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The third free practice session of the Saudi Arabian GP just got wrapped up. We have Charles Leclerc leading the standings yet again from Max Verstappen while Mercedes have had a rather underwhelming preparation for the qualifying. Having said that, what did we learn from the third Free Practice session in Saudi Arabia? Let's find out.
Saudi Arabian GP FP3: What did we learn?
#1 It's Max vs Charles yet again with Red Bull having a slight edge
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While Charles Leclerc topped the timings in FP3, it does appear that Red Bull has a bigger edge in the fast-speed corners than Ferrari might have expected. Ferrari holds the edge in the twisty sections of the track in the first sector but after that, Red Bull takes over.
Sure, there is a caveat to Ferrari tuning down its engine, but you have to expect Red Bull to do the same. Unless there are some external issues, it's going to come down to the last lap of Q3 between Charles and Max.
#2 Mercedes might need to look over their shoulders
Mercedes are struggling big time in Saudi Arabia as the porpoising issues are coming to the fore in the rather fast-speed nature of the Jeddah circuit. Having said that, the team might need to look at their power unit readings. This becomes crucial as the last seven cars in the standings all have Mercedes engine at the back. After the first two teams, there is a possibility that Mercedes will be fighting the likes of Haas, Alpine, and Alfa Romeo in qualifying today.
#3 Bottas is showing his class
Valtteri Bottas has been revitalized and it shows this season. The Finnish driver is enjoying himself in the car as he drives a competitive Alfa Romeo around the track. Finishing 5th, eight-tenths of a second in front of his teammate and fighting the likes of Haas and Alpine, Bottas is showing his value in a team that is gyrating more and more towards him.
#4 It's not all smooth sailing for Red Bull Powertrains yet
Pierre Gasly had to cut short his season with a driveshaft failure and this does put a dent in his preparation for the Saudi Arabian GP qualifying. Red Bull Powertrains seems to have positive feedback when it comes to power delivery. They, however, need to keep tabs on the reliability of these engines as well.
Only 1 out of 4 cars finished the race last time and they can't afford to let that happen again.
#5 The battle in the midfield is going to be intense
Talking about the midfield, teams like Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas, and Alpha Tauri (maybe even Mercedes) will be fighting it out for the top honors in the Saudi Arabian GP qualifying today. It's too close to call and more often than not it comes down to the lap done by the drivers.
With the kind of accident-prone race the Saudi Arabian GP is, we can expect that starting higher up on the grid tomorrow and not getting caught up during the race is what the teams will be aiming for.
After the battle at the front, this might just be the battle worth keeping an eye on during the Saudi Arabian GP qualifying.
