“Mercedes was the favorite in Jeddah, but Verstappen played like crazy there,” warns Christijan Albers Ferrari before the Saudi Arabian GP » FirstSportz

Ferrari were clearly the best at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday as they claimed an impressive 1-2 podium finish. The last time they secured a 1-2 podium finish was in 2010. That win was also Ferrari’s first victory after a solid 910-day drought. The last time they won a championship was in 2008. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is currently the defending champion, made sure to show off his driving skills by racing until his RB18 retired prematurely due to a serious problem with it the fuel pump stayed close to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Dutch former professional racing driver Christian Albers believes it will not be the easiest task for Ferrari in Jeddah, where the teams will be racing for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Ferrari’s reliable F1-75 challenger was clearly the quickest in Bahrain. Positioning himself between Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Verstappen showed he is still capable of beating Leclerc on Sunday. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez qualified fourth and showed a more realistic pace. Throughout the race, the red bull seemed to fall short Ferrari.

At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year Mercedes‘ Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton beat Dutchman Max Verstappen after a thrilling fight. He made sure to show his steadfastness in this race when the odds were totally against him.

Red Bull could be possible favorites to win in Jeddah

Former Dutch professional racer Christijan Albers, when asked about his predictions for the 2022 race in Jeddah, said: “Then the picture can look completely different again. I remember from last year everyone was saying Hamilton was going to win and that it was a real Mercedes track. But I think Verstappen was by far the fastest in that qualifier. Only then did he make that mistake in the last corner, but there he drove like crazy.”

The fact that things went well for Verstappen in Jeddah last year is no guarantee that things will also go well for the Dutchman this year. It shows that even at the end of the season and at the end of an F1 era, there can still be surprises in a weekend. Let alone when it’s the second race of a new season and a new F1 era with new cars

Albers added that he has a good feeling at Red Bull this week in terms of a good setup. “The basic set-up, the way they approach the weekend, is actually perfect compared to Ferrari, who didn’t do so well last year.” explained the Dutch ex-driver.

Also read: Red Bull are trying to reassess exactly what went wrong at the Bahrain GP