P1 with Matt and Tommy

Saudi Arabian GP Race Review

Apr 20, 2025
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INSIGHT

Dirty Air Limits Overtaking

  • The 2023 Saudi Arabian GP showed problems with overtaking due to most drivers running similar tire strategies.
  • Dirty air is worsening, pushing drivers to deliberately drop back to avoid losing performance in turbulent air.
INSIGHT

Runoff Enables Risky Overtakes

  • Max Verstappen's corner-cutting at turn one was a calculated risk that netted a race lead despite a penalty.
  • The runoff areas at modern tracks enable this rule-bending overtaking style, which damages on-track battles.
INSIGHT

Five-Second Penalty Too Lenient

  • The five-second penalty for Verstappen's corner cut at Lap 1 Turn 1 felt too lenient given the advantage gained.
  • Penalties should strongly discourage drivers from treating track limits as bargaining chips for race position.
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