Max Verstappen sees one potential reason why the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be a ‘better race’ for Red Bull

Max Verstappen recorded his joint-lowest finish for 55 rounds in Bahrain, but the Red Bull racer sees one reason why his form can improve at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

F1 flies straight from Sakhir to Jeddah this weekend for the last part of the first triple-header of the year. Verstappen kicked the triple-header off in dreamland after winning the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position but nightmares met the 27-year-old at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen ended the Bahrain GP a distant 34.395 seconds from race-winner Oscar Piastri of McLaren. It also marks his joint-worst finish in a Grand Prix when the Dutchman has taken the chequered flag since the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix when Verstappen would only be P7.

Max Verstappen expects a ‘better race’ for Red Bull at the Saudi Arabian GP with a less abrasive circuit

Yet Verstappen feels the Saudi Arabian GP should be a ‘better race’ for Red Bull as the track surface utilised by the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is less abrasive than the Bahrain International Circuit’s. He also led Sergio Perez to give Red Bull a one-two at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP.

Last season’s race on the temporary street track in Jeddah returned the second of just three one-two results that Red Bull enjoyed before Perez’s form fell off a cliff. Verstappen also won from pole position after beating Ferrari star Charles Leclerc’s best Q3 lap by 0.319 seconds.

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A lot has changed since Formula 1 last visited Jeddah with McLaren replacing Red Bull as the dominant team. But the four-time reigning champion believes the less abrasive track should bring Red Bull back into play, like how Verstappen won the Japanese GP from pole position.

“Jeddah was a good track for us last year, a really high-speed circuit that’s a lot of fun,” said Verstappen, via quotes by Speedweek. “Normally, the tyres wear out less on this track.

“So, it should be a better race for us. Hopefully, we can find more pace and deliver a similar performance to what we did in Japan.”

Max Verstappen won Red Bull the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022, 2023 and 2024

Verstappen did one of the all-time great qualifying laps to deny McLaren’s Lando Norris and Piastri pole at the Japanese GP. But another vital factor for his win was Suzuka’s resurfaced first sector negated McLaren’s tyre wear advantage, which is their major edge over Red Bull.

That was not the case as Piastri won with ease from pole in Bahrain, while George Russell of Mercedes, Norris and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc plus Lewis Hamilton would all finish ahead. Verstappen was also 1.607s ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly after he made a last-lap overtake.

Red Bull’s struggles could even see Verstappen leave the F1 team, so they will hope his view that Jeddah’s less abrasive track surface should bring the Milton Keynes outfit back into play can prove true at the Saudi Arabian GP – a race the Dutchman won in 2022, 2023 and 2024.