After every grand prix in 2024, we’ll now be rating every crew based mostly on its race and qualifying performances, plus the way it fared within the in another way complicated political world away from the racing.
It’s a subjective train, however one we hope will inform the story of every season otherwise, by charting the marketing campaign for every squad factoring in every thing that occurs.
Right here’s the F1 groups’ rating for the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP:
Purple Bull
Dominated qualifying and the race for the second week in a row within the Center East, with Max Verstappen simply having the measure of Sergio Perez as soon as once more. The RB20 critically had the legs on Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in straight-line prowess, with its DRS positive aspects additionally essential to Purple Bull’s newest triumph.
Off the monitor, nevertheless, the Christian Horner saga continued – taking a brand new twist with the main focus shifting otherwise to Helmut Marko’s future. That seems set within the brief time period, based mostly on his pre-race feedback. Had that stability not been forthcoming given Verstappen’s insistence Marko’s future rested on his, it would’ve knocked Purple Bull down a spot right here.
Ferrari
Finally disappointing given Ferrari had hoped to once more edge Purple Bull in qualifying, with a sudden oversteer tendency on new tyres hurting Leclerc within the Friday evening session. He nonetheless edged Perez, however wasn’t an element within the race as Verstappen aced the beginning and Perez quickly battled by having initially been rebuffed.
However the greater achievement was Oliver Bearman taking seventh in Carlos Sainz’s SF-24. Giving his crew a double factors end was an enormous achievement, particularly with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton bearing down late on. Sainz’s surgical procedure went properly, however the crimson crew appears to have an ace back-up if he can’t return for Australia.
McLaren
Boosted right here due to how balanced and wonderful general its drivers have been – Oscar Piastri edging Norris in qualifying and taking a high quality fourth within the race. Norris almost blotted the crew’s mixed copybook along with his begin eagerness, however he stopped simply in time in his field and prevented a penalty.
Piastri may’ve handed Hamilton quicker, however in the end it price the crew little given Ferrari was gone with Leclerc forward. Norris was naughty in weaving forward of Hamilton late up, having been unable to cease beneath the protection automobile as Piastri did resulting from McLaren not wanting him to lose place in a sluggish double-stack.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Mercedes
The crew felt its race tempo was just like McLaren and Aston, however that it was undone by its comparatively poor qualifying displaying for each George Russell and Hamilton. Russell beginning forward meant he stayed on the traditional technique by pitting beneath the protection automobile, with Hamilton mirroring Norris in staying out for a similar causes.
Russell chased Alonso all race however by no means bought shut sufficient to make a transfer, which could’ve dropped Mercedes down a spot had hassle not occurred on the inexperienced crew. Hamilton confirmed sturdy tempo on the mediums, however couldn’t discover a well past Norris after they have been lastly on the softs.
Haas 2024 Saudi Arabian GP
This one is all in regards to the finish end result, as a result of after qualifying the place Nico Hulkenberg stopped with a gasoline system difficulty and Kevin Magnussen missed out on setting a ultimate timed lap in Q2 resulting from a “timing process error”, per a Haas assertion, issues seemed bleak. However the race ended positively with the crew scoring its first level of the yr.
This was all the way down to taking part in the circumstances properly – Hulkenberg gaining not stopping beneath the protection automobile too, however then conserving away from the pack as a result of Magnussen held up rivals from Williams, RB and Alpine. Each confirmed good race tempo too, suggesting Haas has made actual progress on its 2023 tyre shocker.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Magnussen did choose up 20s value of penalties for poor driving within the race, however he did properly to assist his team-mate afterwards and this rating appears at crew final result solely.
Aston Martin
Aston is perplexed that it appears to have swapped its potential round from 2023 – that it shines in qualifying (with Alonso) and is weaker within the race. His qualifying was very good to begin fourth and that led to a tense however profitable race in holding off Russell’s Mercedes.
However Aston can’t go any increased due to what occurred to its different automobile – Lance Stroll’s AMR24 buried within the Flip 23 obstacles after his early race crash. The Canadian driver clipped the wall on the previous Flip 22 and broke his left-front steering arm, sending him to the scene of his crash. Stroll’s chippy radio messages afterwards absolutely can’t be nice for crew morale, though with the understanding that smashing an F1 can’t be enjoyable.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, checks out his automobile after crashing out of the race
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Williams
Ended up close to the factors with Alex Albon and forward of its typical rivals, bar Haas – with others having worse weekends general and so dropping down. He was lucky to complete the race after Magnussen moved over and edged him in the direction of the Flip 4 wall within the early exchanges.
Worryingly for the blue crew, Logan Sargeant ended up final of people who took half in qualifying and was 4 locations behind his team-mate within the race. Right here the pair have been each caught in Magnussen’s techniques to again up the pack, but it surely general wasn’t a powerful displaying from the American whom Williams need to see extra progress from in his second yr.
RB
One other crew with a extra impartial weekend general than some others, all after all going down within the shadows of its senior crew’s scandal.
On monitor, the early narrative of the crew’s season was cemented with Daniel Ricciardo missing a bit to Yuki Tsuoda in qualifying and subsequently lacking making it a double Q3 look. Tsunoda was outbattled within the race – illegally by Magnussen – whereas Ricciardo spun late on solo.
Thankfully, this didn’t price RB something as a result of, once more, others had greater dramas that meant his error went unpunished.
Alpine
In comparison with Bahrain, this was a extra optimistic displaying for Alpine. Nevertheless it once more had each vehicles out in Q1, which isn’t the place a works operation needs to be ending up on pure tempo. Renault CEO Luca de Meo was on the town to see what was taking place in individual, which displays simply how a lot strain this crew is beneath.
Esteban Ocon was within the thick of the battling pack throughout Magnussen’s go-slow interval and ended up ending thirteenth. However the different A524 by no means actually bought going, with Pierre Gasly stopping on lap 4, having reported a gearbox downside on the way in which to the beginning. He subsequently turned the primary mechanical illness (and general too) retirement of F1 2024.
Sauber
Rewind to every week in the past and Sauber seemed in high quality type – lengthy Valtteri Bottas pitstop apart – given its snappy Bahrain race technique requires the spectacular Zhou Guanyu. However in Jeddah, Zhou let Sauber down by crashing onerous in FP3 and in the end lacking qualifying, regardless of his mechanics’ wonderful displaying to restore the automobile and get it out as Q1 ended.
Within the race, one other lengthy pitstop when Zhou was the final to vary tyres made it two unhealthy companies in two 2024 occasions for Sauber, with Bottas being the one driver to cease twice. No less than it was boosted by the information Audi has accelerated its full takeover of the crew forward of its 2026 F1 entry.
Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Crew Kick Sauber, walks away from his broken automobile after a crash in FP3
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
