Welcome to our reside protection for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. After romping dwelling to victory within the opening spherical, Max Verstappen may have a tougher activity to take victory within the second race of the brand new season, after struggling a mechanical subject in qualifying.
Verstappen, who had led each session as much as that time and was miles forward in Q1, had a driveshaft failure within the second a part of qualifying yesterday with out a lap on the board. Which means he’ll begin fifteenth in at present’s race. In equity, it’s most likely simply in addition to the dominance he was exhibiting meant a repeat of his straightforward Bahrain win a fortnight in the past appeared very seemingly. For instance: the hole between Verstappen and second-placed Sergio Perez in Q1 was bigger than the hole between Perez and twelfth place Esteban Ocon…
Within the closing reckoning it was Perez who discovered the time in Q3 to take his second profession pole place – his final got here at this monitor a 12 months in the past, though he couldn’t convert that to victory. Charles Leclerc put in a reasonably encouraging lap for Ferrari, only a tenth and a half off Perez’s time. The fear is that the hole may need been nearer to a second had Verstappen made it into Q3. Nevertheless, Leclerc takes a 10-place grid drop for an unscheduled energy unit change so will begin twelfth.
