The qualifying in Jeddah showed fans that Red Bull, after all, is not incapable of making mistakes. A driveshaft failure during the Q2 session saw Max Verstappen bow out, taking P15 on the starting grid for the main race. However, Sergio Perez was there to step up his game and deliver the pole position for the team. But given the Dutchman’s exploits from last year, a win for him can still not be completely ruled out.
Last year, Max managed to win the races from as far back as P14 in Belgium and P10 in Hungary. On the odd occasion he faltered, Checo was there to deliver results for the team. That, according to even a man like Helmut Marko, is what makes him such a valuable asset for the team.
Fans believe Max Verstappen could play spoilsport for Sergio Perez’s perfect party
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Given how dominant the RB19 is, and Perez’s proven prowess on street circuits, it is highly unlikely that the Mexican will throw away the advantage. However, confident in his abilities, Verstappen isn’t ready to rule himself out just yet. Speaking with Sky Sports post-qualifying, he said, “Anything is possible at this track. We’ve seen a lot of crazy things but also, let’s stay a little bit realistic. It’s going to be tough but we have good pace so, for sure, we’ll move forward.”
His comments have got fans calling him out on his humility and predicting how long it will take for him to snatch the lead away from his partner.
Have a look at some reactions from Twitter.
Who u trying to kid max 😂😂
— Steven Trodden (@osteven002) March 18, 2023
His only lap of qualifying, set at the very beginning of Q1 would have been enough for p4. For comparison, checo shaved a second from his q1 time for his pole lap.
Provided no mechanical issues and he can avoid lap 1 shenanigans, MV is going to win by 15 seconds.
— Maggicman (@jcmaggi) March 18, 2023
I give it til lap 30 before he’s leading tomorrow https://t.co/IMtMPt8TUL
— alex (@RogueZamboni) March 18, 2023
He will.
With 20 seconds gap to the second.— mikless (@mikless94) March 18, 2023
Some fans predicted what David Croft will say when Max crosses the line ahead of everyone else.
"He won in Bahrain, he wins in Saudi Arabia Max Verstappen is the winner of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix" https://t.co/9SrhK1Q9yh
— Coffee connoisseur ☕ (@UTA_047) March 18, 2023
MAX VERSTAPPEN FROM 15TH ON THE GRID WINS THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX
— riddhi (@ewwitsyouuu) March 18, 2023
Tomorow:
Max Verstappen rounds off the final corner and comes home to win the Saudi Arabian Grand prix starting from P15.— TheRealBatman (@Anrayan2) March 18, 2023
An interesting statistic showed that Fernando Alonso is the only driver on the current grid to win a race despite starting from as far back as P15. One fan jokingly talked about Max deliberately walking out of Q2 just to equal that record.
Max saw this chart and took it personal. He was like team, let me start from 15th for the Saudi gp so I can break the record. Can he still win?? #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/tBUoHcKLYn
— Pit Perspective (@pit_perspective) March 18, 2023
Fernando will surely not make things any easier for him.
Even though Max Vestappen is out for this Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying, I still think he can win it in 15th place.
Although, Aston Martin + Fernando Alonso is a very tough drive to overcome.#Formula1 #SaudiArabianGP
— Eddy Espina (@EddyEspina) March 18, 2023
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Watch This Story: Max Verstappen’s cute cats
He is gonna win lets be honest but it will be fun
— Rifaid (@FifaRxFi) March 18, 2023
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Do you think Verstappen and his #1 Red Bull car can win from P15 tonight? How long will it take for him to take the lead? Let us know your predictions in the comments.