After Oscar Piastri’s barnstorming Bahrain triumph, Formula 1 is back this weekend in Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and Motorsport Week has all the big topics ahead of the race.
The races are now coming through thick and fast, with just another week’s gap as F1 makes a short hop to Jeddah.
Last week’s race produced a plethora of interesting situations and moments, which gives everyone plenty to discuss with the Saudi instalment just days away.
Can Norris respond to Piastri?
Piastri’s dominant display last time out saw the Australian leave Bahrain just three points off team-mate Lando Norris’ championship lead.
Norris looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his car over the weekend, despite the performance advantage it carries compared to its rivals.
McLaren boasts no team orders but promises an uber-competitive environment, and Norris must recapture his spark quickly if he is to hold on to his lead.
Last year was the Brit’s first year in a title fight, and with his team-mate seemingly his only challenger – or at least so far – can he take that experience into his battle with Piastri?
Can anyone stop McLaren?
If Norris and Piastri are going to enjoy – or endure – any further competition, the teams behind McLaren need to step up their game.
It was a torrid race for Red Bull in Bahrain, but it is hopeful that the high-speed Jeddah circuit will suit the RB21 better, as Suzuka did.
Mercedes looks to be the closest challengers, with George Russell driving on a level perhaps unseen in his already-impressive career, potentially earning him a new contract.
Russell appears most equipped to take the fight, having held off Norris in Bahrain, and if he can handle the challenging Jeddah Corniche Circuit, then who would like to bet against him?
How will Red Bull respond?
Max Verstappen was so uninspired by the Red Bull showing in Bahrain, that he has already conceded defeat in the title race, its only silver lining being an improvement in the showing of its second car, via Yuki Tsunoda.
The term ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint’ does not apply to the Milton Keynes squad, as with four races gone and a significant lack of competitiveness in evidence, the RB21 is in desperate need of upgrades before the teams around them begin to potentially leave them behind.
Its greatest impetus might be the knowledge that the longer they are unable to offer Verstappen a car that can’t win on a regular basis, the more likely he may move to another team.
Will Hamilton’s breakthrough inspire an improved Ferrari showing?
Ferrari has not lived up to its pre-season billing as the second-best team in F1, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton unable to find their feet.
Hamilton started the Bahrain weekend despondent and downcast, but an improved showing in the race left the seven-time World Champion with reason to smile.
Now aware that he is required to adapt his driving style to the SF-25 in order to extract the maximum performance, Hamilton could help lead a Ferrari charge back towards the front.
Will Alpine maintain newfound F1 midfield supremacy?
Bahrain saw Alpine take the ascendancy in the F1 midfield, with Pierre Gasly desperately close to the top three in qualifying and finishing an impressive seventh in the race.
Jack Doohan might be guilty of overdriving in the need to prove to the French outfit that he is worthy of keeping his seat, with Franco Colapinto surely licking his lips at the prospect of the pace shown in Bahrain.
But with Haas showing strong race pace, and with Williams and Racing Bulls needing to get themselves back on track, can Alpine reaffirm its position as the fastest team of the ‘best of the rest’ section?
READ MORE – When and how to watch the F1 2025 Saudi Arabian GP
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