Talking points from the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

The 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix produced another Red Bull 1-2, but not in the order many people had predicted before the race got underway.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen was the bookmakers’ favourite in the pre-race market following his dominant victory in Bahrain.

We take a closer look at some of the key talking points from the Saudi Arabia GP, starting with Perez’s bid to lay down a marker in the title race.

Consistency is now the key for Perez

Perez has previously not been much of a threat to Verstappen in the Red Bull set-up, but his victory on March 19 indicates that this season could be different.

Aside from one minor error early in the race, Perez demonstrated his ability by remaining clear of his teammate during the latter stages.

A driveshaft problem during qualifying did not help Verstappen’s cause, but he still had plenty of time to overtake Perez in the race itself.

Consistency has been an issue for Perez in the past, but if he can replicate this performance throughout the season he may well mount a title challenge.

Alonso and Aston make a big statement

Red Bull dominated the Constructor’s Championship last season and is already on course to romp to another comfortable victory this year.

Ferrari and Mercedes rounded off the top three last term, but the early part of the new campaign suggests Aston Martin could be poised to muscle in on the action.

Fernando Alonso has secured two successive podium finishes and will fancy his chances of putting pressure on Ferrari and Mercedes as the season progresses.

If teammate Lance Stroll can get his act together, Aston Martin may emerge as the nearest challenger to the Red Bulls this term.

Mercedes set for a changing of the guard?

It has been a tough start to the season for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell struggling to keep pace with their rivals at the front of the grid.

Hamilton has complained that he doesn’t feel connected to the car, which is hindering his hopes of getting anywhere near the Red Bulls’ pace.

By contrast, Russell has out-qualified his teammate in the first two races and seems to be making a better job of maximising his car’s potential.

Hamilton has been the undisputed number one at Mercedes for many years, but the time cannot be too far away when the balance of power shifts towards Russell.

Ferrari is under the cosh

Ferrari went into the new season with high hopes that their SF-23 car could help Charles Leclerc and Carols Sainz challenge for the title.

While the pair have looked competitive in qualifying, the car’s inability to work effectively on hard tyres is hindering their hopes of success.

Sainz was in a sombre mood after the race and acknowledged that Ferrari has plenty of work to do if they are to iron out the problems.

With Aston Martin seemingly forcing their way into contention, the Italian team need to get their act together quickly to ensure they keep pace with the front-runners.

Deepak Jain is a freelancer content writer.

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