Winners and Losers of the Jeddah Grand Prix

The Jeddah race was no walk in the park, with Oscar Piastri putting in a stellar performance to secure his third win of the season. But it wasn’t easy for McLaren, as lower-than-expected tire wear prevented them from fully showcasing their potential. This meant that Piastri had to work harder than in previous races, especially after having to yield pole position to Max Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri – The Man to Beat?

Despite the challenges, Piastri demonstrated his skill and composure, holding his own against Verstappen in a wheel-to-wheel battle at the start, managing the race from the front, and grabbing an early championship lead.

Lando Norris – A Case of What Could Have Been

Lando Norris had a tough weekend, with a crash in qualifying leaving him starting 10th on the grid. Despite his strong performance during the race, using an alternate strategy to battle his way past Lewis Hamilton and finishing just nine seconds behind Piastri in fourth, Norris missed out on valuable points due to his disappointing Saturday performance.

Charles Leclerc – A Promising Performance

Charles Leclerc had a frustrating season so far, with his Ferrari not living up to its early promise. However, he managed to score a podium in Jeddah after a mighty long stint on his medium tires, passing George Russell and finishing just eight seconds behind Piastri. The challenge now is for to replicate this performance across different circuits, temperatures, and tire compounds.

Mercedes – A Puzzling Race Pace

Mercedes had a disappointing race, with neither George Russell nor Andrea Kimi Antonelli finding any pace on either tire compound. Despite finishing fifth and sixth respectively, the team’s race pace was significantly off the mark compared to their qualifying performance.

Carlos Sainz – A Steady Improvement

Carlos Sainz took another small step forward in Jeddah, finishing eighth. He also provided a DRS tow to his teammate Alex Albon, helping him hold off Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar. Team boss James Vowles praised the pair for their ability to work together, and so far, he has been proven right.

Sauber – A Tough Challenge Ahead

Sauber had a valiant effort in Jeddah, pitting both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto during the safety car period to put them on the hard tires. However, their slowest car meant they could not capitalize on this strategy, leaving them in survival mode until upgrades arrive.

Isack Hadjar – A Rising Star

Isack Hadjar had a brilliant race, making the hard-to-medium alternate strategy work effectively. Despite being unable to overtake Sainz and Albon due to their perfect team game, Hadjar’s performance in Jeddah was impressive, and he is developing nicely.

Lewis Hamilton – A Difficult Season

Lewis Hamilton had a tough weekend in Jeddah, struggling with the Ferrari and expressing his frustration after qualifying. The seven-time world champion is finding it difficult to get a tune out of the car, and things are not clicking for him either in qualifying or race trim.