beginning of the free practice sessions, Mercedes had been making some changes to George Russell’s car by introducing a new version of the rear wing, while Lewis Hamilton kept the old model. After ten minutes, the session resumed, and the Ferraris finally took to the track. Hamilton, who had set the fourth fastest time, was once again complaining about the bounces of his car with the DRS open. The reigning world champion, on the other hand, continued to set the fastest laps without being threatened by his competitors. With twenty minutes remaining, Verstappen took the lead, followed by Gasly and Leclerc. Hamilton’s Mercedes was only in seventh place, behind Ocon.

Leclerc is taking the lead.

While Leclerc missed his pit stop, thinking his team was positioned further down the pit lane, Sainz struggled to find a rhythm in this session. The Spaniard was in sixth place. With an empty tank, Lance Stroll was only twelfth in the standings. It is truly a cause for concern for the rest of the season for Aston Martin. With his red tires, Leclerc took the lead in this session with a time of 1.30.772. He could especially thank Hamilton who had given him a slight tow on the final straight.

After a difficult session, the Ferraris were responding to the Red Bulls. The Monegasque driver dominated this first free practice session in Jeddah. Verstappen and Bottas completed the podium. The Dutch driver set the second fastest time on hard tires, while his rival was using the softs. It was a slow-paced session that saw a red flag. It is worth noting the efficiency of the Honda engine on the straights, particularly with the two Red Bulls reaching a top speed of 331km/h.

The ranking of the first free practice session