Start Analysis - Charles_Leclerc vs Max33Verstappen


Leclerc reached 200km/h slightly earlier, thanks to the slipstream, but not enough to get P1.

He launched using way more throttle than Verstappen but went full-throttle later.

Best 0-200km/h: PER (5.4s).
Worst: HUL/RIC (6.3s).

🛞COMPOUND PERFORMANCE - BahrainGP

The 🔴Softs and ⚪️Hards showed surprisingly similar behaviour in the race.

The graph shows the (fuel-corrected) fastest laptime produced at every tyre age: VER's fastest lap stands out!

I wonder how the 🟡Mediums would have performed. 🤔

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Leclerc doesn't surrender easily: he braked later than Perez despite his braking system issue!🔥

Despite not having a tow, Perez's top speed was 3km/h higher, which was crucial to conclude the overtake.

The double slipstream made Sainz reach 303km/h while Russell was 'cruising'.

Perez was alongside Leclerc since very early on the straight, so his top speed was not impacted by a tow.

Rear wings!👀

SaudiArabianGP: medium-low load levels💡
✅Full-throttle for very long: low drag needed!
✅Some downforce for the fast corners+braking👌

Aston: medium load ▶️ (less top speed, more grip)

Ferrari/RedBull/Alpine/Williams/McL: medium-low🔽

Mercedes/VCAB: low⏬

🗒Notes on #Saudi Arabian GP!

-Traction and braking (Ferrari’s strength… when they work properly!) matter much less than in Bahrain
-Low asphalt abrasion➡️Strong track evolution
-Many fast left-handers➡️High wear of the right tyres
-Low drag: crucial

What’s your prediction?🤔

Rear wings - Saudi Arabian GP
(RB as reference)

-🟢Merc: shallow lower plane and lower angle of attack of the upper plane➡️Least drag and downforce
-🟠McL and particularly🔵RB generate most of their downforce through the upper plane➡️More effective DRS
-🔴Ferrari: opposite to RB

Drawings made by my collaborator @CatalinEpu 🔥

TOP SPEEDS - FP1

Already 10km/h higher than in Bahrain quali! (due to the less loaded wings the teams are running)

Aston's wing produces tons of drag (and downforce)➡️Clipping (battery runs out on straight end). Lower PU mode too, probably

Still 5km/h away from 2023 quali

Verstappen vs Alonso - FP1

Aston's more loaded rear made Alonso quicker on most corners and braking points
On the flip side, that produced severe clipping, as well (yellow arrows), producing a massive 11km/h deficit vs VER

Probably a lower ERS mode, too

BEST SECTORS - FP2📊

Alonso was quickest in both the slowest sector (S1, many medium-speed corners) AND in the fastest one (S33: two straights connected by a hairpin)➡️Considering his relatively loaded rear wing he was higher on power than most drivers, but possibly on less fuel too.

Merc had a 9km/h top speed advantage over McL: completely different wing levels (Compare the 3rd sector!) But which one will be the right choice?🤔

BEST MINISECTORS - FP2

More loaded rear wing (and possibly less fuel) ➡️Alonso was the king of Sector 1, dominating almost all the fast corners from T4 to T13

Mercedes' less draggy rear wing paid dividends between turns T13 and T27🚀

Top Speeds:
-334 RUS
-332 VER
-330 ALO

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Laptimes Progression - FP1 to FP3 Saudi Arabian GP:

Aston, Sauber and Alpine are the only teams that didn't improve their laptimes in FP3.

Minimal improvement for Racing Bulls (RB), Williams, and Mercedes.

Large gains for McL, Red Bull, Ferrari and Haas.

Who will get pole? 🤔

⏱LAPTIME CHANGE VS 2023

VCARB -1.392s🔥
McL -1.154s
Williams -1.014s
Aston -0.884s
RedBull -0.793s
Ferrari -0.629s
Merc -0.541s
Haas -0.431s
Alfa -0.282s
Alpine +0.397s‼️

RedBull GAINED over Ferrari and Mercedes😳
Leclerc got his 7th first row in a row!👌

Verstappen’s lap had an AVERAGE speed of 254km/h (158mph)

AVERAGE! 🤯

We don’t really realise just how extreme these cars, drivers, and tracks are…

For every second a driver is cornering at ‘just’ 180km/h, there is another where they are moving at 328km/h! 🚀

🔵Verstappen vs 🔴Leclerc

Even though top speed was similar (331km/h vs 330km/h), VER was WAY quicker on the straights: see the upward trend of the 'time gap' (dashed white line) on each straight!

LEC gained significantly by braking later... but not enough

Top Speed (Drag, Vertical axis) vs Mean Speed (Overall performance, Horizontal)

🟠McL's top speed (326km/h) was terrible: the lowest by far; still, their loaded wing improved their cornering significantly

🟢Mercedes' less loaded wing successfully reduced their drag (332km/h)

Through his pole, Verstappen BARELY takes Hamilton's record for the fastest lap ever around Jeddah!💡

254.1 km/h AVERAGE speed (vs 254.0)

Laptime evolution:
2021 1:27.511 (Old-gen)
2022 1:28.200 (Ground effect era)
2023 1:28.265 (Raised floors)
2024 1:27.472

Additionally, in 2023 a few corners were tweaked to make the track slightly slower, which explains the 2023 times being slightly slower than in 2022.

So the record is even more impressive: the ground-effect cars get closer to the best all-time performance the faster a track is.

🗒Notes on Saudi Arabian GP:

RedBull was quickest, then Ferrari (Fastest lap!)
Close pack between Aston/Merc/McL.

MEGA debut by Bearman: great pace and battling were worth 6 points and DOtD in his longest race ever!

Low wear➡️Less loaded wing was better

What’s YOUR opinion?🤔