Mercedes’ race to lose?

Dubbed the ‘fastest stree💮t circuit in the world’, Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circu✤it is likely to be a Mercedes track on paper.

At 79 per cent🀅 full throttle (Monza is 85 p💞er cent full throttle), engine peformance will be crucial to performing well in Jeddah this weekend.

The momentum is with Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton recov🥃ered from two setbacks at Interlagos to beat Max Verstappen to the victory, while the seven-time champion dominated proceedings in Qatar, and that was without the ‘spicy engine’.

Toto Wolff already confirmed that will run the 'spicy engine' again in Jeddah - as he did in Brazil ♒- which isn't good news for Red Bull.

The high-speed, flowing🍸 nature of the circuit should play into Mercedes’ strengths but with it being a street circuit, it’🉐s never going to be completely straightforward.

“It's a fast street circuit with long flat-out sections and several high-speed corners, lined by barriers meanඣing it'll be high risk and reward,”🤪 Wolff said ahead of the weekend.

“We're more motivated than ever and we expect to be in the hun🅘t, so we ar𓃲e all looking forward to the debut grand prix in Saudi Arabia.”

Mercedes is likely to have an advantage but at a street circuit, 🐠nothing is straightforward.&nꦚbsp;

Verstappen can be crowned champion

While Mercedes has the momentum at the mome🃏n💙t, Verstappen could in fact take the title this weekend.

Versta🐟ppen has an eight-point lead going into Jeddah with 52 points on the table.

It would require Hamilton having a disastrous race - If Verstappen finishes first and Hamilton finishes seventh or lower then the title wou🅷ld be secured.

Could it happen? In normal c🧔ircumstances, no, but it is a street circuit. 

Safety Cars, red flags, 🐭crashes ar🌊e all a high possibility as we saw in Baku earlier in the year.

Battles that still need to be resolved

While all attention is und𝔍erstandably on the fight between Verstappen and Hamilton, there are still a num🏅ber of fights that need to be resolved before the end of the season.

Ferrari and McLaren are still battliꩲng over third i🐬n the constructors’ championship.

Only four points in the last three races for McLaren has allowed Ferrari to pull 39.5 p༒oints clear. 

Charꦦles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s consistency has been impressive, with the latter on a 13-r𓃲ace scoring streak.

The high-speed Jeddah circuit is likely to play into McLaren’s hands, although, it was Leclerc on pole in Baku back in the🃏 early part of the season.

Valtteri Bottas a✱nd Sergio Perez are separated by just 13 points in the race for third behind their teammates - a spot at the FIA end of season gala is on the line.

Alpine is 25 points ahead of AlphaTauri after an outstanding Qatar weekend, while Williams will be hopeful Sunday’s r🎀ace isn’t too chaotic to stop Alfa Romeo from closing the 12-point gap.

In memory of Sir Frank

The Williams F1 team has confirmed there will be “numerous tributes” planned to celebrate the l🦂ife of Sir Frank Williams - who died on Sunday, aged𒆙 79. 

ꦡUnder Sir Frank’s leadership, Williams claimed nine constructors’ titles, seven drivers’ titles and 114 wins in total - statistics only bettered by Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.&🐻nbsp;

The Williaꦉms family sold the team to current owners Dorilton last year, but the iconic name and branding 🃏have remained. 

The 💛team is expected to run a tribute on its car for this wee𓆏kend in Jeddah.

“The sad events of last weekend mean that this is our first race weekend without Sir Frank Williams as the patriarch and figurehead of the Willia🗹ms organisation,” Dave Robson, head of vehicle performance said.

“Although he had only very rarely been at the track in recent years, he still had a strong presence in the garage;ꦬ his passion, strength and unstinting enthusiasm providing additional motivation to those of us fortunate enough to race the cars bearing his name.

“Although an era ended last weekend, Frank’s legacy will live on and we will co🧔ntinue to race in the manner that he would expect, drawing upon his memory as a source of pride and inspiration. We send the Williams family our deepest sympathies and reassure them that we will continue to honour his legend.”