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

[mendis]

My take from FP2 numbers.
- RB is ahead, but by just 4 tenths. The gap may be not be as big as it was in Bahrain, but they might holding back a lot). They are just matching last year's FP2 long run numbers, while others have improved numbers.
- Behind them, it's a fight! Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston and Alpine are bunched with similar laptimes.
- Ferrari is running second lowest engine modes of all on the FP2 long runs. Their top speeds on the long runs are comparable to Alpine, who are down on power.
- Alpine seems to be the weakest engine on the grid.
- Aston is draggiest (in relation to Mercedes as they have the same engine).
- McLaren appears underwhelming on the long runs, but they were also using the lowest engine modes of all. They have a lot more pace than what is shown in FP2.

FP2 Hot lap top speeds (best of two cars)
1. RB - 333 (2022 FP2 - 327 | 2022 Quali - 335)
2. Merc - 330 (2022 FP2 - 321 | 2022 Quali - 327)
3. Ferrari - 330 (2022 FP2 - 325 | 2022 Quali - 327)
4. Alpine - 326 (2022 FP2 - 321 | 2022 Quali - 328)
5. McLaren - 322 (2022 FP2 - 317 | 2022 Quali - 322)
6. Aston - 324 (2022 FP2 - 323 | 2022 Quali - 326)

FP2 Average top speeds of long runs (laps without DRS).
1. RB - 310 (2022 FP2 - 299 | 2022 Race - 306)
2. Merc - 306 (2022 FP2 - 298 | 2022 Race - 298)
3. Aston - 301 (2022 FP2 - 301 | 2022 Race - 305)
4. Ferrari - 300 (2022 FP2 - 298 | 2022 Race - 299)
5. Alpine - 298 (2022 FP2 - 294 | 2022 Race - 301)
6. McLaren - 294 (2022 FP2 - 290 | 2022 Race - 298)
***2022 RACE - Average top speeds of race (stints without DRS and min 2 second gap, stints where continous laps have similar top speeds)

2023 FP2


2022 FP2

[yinlad]

They were much quicker in Jeddah than Bahrain last year too it's worth remembering

Turn 22 is slower this year, if the telemetry is anything to go by. Lower minimum speed.

I should have quoted organic, I was referring to Alpine specially

[Juzh]

verstappen fp2 lap 1.29.603
https://streamable.com/lle0x3


alonso fp2 lap 1:29.811 (garbage camera transmission warning)
https://streamable.com/fejpea

[organic]

[AR3-GP]

Interesting. I reckon this will increase sliding....

[organic]

Should help those running higher df a bit

[search]

but will probably make it even more difficult to get the softs into the working window. Most teams seemed to struggle to do so with one warmup lap only yesterday already

[Wouter]

Is this his new fysio?

[search]

Tyres left after FP2:



so Perez returned a new set of hards to keep used softs

[search]

Aston Martin back to scrubbing in tyres. They didn't do so in Bahrain

[Wouter]

[organic]

There's always a small gap between hard and soft compounds at this track because of the surface and its high speed nature... but Max is flying on hards

[AR3-GP]

That's a cracker of a lap on Hards from Max. Sheesh.

[Juzh]

Perez 337 kmh on that soft run, alonso around 3s in front, so probably a few kmh benefit

[Juzh]

Verstappen 340 kmh now, also at around 3-4 seconds behind hamilton.