The duel, which began as a healthy battle between the two leading teams, has turned into a major battle not only on the track but also off the course of the season. Finally, Mercedes and Red Bull have been able to agree on at least one issue: the Jeddah track will be a silver spot.
The more than six-kilometer-long Jeddah track will be home to the first Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia this weekend. The track was designed by Karsten Tilke, the son of the legendary architect Herman Tilke. It consists of a series of quick turns. The average speed will be one of the highest seen this year, and the title battle between Louis Hamilton and Max Verstapen will attract special attention.
Red Bull team leader Christian Horners shares forecasts: “I think I will go tight. On the next track, the Mercedes team should have the advantage. Abu Dhabi, given the configuration changes that make him aware. But so far the fight has been very similar. We are going to this stage with an 8-point advantage in the race, but we have reduced the handicap to five points in the constructors’ cup. Everything is still ahead in both. This is fantastic because we have reached the culmination of the championship.”
Luis Hamilton will use the same engine at this stage that won him the São Paulo Grand Prix after starting from the last position in the sprint race. If the power loss is not significant, the Mercedes driver has a chance to catch it overall rating Leaders Fee Verstapenu.
“This is another unknown. In recent stages, we have seen very rapid fluctuations in competition. The track in Saudi Arabia should be more suitable for our team. Luis has a more powerful engine, which should be an advantage, ”Explains the Mercedes racing engineer Andrew Chowlin.
“This route should be more suitable for us, but we also said something similar in Austin. We seemed to be able to find the right regulations to fight Red Bull, but they were superior. For this reason, we are cautious, hoping that everything will work out for us. We know which settings need to be accurate, and we need to be able to understand how the tires will work here.”
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