In the round-up: Kevin Magnussen says his car was quick enough for fifth on the grid after qualifying 10th.
In brief
Haas quick enough for fifth, says Magnussen
The Haas driver said his car “was better than P10 today” and he “didn’t get the most out of it.”“Honestly, my neck is broken and the last couple of runs I just wasn’t able to drive properly,” Magnussen admitted.
“I just couldn’t hold my head in the corners, then you can’t control the car properly. But as I said, the car had more in it, I’m sure there was a half second in it.
“That time I got in Q3 was on used tyres and it wasn’t a great lap. So I think the car had half a second in it that would put it P5.
“So great job to the team for another strong car at this track and hopefully I can sort out my neck for tomorrow and get some points.”
Hughes disqualified from sprint race following technical infringement
Jake Hughes, who finished third in Formula 2’s Jeddah sprint race, has been disqualified after his car failed a post-race technical inspection.
The Van Amersfoort driver’s car was found to have no area of the plank which was thicker than 3.6mm. Formula 2’s technical regulations state that cars’ planks must be no more than 1mm thicker or thinner than 5mm at any point, prompting Hughes’ disqualification.
A three-place grid drop was also issued to Jack Doohan for a collision with Logan Sargeant on the first race restart, where Doohan began accelerating before cars ahead had fully got away.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that I’m ok🙏
Thank you for the kind messages.
The car felt great @haasf1team, we’ll come back stronger❤️ pic.twitter.com/Mwpy0767kN— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) March 26, 2022
Very happy to get my first pole position on the toughest circuit in the world. Let’s give it all tomorrow 💪
Thank u @redbullracing¡Feliz de conseguir mi primera pole en el circuito más difícil del mundo! ¡Vamos con todo mañana! 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/uKqmpVKxZH
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) March 26, 2022
Things you don’t expect to see! #SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/M3gUYvmiMY
— Claire Cottingham (@Cla_Cottingham) March 26, 2022
GPDA statment: pic.twitter.com/mVbUnD49JL
— alex wurz (@alex_wurz) March 26, 2022
Watching F2 is like a constant stream of PTSD. Unbelievable.
— Jack Aitken – 한세용 (@JaitkenRacer) March 26, 2022
Most drivers I know all said privately and publicly, this track looks sketch, so many badly angled concrete walls, this shit is exactly what we were afraid of. There’s so many other good tracks in the world and #F1 races here? Pretty sad, just hoping Mick is okay.
— Stefan Wilson (@stef_wilson) March 26, 2022
Imagine paying all that money and spending all weekend under red flag or safety car 👍. This is not the level that should be the last step before F1.
— Oliver Rowland (@oliverrowland1) March 26, 2022
Second Q2 in a roll! Driving these car on the street circuit is crazy! 😅
Glad to hear @SchumacherMick is doing ok. That’s what’s most important. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9N0QyD80jQ
— 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 (@ZhouGuanyu24) March 26, 2022
feliz em anunciar que vou estar correndo pela @racingx na @WSeriesRacing este ano, ao lado da minha companheira @abbiepulling 🏎🏎
Happy to announce that I will be racing for @racingx on @WSeriesRacing this year, with my teammate @abbiepulling pic.twitter.com/VsHAAGTulO
— Bruna Tomaselli (@brunatomaselli) March 26, 2022
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
F1 marshal forced to quit after tweeting that he 'hopes' Hamilton crashes in Saudi Arabia (ESPN)
"A marshal working at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take no further part in the event after sharing a message on Twitter in which he hoped Lewis Hamilton would have an accident similar to Romain Grosjean's at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. The marshal posted a message in Arabic on Saturday morning, which translated as 'I hope he has an accident like Romain in Bahrain.'"
Formula One bosses continue to bury their heads in increasingly bloodstained sand (Guardian)
"F1’s repeated refrain when called to answer such criticism is that they believe they can effect positive change in the countries they visit. Nelson Mandela held the opposite opinion in believing how important the sporting boycott was in helping end apartheid in South Africa. Worse still, there is no evidence any change ever occurs."
Jenson Button on Drive To Survive, Lewis Hamilton and Formula 1 in 2022 (Metro)
"For me, it’s exciting to see (Hamilton) battling it out with people like Verstappen and the Ferrari guys, with Leclerc being competitive and quite an aggressive driver, as well, in the way he fights for position. This is what we want. When it was just Mercedes winning every weekend it’s not so fun for people watching and everyone involved. To have two teams last year fighting for championship was great, and possibly three this year, if not more – F1’s in a good place."
Race pace has improved ‘massively’ since rookie season, says Cohen (F3)
"I think my race pace has improved massively since my debut last season. I keep going forward each round. I just need to make sure for the next weekend that we have a better qualifying and start from a better position."
"excerpt"
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
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Comment of the day
Both of last year’s title contenders were out-qualified by their team mates, notes @Tommy-c:
It’ll be interesting to see how Max handles the situation if Sergio can be consistently challenging him. Early days obviously but certainly looking promising for Perez. 2018 would be the last time he was properly challenged by a team mate but they weren’t consistently fighting for poles and wins. Similar situation at Mercedes!
@Tommy-c
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Justin!
Kribana (@krichelle)
27th March 2022, 0:57
In response to Wurz… What a weekend this could have been if it were not for what happened on Friday. I wonder if Vettel was present, he could have had a huge influence on the decision to race. The drivers were forced to race but it seems a bit unclear. The teams have allowed their drivers not to race if they do not want, but the drivers were warned about the consequences of leaving. As I said on another thread, there appears to be a « threat « to them and the drivers are not allowed to speak about it. I think Verstappen gave a comment stating exactly that he cannot talk about anything until they leave the country.
The Dolphins
27th March 2022, 2:48
I have no knowledge of Seb’s condition and I certainly wish him a speedy recovery but would it make sense for a driver who in the past has been vocal about human rights violations in this region, drives for a team whose title sponsor is the state oil company, to tell the team that he’s ready to race, even if he has tested negative? If he was present would he be allowed to speak up for his own safety and job security?
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
27th March 2022, 7:14
I am definitely looking forwards to hearing what both drivers and team principles have to say when they have left (escaped from?) Saudi.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
27th March 2022, 2:03
“excerpt”
Yep. My thoughts exactly.
Qeki (@qeki)
27th March 2022, 8:06
The headline was a bit radical but after I read it through I felt like thing was made clear. Everyone has their own opinions and sometimes you just can’t judge the book by its cover
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
27th March 2022, 8:38
You’re right, but you just wouldn’t expect that kind of excerpt from source…
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 12:16
In Soviet Russia, source excerpts you
RocketTankski
27th March 2022, 9:26
Respectfully, I’m not sure I fully agree. Sorry. There are just too many known unknowns at this point.
And more importantly, what does Jacques Villeneuve think about this?
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 12:17
I really think we should get Paul Tracy and JV together to discuss this topic. It would be fascinating.
DaveW (@dmw)
27th March 2022, 2:20
That Marshall’s tweet is chilling. mean people say crazy things on social media but this person could be responsible for pulling Hamilton from his car in a major wreck. For people saying he should speak up more or answer for hypocrisy this is what one faces for doing so in certain places. Just another reason to never come back here.
SteveR
27th March 2022, 2:52
Beyond that, I was taken aback with the marshal’s running around picking up bits of debris by the handful, running to dump it, and returning to do same agin. Having a garbage bag and loading bits into it made way more sense. Seemed pretty scatter-brained.
olpeculier (@olpeculier)
27th March 2022, 14:04
What I found amusing was the marshal furiously waving double yellows – right next to the truck that was retrieving Mick’s Haas…
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
27th March 2022, 3:03
At least that marshall is now safe.
Emma
27th March 2022, 6:38
What do you mean?
frood19 (@frood19)
27th March 2022, 7:56
i.e. safely no longer a marshall
Qeki (@qeki)
27th March 2022, 8:08
That’s something you might say after a night out but not on social media while working at the exact race!
Jere (@jerejj)
27th March 2022, 6:52
Wilson & Rowland: I enjoy this fast-paced track very much & took an immediate liking the first time I drove on F1 2021 before last season’s inaugural event.
Yes, the risk element is high since Jeddah Corniche Circuit is effectively Monza with walls, but I enjoy the challenge.
Who in their right mind would actually wish for a crash & especially a fiery one?
COTD: Probably only a one-off, i.e., I doubt Checo could challenge him throughout the season any more than he did last season.
David
27th March 2022, 7:08
do you know that computers games are different to reality? basically you know nothing about this track
F1 frog (@f1frog)
27th March 2022, 9:17
It is not the same as driving on F1 2021 because you are never at serious risk of injury when playing the game; many people enjoy playing shooting games but I doubt they would want to do those in real life.
Also, I find the kerbs considerably less likely to throw you into a wall like in Schumacher’s crash on the game, and of course there are no slow cars on the track in qualifying to hit. I also worry with this track that if a car had a similar crash to Schumacher’s in the race it would be very difficult for those behind to avoid hitting it (compared to a track with runoffs or grass/gravel that the crashed car or those in avoidance would go into, and in most tracks if a car crashed like that it would be visible to those behind much earlier), which doesn’t apply to the game because AI cars rarely crash on their own and online people turn into ghosts when they crash.
It’s a fun track to drive on in the game but too dangerous for real Formula 1.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th March 2022, 11:31
Can you launch missiles in the game?
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 12:18
@bullfrog on PV I am certain you can mod it to have a missile attack several miles away, yes.
Sham (@sham)
27th March 2022, 8:19
I didn’t watch this race last year – I stopped watching after the Brazil nonsense. I didn’t see this track at all, and so am coming to it fresh,.
Having watched the F2 so far and the F1 practice and quali. I can’t believe they allow racing there, in any series. A small mistake in the wrong place results in something resembling an aircraft crash.
I’m really glad Mick is OK, it wouldn’t take much of a change in that accident for him to not be.
And then the county itself.
F1 bought this weekend on itself, with being in an unstable area (meaning there was always a chance of something like the rocket attack) and not be allowed to leave (artistic licence, but we all know that’s the reality) and the sheer danger of the ridiculous layout, and I hope the people responsible for being there feel suitably ashamed with themselves.
I hope the rest of the weekend passes without injury and that the entire racing circus leaves that place successfully – and most importantly never returns.
OOliver
27th March 2022, 9:58
Many of us said the same thing when we were shown the simulation of the circuit. Like firing a bullet through a looped garden hose and expecting the bullet to go round. The circuit is even shaped like and Alfanje sword so what do you expect.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
27th March 2022, 11:13
If that is a spelling mistake for “brought” then it is the most apt and fitting error that I have seen in sometime @sham ;)
Sham (@sham)
27th March 2022, 11:33
Indeed, a couple of typos – county should be country, but the bought/brought one works either way :D
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
27th March 2022, 9:04
Never mind the characteristics of the circuit, F1 should not be coming here. Full stop. End of conversation.
As per The Guardian article referenced above, Nelson Mandela knew an awful lot more about how to instigate change than those in charge of F1.
Formula 1 has always been an extension of western democracy. The irony is that that’s why these authoritarian rulers want F1 to race in their countries. It’s the ultimate in sportswashing and so-called ‘Liberty’ Media is complicit in helping them achieve their aims, just as long as there’s enough money involved.
F1 Must learn from the ‘Russia Example’ and properly consider where to race. The world is watching what they do next.
CarWars (@maxv)
27th March 2022, 12:26
And not race in multiple other countries then. The problem is if we start this cycle we won’t race anywhere because each country has piles of blood on their hands, typically already in the recent future. Let alone if you dig in history. Can’t race in usa, Belgium, Holland, Austria etc.
The morality question is a difficult one, not easy to answer. Now we are going for a football world championship in a similar sandbox..
Shimks (@shimks)
27th March 2022, 11:00
Drivers need to have the balls to boycott races in countries with these human rights concerns. Image the media storm Hamilton could create if he refused to race. If several drivers united and did the same, changes would for sure be forced upon the FIA. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. Ooh, this doesn’t feel right, this doesn’t feel comfortable. That’s not going change anything, ever.
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 12:20
@shimks Would you have the balls to maybe ‘go missing on the way to the airport’?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th March 2022, 11:43
I admire Kevin’s optimism and faith in his masseur or osteopath…if he scores more points it’ll be two miracles in two races! Still better than having Mazepin and two and a half seconds in the car.
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
27th March 2022, 13:49
I’m not surprised he’s having neck trouble, with such a late call up he landed on the grid without the characteristic F1 neck muscles
Broke1984 (@broke1984)
27th March 2022, 12:58
Regarding COTD. I’m pretty neutral and hope that multiple drivers are winning, but I don’t consider Perez to be someone who will truly be a challenge to Verstappen, one bad qualifying doesn’t suddenly mean they are on equal footing, in the same way Hamilton will bounce back from yesterday’s qualifying
erikje
27th March 2022, 14:55
The Lewis picture at Haas after his dropping put of q1 is telling.
Already soliciting on a new job at Haas?
AlexS
27th March 2022, 16:03
Hehe, asking about Mick.