2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Buildup, Practice & Qualifying Thread

[stefa]

That Mercedes should get penalty!!!!!!!!

[jgonzalesm6]

Add another +0.3s from Perez and that's the true pace of Red Bull
That car is from another planet

Exactly

Add another 4/10's to it IF Max was still qualifying.

[ferrari1.8t]

Max would be 0.8s faster, this is really to much

Reminiscent of Hamilton and Mercedes during their domination period….

[tifosi1993]

P2 well done Charles. Unfortunately the best Ferrari will start from P12 tomorrow.

[stefa]

CS is JUST MEDIOCRE!!!

[330 p4]

Sainz firmly a number 2 driver. Poor effort.

[TonyRizza]

Please replace sainz for next year

[ferrari1.8t]

Bravo Charles, mega lap and really close to Perez.

Saniz just showing again that he’s not up to the task. Ferrari made so many mistakes to help him last year. They better not do it again tomorrow.

[tifosi1993]

I hope Fred is more sensible than Binotto. All the evidence is there, when Charles gets behind Sainz tomorrow, order Sainz to move over.

[ferrari1.8t]

I hope Fred is more sensible than Binotto. All the evidence is there, when Charles gets behind Sainz tomorrow, order Sainz to move over.

The whole post qualy debrief should just be “Carlos, move over for Charles. No inventing anything, you are slower”

[Hornet]

I was surprise how close Charles got to Perez. Shame he have to take a penalty.

[KimiBot]

Not so bad, making progress, after 5 races we`ll see where we are. Carlos first lap with old tires and second lap that Russell incident, just bad luck today. Exciting race tomorrow.

[patrese86]

That was the maximum from Charles. Poor from Sainz. Hopefully Alonso and Perez crash into turn 1

Max is anywhere from 3 tenths to half a second faster than Perez so still got a margin there we have to sort out and also improve our competitiveness in the race

[ferrari1.8t]

That was the maximum from Charles. Poor from Sainz. Hopefully Alonso and Perez crash into turn 1

No gifts for Mercedes.

[tifosi1993]

[elnano14]

No gifts for Mercedes.

Yeah, I'd prefer a Nando win rather than Perez or Mercedes anyday

[tifosi1993]

That was the maximum from Charles. Poor from Sainz. Hopefully Alonso and Perez crash into turn 1

Max is anywhere from 3 tenths to half a second faster than Perez so still got a margin there we have to sort out and also improve our competitiveness in the race

Bahrain was only a tenth. And Perez outqualified Max here last year. Let's not get ahead ourselves here. Perez can't hold candles to Max in race pace, in quali lap he's a lot closer.

[Cheeseman]

Please replace sainz for next year

Yep. Maybe if Ferrari actually used their young driver program to promote drivers into the team and mold them, we might produce future world champions rather than signing ex champions or unproven talent.

[Alonsomaniac]

Simple: Charles did the maximum what you can do with this car, but Carlos.......ouch....half a second is way too much. Starts to be Ferrari's Perez I'm afraid.

[tifosi1993]

If Charles manages to survive the first lap and if his bad luck doesn't strike again, then I want no BS from Ferrari's pitwall. When Charles is behind Sainz, issue the team order.

[tifosi1993]

Simple: Charles did the maximum what you can do with this car, but Carlos.......ouch....half a second is way too much. Starts to be Ferrari's Perez I'm afraid.

He was, is and always will be the slower driver aka the number 2. Binotto, for whatever reason, treated him as the number 1.

From what I've seen so far, Fred ain't Binotto. He should be more forceful and be the TP Ferrari and Charles deserve.

[Cheeseman]

He was, is and always will be the slower driver aka the number 2. Binotto, for whatever reason, treated him as the number 1.

From what I've seen so far, Fred ain't Binotto. He should be more forceful and be the TP Ferrari and Charles deserve.

I sometimes think 50% of Ferrari's issues are because they're Italian No offence to Italians

[MicMac]

Carlos Sainz seriously needs to stop saying he can be fast and actually needs to start being fast...well, if he knows how to be fast of course...

Charles is a beast on the other hand

[tifosi1993]

Provisional grid for tomorrow's race:

1. Perez
2. Alonso
3. Russell
4. Sainz
5. Stroll
6. Ocon
7. Hamilton
8. Piastri
9. Gasly
10. Hulkenberg
11. Zhou
12. Charles
13. Magnussen
14. Bottas
15. Max
16. Tsunoda
17. Albon
18. De Vries
19. Norris
20. Sargent

[Rishu]

Sainz is really not helping the cause, with Charles' penalty he had to raise his game. And what's wrong with GOAT Hamilton? Russel has been constantly ahead

[nani_s23]

I was surprise how close Charles got to Perez. Shame he have to take a penalty.

Charles reference should be Max … not Perez.

TBH, ferrari lost Quali advantage as well. RB is all round car now. No matter how many times ferrari do head start to the season, they are not getting their technical design right. Ferrari should have strong race car to beat RB. At the moment, if you take Charles words they are not confident with the car & its pace.

Max can still win tomorrow, he showed that last season. Just because he does have that Race car under him.

Oh man I have no words to say anything about Sainz. He’s been disappointing. During testing he said car felt great to drive, now he’s not able to drive at all.

What I don’t understand is Ferrari’s tactics during testing

1. If you don’t run to full potential, you wouldn’t see any issues. Now that in each race it’s a worry situation for them regards to when that engine gonna blow up.

2. 3 days of full testing, they do lap after lap. Why they are unable to counter Race pace or tyre deg issues.

[ferrari1.8t]

Nice to see the 7 time gifted fake champion getting owned by his teammate in the same machinery. Let’s see what excuses crybaby comes up with this time. Sky dumbfounded, luckily Nico keeps it real and gives praise to Russell.

[tifosi1993]

Sainz is really not helping the cause, with Charles' penalty he had to raise his game. And what's wrong with GOAT Hamilton? Russel has been constantly ahead

Anyone can be a GOAT with a teammate like Bottas (who's getting beat by Zhou currently) and a rocketship like the Merc's of 2014-2021.

[nani_s23]

Provisional grid for tomorrow's race:

1. Perez
2. Alonso
3. Russell
4. Sainz
5. Stroll
6. Ocon
7. Hamilton
8. Piastri
9. Gasly
10. Hulkenberg
11. Zhou
12. Charles
13. Magnussen
14. Bottas
15. Max
16. Tsunoda
17. Albon
18. De Vries
19. Norris
20. Sargent

After couple of Laps. Stroll & Ham will pass Sainz.

By the end of the race it’s P7 for Sainz (Max & Charles will pass him)

Max will take a win or P2.

[tifosi1993]

Nice to see the 7 time gifted fake champion getting owned by his teammate in the same machinery. Let’s see what excuses crybaby comes up with this time. Sky dumbfounded, luckily Nico keeps it real and gives praise to Russell.

It's a travesty that guys like Hamilton and Vettel won more WDCs than Alonso.