PALMER: Why I expect Red Bull’s rivals to put up a stronger fight this weekend in Jeddah

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 02: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull

Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the season opener in Bahrain – but his rivals will harbour hopes of a stronger challenge in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Here's why...

Qualifying was expected to be close, so it was a surprise to see Max with a two tenths margin at the front of the grid – but that advantage was misleading. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was actually the fastest driver in Friday night’s qualifying session, but unlike Verstappen he failed to put it together when it really mattered at the end of Q3, in a rare qualifying miss from the Monegasque driver.

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PALMER: Why I expect Red Bull’s rivals to put up a stronger fight this weekend in Jeddah

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