Within the clash of sciences that is Formula 1, where the forces of friction, downforce, magnetism and electricity collide, there is one mystical element that neither drivers nor teams can ever hope to tame – that of luck.
One year ago in Jeddah, Nicholas Latifi’s ill-timed trip into the barriers in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix triggered a pivotal Safety Car which sank Sergio Perez’s hopes of victory as his team mate Max Verstappen and their Ferrari rivals duly took advantage to leave Perez out of the lead. But in 2023, it was as if fate came to repay its debt to Perez, as a sudden stroke of luck cost Verstappen pole position and ultimately enabled his team mate to claim what he was denied a year prior.
Prior to the sport’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, Red Bull had indicated the same daunting margin they enjoyed over their rivals in Bahrain would not translate to the revised Jeddah circuit. Over Friday and Saturday, they were shown to be correct – Red Bull were even further ahead of the chasing pack. Verstappen completed a perfect streak of fastest times across three practice sessions and looked imperious, but then Red Bull’s flawless start to the 2023 season encountered its first notable setbacks.
A sudden driveshaft failure in Q2 doomed Verstappen to start no higher than 15th on the grid. While Perez had served his purpose by holding onto pole position in his team mate’s absence, there were nervous scenes in the build-up to the race as Red Bull’s mechanics frantically stripped the gearbox from his car only to replace it soon after, satisfied it would prove no concern for the race ahead.
With Verstappen frustrated by his car’s fault and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc demoted ten places from his front row position at the end of qualifying, two of Perez’s greatest adversaries would be at least six rows behind him on the grid. However, he would instead face competition at the start in the form of Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin further confirming their status as the most formidable Mercedes-powered team in the field.
Only 220 metres separated the start line from the first corner, yet, when the race began, that distance was more than enough for Alonso to leap off the grid and draw alongside the Red Bull before they hit the brakes for the first of the 1,350 corners they would have to negotiate through the evening. Alonso claimed first, leaving Perez to slot in behind in front of George…
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