Red Bull’s Verstappen Faces Tough Challenge Against McLaren’s Piastri

In a surprising turn of events, reigning world champion Max Verstappen expressed his doubts about beating McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri at the Saudi Grand Prix this Sunday. Despite claiming pole position by a narrow margin of 0.010 seconds, Verstappen’s Red Bull team struggled with long runs compared to Piastri and Lando Norris throughout the weekend. Norris will start from 10th after crashing during his first Q3 lap.

Red Bull Finds a Step Forward but McLaren Remains Strong

Compared to last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Red Bull has made significant improvements in its RB21 setup for Jeddah’s high-speed tracks. The smoother tarmac of the Saudi circuit has also contributed to these advancements. However, McLaren still appears to be the superior package over long runs due to its excellent rear tyre management.

Verstappen acknowledged his concerns about converting pole position into a 65th career win, stating, “Up until now, I’m not very confident, to be honest.” He added, “I’m going to give it everything I have, for sure. Does it mean that I have enough? I don’t know.

Verstappen’s Main Concern: Managing the Medium Tyre

Verstappen is particularly worried about managing the medium compound tyre, as he hasn’t tested the hard compound yet. He believes that the medium may not be sufficient to compete effectively, especially in warmer conditions like during FP3. In the race, however, high temperatures can help stabilize performance, and most teams are expected to struggle more in these conditions.

Piastri Confident of Third Win of the Season

Piastri expressed his confidence in taking a third win this season, hoping that overtaking will be easier than it was at the Japanese Grand Prix. He believes McLaren‘s pace is strong enough to challenge Verstappen and stated, “I think we’ve got good pace. Red Bull and Max certainly look more competitive here than they did last week.” Piastri also pointed out that the Saudi circuit shares similarities with Suzuka, which could potentially translate into a better performance during the race. He added, “There are a lot of DRS zones around here, which is a nice difference to Suzuka. So, let’s see if we can make some progress.