Max Verstappen, the winner of the race, crossed the finish line at the end of the event. This occurred on 09.03.2024 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which is part of the Formula 1 World Championship. The race took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Lando Norris has rejected the notion that Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s ongoing dominance in Formula 1 is a cause for concern. However, not all drivers share this perspective.
Since the introduction of ground effect cars three seasons ago, Verstappen has been uncontested in his success, having surpassed Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes to claim his first championship title in 2021.
With a total of 55 victories, Verstappen has climbed to third place on the all-time wins list, thanks to Red Bull’s supremacy. It appears likely that he will secure his fourth consecutive title.
Red Bull has emerged victorious in all but five of the previous 44 races, and the team has started the latest season with Verstappen leading the way in back-to-back 1-2 finishes in the RB20 car.
Norris, who is the only other driver to have led a lap in the opening races of 2024, believes that Red Bull’s continued advantage should not come as a surprise to observers.
“I don’t find Verstappen’s success concerning at all,” Norris stated. “Considering how much progress we have made in closing the gap, I am quite satisfied with McLaren’s performance.
“Even in qualifying, Verstappen’s victory was not easily achieved and was not overwhelmingly convincing. They are still learning about the car, which is based on a very different concept.
“However, it is something that we should all expect. They started developing that car long before anyone else, so it is not surprising. What is surprising is how close we were and how close many other teams were.
“For example, if Carlos Sainz had not been stuck behind Sergio Perez during the middle stint in Bahrain, the gap would not have been as significant. So, I believe there are signs of hope for everyone.”
However, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, who previously raced for Mercedes when they won eight consecutive championships, disagrees with Norris and believes that dominance by a single team is a problem.
“It has been a complete victory for Red Bull and Max in the last two races, which is a bit concerning,” Bottas argued.
“Of course, it doesn’t change our focus and the battles we have on the track, but for the rest of the world, it might feel like last year. However, let’s hope that things will change throughout the year.”
Christian Horner, the Team Principal of Red Bull, had predicted that the other teams would catch up to his team under the new regulations in the third season.
However, in Bahrain, Verstappen was 25.1 seconds ahead of the closest non-Red Bull car, which was Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. In Jeddah, the gap was 18.8 seconds to Charles Leclerc.
When Horner was asked about his previous comments regarding convergence after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he responded, “Well, the cars did converge because Checo [Sergio Perez] finished only eight or nine seconds behind his teammate at the finish line, so it was a very strong team performance today.”
“It’s great to see the RB20 performing strongly in a different type of venue, on a different surface, and on a different street layout. I believe Melbourne will be different once again.”
“It will take four or five races to have a clear understanding, but today we had a very strong team performance and both drivers did exceptionally well.”