News Desk
The second race of the 2024 F1 season is in the books with Max Verstappen once again taking the victory.
Away from the Dutchman, two young guns impressed while a couple of the sport’s veterans severely disappointed.
Max Verstappen – 9.5
Max Verstappen was near perfect again in Saudi after his grand slam in Bahrain but unlike the first race, the Dutchman did not record the fastest lap.
Not scoring a 10 for starting first and finishing there seems harsh but such is the high bar that Verstappen himself has set that anything other than perfection sees him drop.
But it was another win for the Dutchman who will take some beating this year.
Sergio Perez – 9
Got given a five-second penalty after the team released him unsafely during the safety car period – but Perez held his hands up for causing this mistake.
In terms of the race, he moved past Charles Leclerc in the opening lap but lost the spot immediately. Ultimately though, it was a matter of when not if as the RB20 proved too strong for the rest of the field.
Charles Leclerc – 8.5
Achieved the maximum he could with the RB20 just a step ahead of the field. He did his best to hold on to Perez’s coattails early on, doing well to re-overtake after losing P2. But ultimately it was just a matter of time before the quicker Red Bull moved passed.
Two consecutive podiums for the Ferrari team who look the clear favourites for P2 as it stands.
Oscar Piastri – 8.5
To borrow a phrase from the race winner, a “simply lovely” performance from Oscar Piastri who slipped under the radar by many.
Starting P5, he breezed past Alonso but then found himself staring at the red INEOS-branded rear wing of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes for what must have felt like an eternity.
Once Hamilton pitted in the 37th lap, Piastri finally found some clean air and brought it home in P4.
Fernando Alonso – 7.5
Fernando Alonso seemed as if he was missing the necessary firepower to keep him ahead of the McLaren of Piastri as the Australian overtook pretty easily early on.
With his team-mate in a wall, Alonso was one of many who pitted under the safety car but he did stay ahead of George Russell for some valuable points.
George Russell – 8
Russell got the more favourable call from his team as he pitted under the safety car and it allowed him to overtake Norris to move into P6.
From there, he was in a race of his own with too much of a gap ahead to Alonso but also a sufficiently large one behind to Bearman.
Oliver Bearman – 9
Not much more you could have asked from an 18-year-old who was given just one practice session before his F1 debut, in a Ferrari no less.
Bearman survived the chaotic start that Saudi can offer but his most impressive stint came at the end where he was faced with two of his compatriots bearing down on him, but was able to hold his nerve and earn six championship points.
Lando Norris – 8
Led the race at one point but the second safety car he and the team were desperate to come just never arrived.
In the end, Norris pitted late on for the softs but could not catch Bearman up ahead.
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