Mercedes and Ferrari fight for second: 5 things to look out for at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc during the press conference for Formula One Grand Prix Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)
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Updated 24 November 2023
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Mercedes and Ferrari fight for second: 5 things to look out for at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

  • Champion Max Verstappen looking for more milestones while Williams rookie Logan Sargeant aims to secure seat for next season

With the drivers’ and constructors’ championships both secured many weeks ago, is there anything to play for this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where the 2023 Formula One season will come to a close?

The answer is: Yes, there’s plenty!

The 23rd and final race of this campaign will witness some fierce battles for various positions in both championships, could see Max Verstappen close out the year with a new milestone, and will feature one driver eager to retain his seat for 2024.

Here are some of the main talking points surrounding the action at Yas Marina Circuit these next three days.

Mercedes and Ferrari to fight for runner-up spot

The duel for P2 in the constructors’ championship is going down to the wire with Mercedes leading Ferrari by just four points entering this final round in the UAE capital.

The momentum is on Ferrari’s side, as they managed to cut their 56-point deficit to their rivals over the last 10 races. But there is no clear favorite for that runner-up spot in the championship, which comes with an additional $30 million in prize money.

“It’s going to be tight,” said Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc on Thursday.

“We have good momentum coming to this race, as the last few races have been positive for us. However, Mercedes is historically pretty good here in Abu Dhabi so we’ll have to put everything together in order to fight them and then beat them in the constructors’ championship. But yeah, this is clearly the target.”

Mercedes’ George Russell said the team is going into Sunday’s race “with an open mind.”

He said: “They were definitely pretty competitive here last year. But we’ve been surprised a lot this season about which teams are fast at which races and vice versa. Qualifying, I think, they’ll have slightly the upper hand as they have tended to do so this season. But come Sunday, I think it’ll be a different story and we’ll have a good race.”

More battles down the grid

Heading into Abu Dhabi, McLaren occupy P4 in the constructors’ championship with a slender 11-point lead on Aston Martin.

Back-to-back fifth-place finishes for Lance Stroll in the last two races — in Brazil and Las Vegas — and a podium for Fernando Alonso in Brazil have helped Aston Martin gain ground on McLaren, but the task at hand remains a big one.

“We’ve picked up a lot of points over the last few races. So, car has been feeling good,” said Stroll.

“I think we definitely made some progress with the car over the last month. Just kind of understanding it a little bit better and some of the things that maybe we got a little wrong, over the last few months, I think we’ve learned from that and got back to our stronger ways.

“Tight battle now in the championship with McLaren. They’re going to probably be quick this weekend. I think they had an off weekend in Vegas, but I do expect them to be good. They’ve been good throughout the whole second half of the year. So, we’ll see what we can do, though it’s pretty tight now. Last race of the year, anything can happen.”

Meanwhile, Williams are keen to hold onto their seventh place in the championship, which would be their highest finish since 2017, and enter Abu Dhabi with a seven-point advantage on their closest rivals AlphaTauri.

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas said the team’s main goal is to try to leapfrog AlphaTauri and secure P8, but wiping their five-point deficit might not be as easy as it sounds.

“Of course we try to get AlphaTauri. It’s only five points and it is realistic to get that, but there’s not been many occasions that we’ve scored, so we need to get everything perfect. So that’s absolutely the target for this weekend, is trying to get them. But for that, we need to focus on ourselves as well,” said Bottas.

Another milestone in store for Max?

He landed a third consecutive world title and has picked up a record-breaking 18 race wins this season, but Verstappen can still add to what has been the most dominant season in F1 history with success in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Should the Dutchman triumph on Sunday, it would be his 54th Grand Prix victory, which would see him pass Sebastian Vettel’s tally and take sole ownership of third place on the all-time list behind Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91).

“It’s quite a crazy number. But we’ve also had a crazy year, so it would of course be very nice but at the same time also I’m very focused on what’s ahead of me and hopefully also next year (if) we have a competitive car again, we can really continue that momentum (and) we can win more races,” said Verstappen when asked about the potential milestone.

Can Sargeant lock down his seat for 2024?

Williams rookie Logan Sargeant is the only driver on the grid yet to confirm his seat for next season, but the 22-year-old American should be feeling confident after pulling off the best qualifying performance of his career in Vegas last weekend, where he qualified seventh and started from sixth.

A strong showing in Abu Dhabi this weekend could strengthen his chances of retaining his Williams seat.

“Honestly, I don’t know. But I think for me, it’s just a case of taking it race by race. I feel like from a driving point of view, everything’s been getting much better in the past … however many rounds. I’m just trying to do my job the best I can. And I think with how it’s been going recently, I don’t see any issues,” said Sargeant on Thursday.

Will jetlag and fatigue play a factor?

“We’re delirious,” joked Daniel Ricciardo during the pre-weekend press conference on Thursday, referring to the obvious jetlag he and his fellow drivers have been suffering from since their arrival from Las Vegas.

This Vegas-Abu Dhabi double-header has been a real scheduling headscratcher, and drivers, mechanics, teams, and traveling media members have little time to adapt to a new time zone and be ready for what lies ahead.

Several drivers said they feel “burnt out” heading into this final race of the season, while Russell said that “it’s pretty brutal for everybody,” adding that the lack of sunlight during their time in Vegas “was a big challenge.”

The Mercedes man added: “I guess we’ll find out this weekend how we’re feeling, but I’m sure we’ll be feeling a lot better than we did last week.”

Will the drivers have enough in them for one final push, or will fatigue play a part? We could be in for a few surprises on Sunday!


Top drivers geared up for Jeddah F1 weekend

Updated 18 April 2025
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Top drivers geared up for Jeddah F1 weekend

  • Defending champion Max Verstappen hopes to improve on Bahrain
  • Veteran Fernando Alonso thinks ‘high-speed’ circuit suits his team

JEDDAH: Some of the world’s top drivers including Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar are geared up for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah this weekend.

At a press conference on Thursday, Red Bull’s Verstappen, the defending champion, said: “I hope it will be better than Bahrain (where he finished sixth), there are high-speed corners with a different asphalt.

“And I hope we will be more competitive. Here we have always done one stop but we will see how the tires hold up, it will be quite hot. We are making an improvement process.”

Aston Martin’s Alonso said: “The first few weekends have not been easy for us but I think the high-speed nature of Jeddah should suit us better.

“We are still discovering the car, the first GPs showed that the slow corners were our weak points but there were other concerns about bouncing and we are still working on it.

“Here there is much more grip and it should be a better weekend. I think in Formula 1 there is never a quick fix to solve the problems but we have some ideas, some are related to the set-up that we will try this weekend.”

Red Bull Junior Hadjar shared his excitement about racing in Jeddah: “Bahrain wasn’t as good as the previous two GPs. I don’t think our level was that low and I think this track will suit us better.

“Every track is always impressive for the first time, I think I got into the rhythm straight away and I’m looking forward to trying the track here, especially the first sector.”

Several other drivers also spoke to the media on Thursday including Williams’ Alex Albon, Haas’ Ollie Bearman and Stake’s Gabriel Bortoleto.


Young Saudi artist designs Fernando Alonso’s helmet for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Updated 17 April 2025
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Young Saudi artist designs Fernando Alonso’s helmet for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

  • Alonso “loved the design’s Saudi Arabian desert landscapes, which reminded him of his time competing in the Dakar Rally”

JEDDAH: Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin’s two-time Formula 1 world champion, will wear a special Saudi-inspired helmet for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend.

The design was created by Sarah Turkestani, a young Saudi artist, whose work was selected by Alonso through a nationwide competition organized as part of Aramco’s Generation 3 initiative.

The Saudi company is the main sponsor of the Aston Martin F1 team.

According to the team, Alonso “loved the design’s Saudi Arabian desert landscapes, which reminded him of his time competing in the Dakar Rally.”

Turkestani said the competition gave her the opportunity to channel her passion for art and design, while celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural heritage.

“The desert theme represents resilience and history, combined with a modern style to represent F1,” she said. “I am grateful for the chance to share my design, and I am so proud to see it on Fernando Alonso’s helmet. It’s such an honor to know he will wear it for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.”

As part of the competition, Aramco invited Saudi designers, artists, and motorsport fans to create a unique helmet design inspired by Saudi culture and national identity.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, now a key fixture on the F1 calendar, takes place on the streets of Jeddah’s Corniche Circuit, one of the fastest and longest tracks in the championship. First held in 2021, the race has quickly become a standout event for drivers and fans alike.


Verstappen ‘very relaxed’ about his F1 future

Updated 17 April 2025
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Verstappen ‘very relaxed’ about his F1 future

  • “I don’t know,” Verstappen said when asked by an Italian reporter ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix why Ferrari were not being mentioned as a possible destination
  • “I mean, honestly, a lot of people are talking about it, except me”

JEDDAH: Max Verstappen played it cool as speculation swirled around his Formula One future on Thursday, with Red Bull’s four-times world champion saying it was not on his mind and he was ‘very relaxed’.
Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said after last Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix that the team were concerned the Dutch driver might leave at the end of the season.
Verstappen finished only sixth, a week after he won in Japan, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri winning from pole with fastest lap.
“I don’t know,” Verstappen said when asked by an Italian reporter ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix why Ferrari were not being mentioned as a possible destination as well as Mercedes and Aston Martin.


“I mean, honestly, a lot of people are talking about it, except me.
“I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That’s the only thing that I’m thinking about in Formula One at the moment. I’m very relaxed.”
Verstappen, who has a contract to 2028 with exit clauses, had led the championship for more than two years, since May 2022, until McLaren’s Lando Norris won the season-opener in Australia.
The Red Bull driver is still only eight points adrift of Norris, and third overall in the standings, but McLaren have won three of four races.
“I just keep working, keep trying to improve the car. Naturally, Bahrain wasn’t a great weekend for us. I think we were all pretty disappointed with that,” said Verstappen.
“We just keep on trying to improve the car, come up with new ideas to try on the car. The competition is tough. That’s how I go about my weeks, just trying to improve the situation.”
The Dutch driver was also asked about his manager Raymond Vermeulen reportedly shouting at Marko after the Sakhir race.
“They were having just a conversation about everything, which I think is allowed,” said the champion.
“People can always see it in their own way, how people are discussing things. But I think we were all left frustrated with the result and, of course, the things that went wrong in the race.
“I think that’s where my manager Raymond and Helmut spoke about it, and even (team boss) Christian (Horner) came along as well. So they all had a conversation. I think that should be allowed. We all care at the end of the day.
“We care about the team, we care about the people, we care about results. I think that’s quite normal.”


Formula One brings thrills to Jeddah Corniche this weekend

Updated 17 April 2025
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Formula One brings thrills to Jeddah Corniche this weekend

  • Fifth edition brings the world’s elite drivers to Saudi Arabia’s second city
  • International artists including Usher, Major Lazer Soundsystem and Jennifer Lopez to perform

JEDDAH: The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has become one of the most popular races on the Formula One calendar. This year, in its fifth edition, the race is expected to be packed with enthusiastic fans and great racing action.

F1 enthusiasts are all set for the fifth round of the championship and the final leg of F1’s first triple-header.

Fans heading to the Grand Prix can look forward to an electrifying weekend as they witness the world’s elite drivers compete at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit — known as the fastest street circuit on the F1 calendar.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation and Saudi Motorsport Co., said: “This year marks a significant milestone: our fifth consecutive F1 race at the record-breaking Jeddah Corniche Circuit, spectacularly set along the stunning Red Sea coastline.

“We are thrilled to return to our traditional Sunday race following the unique Saturday night spectacle of 2024.”

He continued: “We extend our profound gratitude to the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince and prime minister … for their visionary leadership.

“Their continued support fuels our efforts to position the Kingdom as a global hub for sport and innovation.

“Our sincere thanks also go to Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sport, whose steadfast dedication drives the success of Vision 2030.”

The race is expected to be a tough one as the McLaren driver Oscar Piastri heads to Jeddah after his emphatic win in Bahrain.

The Australian now trails championship leader Lando Norris by just three points, while Max Verstappen and Georg Russel remain behind them.

With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix scheduled to be held April 18-20, millions of motorsport enthusiasts will be turning their attention to Jeddah as teams and drivers prepare for a new race on the fastest track.

Fans will be flocking to the corniche for everything from the high-speed thrills of the race itself to a wide range of side activities. One of the most anticipated events is the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Fan Experience, a free daytime attraction that has already sold out for Friday and Saturday.

Beyond the on-track action, attendees will enjoy a lively atmosphere filled with live music and entertainment, as well as opportunities to see F1 superstars up close.

Fans can enjoy an exciting lineup of live performances from global superstars, including Usher, Major Lazer Soundsystem, and Jennifer Lopez.

To make the race a success, the Saudi Ministry of Education has announced a school holiday April 20-21 for students and education staff in Jeddah, Makkah, and Taif to support the race.

Since its inaugural edition in 2021, the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has established itself as a highly anticipated annual event, attracting large audiences and a significant media presence from around the world.


F1 and local organizations hold media briefing ahead of Saudi Grand Prix 2025

Updated 17 April 2025
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F1 and local organizations hold media briefing ahead of Saudi Grand Prix 2025

  • Workshop reviewed the latest preparations, updated organizational measures, and media rules and regulations for 2025 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Formula One race
  • Workshop also reviewed history of F1 races, acquainting participants with modus operandi of Grand Prix, points scoring in races etc.

JEDDAH: Formula One (F1) in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and Saudi Motorsports Company, organized a workshop, Thursday, for local media representatives participating in media coverage of the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025.

The workshop reviewed the latest preparations, updated organizational measures, and media rules and regulations for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025, scheduled to take place from April 18-20.

The workshop, which was held at Media Island, addressed several aspects, including the mechanism of accrediting media outlets and how to conduct media interviews with racers, in addition to explaining laws of communication with participating teams and racers and ways to conduct remote interviews and the top media sources specializing in F1 coverage.

It also reviewed the history of F1 races, acquainting participants with the modus operandi of Grand Prix, explaining the points system, and an account on the teams and racers participating in the current edition and top safety measures followed in organizing the event.