Formula 1
Defending champion and opening winner Max Verstappen presented on Friday at the start of the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend in Saudi Arabia. The Dutchman drove the best time in both training sessions, in the evening Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso (+0.208) squeezed between Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez (+0.299).
Motorsport consultant Helmut Marko had emphasized Verstappen’s performance after the first practice session. The winner of the race a year ago was almost half a second faster than Perez on his best lap. The Dutchman had traveled to Jeddah later than originally planned after a gastrointestinal infection.
The signs also speak for the Red Bull racing team in Saudi Arabia. “We don’t believe that Ferrari and Mercedes will get their problems under control. We see Aston Martin as the first pursuer,” Marko had previously explained in an interview with the “Kleine Zeitung”. Alonso confirmed that with his third and second places. According to Marko, it will generally be difficult for Mercedes to catch up. “I don’t think Mercedes will be competitive before the summer.”