2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Jeddah, March 17 - 19

[avantman]

Got to wonder if Red Bull find it worth taking the risk and starting on the grid. Thinking Max might as well start from the pit lane. Do what Seb did in Abu Dhabi 2012 or whatever year it was.

Securing big points will be the main objective, as a team they don't actually gain from Max beating Checo. Might as well go for a low risk strategy with less likelyhood of a Max-win but almost guaranteed a top 4 finish.

Of course not, they will start from the grid, best chance to gain several place into 1-2 already and later on the lap. There is relatively safe run out area in T1. This is not Spa 2022 and all the top teams are much closer to red bull on race pace, deg is very low on harder tires. Starting from the pit lane would equal to hanging a white flag, Max will attack.

[MDrop17]

Does anyone know the pitlane delta here?

If everyone is going to be "managing" for a 1 stop, then it might make sense for Verstappen to go on a very fast paced 2 stop.

Should be around 20s under green flag and 11s under (V)SC. (https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... 3xcYH.html)

[F1doc]

Not having a new hard or soft is going to cost Aston, unless they start on mediums to others soft.

they do it on purpose, because it's what they think is best for their car. No idea if it really comes with much of a measurable advantage, but I don't think it's going to cost them.

Agree that it is done deliberately. They normally put a short heat cycle but I do not know if it changes how the tyre lasts/heats up. What I do know is that they do this apparently for pitstop practice.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/aston ... /10408630/

[PlatinumZealot]

Tyre deg is low at this track. Stay out if you can and change late. A fresh set of softs is killer if you change onto them late.

[AR3-GP]

Tyre deg is low at this track. Stay out if you can and change late. A fresh set of softs is killer if you change onto them late.

If tire deg is low, then you don't need to have a late stop for softs as the same rule would apply for the softs.

[SchuMassa]

Were we watching the same thing today?
Alonso beat Stroll in all Qualifying sessions. His absolute best S2 & S3 times were superior to Stroll's, even though Stroll indeed gained on him in S1. Better tyre warm-up could've contributed to that (it was Stroll's second flying lap on that set, while Nando only had one on both sets).

So, you´re trying to make a 2nd lap on used tyres as an advantadge over a lap on fresh ones?

Stroll was the only guy near enough, after S2, to threaten Perez´s pole. For a moment, everybody thought that Stroll could have gotten pole. At no point it seemed Alonso could have snatched pole away from Perez. Fernando was lucky that Stroll´s S3 wasn´t good(probably his tyres were dead by then), otherwise it would have been even more embarassing for him (his body language and facial expressions were pretty blatant on the end of QLF).

Ofcourse Stroll is not in the same league. And that's why Arthur says Alonso was underwhelming yesterday. Could have gotten more out of the car if you see what Stroll did.

I admire Alonso, as a driver, that´s why I have a more demanding view. But some fans will always come up with any argument they can in order to "protect" their favourite driver. Has always been like that and it will always be. It´s sad but it is what it is.

Many drivers went for two timed laps in Q1 and Q2. After all, there is a reason why they put enough juice in Stroll's car to try...

[organic]

Max will probably use the T1-2 runoff like he did at Singapore last year. No need to get in trouble

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[PlatinumZealot]

Alonso tweening his big eyebrows while doing a little chuckle.

[organic]

A Perez pitlane start would be rather nice for Fernando

[chrisc90]

Why would either RB need to start from the pits? There will be no change of specification to the car.

[kediown]

[taperoo2k]

Why would either RB need to start from the pits? There will be no change of specification to the car.

As long as they can get the work finished before the pitlane closes ahead of the race then they won't have to start from the pitlane.

[organic]

[NAPI10]

Adrian Newey watching that AM close with great interest....I say good sign