Pierre Gasly surprises in the first free practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Alpine driver proves to be the fastest in the first session of the race weekend in Jeddah. McLaren makes the best impression as a team, while Max Verstappen is not satisfied with the handling of the RB21 (ninth).
Less chance than in Japan, more than in Bahrain; that’s the feeling Max Verstappen reportedly has in Saudi Arabia. The first session of the weekend may hold promise for the Dutchman. Both Verstappen and teammate Yuki Tsunoda quickly find themselves in the top six on medium tires. Major problems seem to be absent, although Verstappen struggles with some understeer after having the soft tires fitted to the RB21 half an hour in.
On those tires, the Red Bull duo drops out of the top, after which Verstappen focuses on longer runs with medium tires in the final minutes. In this, he complains about a lack of balance in the car, a recurring issue with the RB21 this season. The Dutchman finishes ninth, for what it’s worth.
The four-time and reigning world champion knows that winning will be nearly impossible in Jeddah; McLaren is expected to dominate again with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Yet, it’s Pierre Gasly who impresses the most: the Frenchman puts his Alpine in first place by becoming the fastest driver of the session on soft tires.
‘The first pancakes are for the children,’ so goes an old saying. So it doesn’t say much yet. But Gasly also impressed in Bahrain last week with a fifth place in qualifying (P4 on the grid) and seventh in the race. Whether another stunt is in the cards, only time will tell.
