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In-Season Testing Round-Up: What we learnt from three days of running in Jeddah
Three days of testing are done and dusted, but what can we read from the running across in-season testing at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit?
Completing a total of 2,891 laps, the six teams have gathered lots of data to pore over before Round 2’s return to the Saudi Arabia next week. Before the field get back behind the wheel at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, here are some of the big talking points from Jeddah.
TOP CONTENDERS KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM
After Campos Racing shone brightest in Shanghai — delivering a win, two further podiums and six point-scoring finishes across their trio — the Spanish outfit would also emerge out in front across testing.
Alisha Palmowski started off strong from the outset, ending up third in the opening session. Relishing what the Jeddah circuit had to offer, the Red Bull Racing driver remarked that she’d found “a much better set-up and balance within the car” compared to last time out. She’d show her hand on Day 2, posting a 2:05.040 to set the fastest overall time from testing.
Their strong pace wasn’t only limited to the 18-year-old, with Red Bull Ford’s Chloe Chambers coming into her own in the latter stages. Speaking after the final day, she revealed that a mishap with tyre strategy had put her off sequence for both the opening day and part of the second. However, that issue seemed to be behind them across the second half of running, with her seizing the P2 spot in both sessions on the final day.
The American driver looked to be in much better form in Saudi Arabia compared to 2024’s appearance, in which she finished fourth and 10th, and she remarked that there was little of last year’s approach that she’d carried over.
“I was approaching the test as if I was starting from scratch because last year this weekend wasn’t my best weekend,” said Chambers. “I had a very different driving style at the time that we were here last year (…) In the end, that was the right decision.
READ MORE: Lloyd quickest on opening day of Jeddah in-season testing
“I didn’t have very good pace here last year. I was still within the top 10 pretty comfortably, but I wasn’t where I want to be, especially this year where I’m trying to fight for the title.”
Maya Weug was another driver putting last year’s experience behind her, earning the highest-average finish across the six days of running. Echoing Chambers’ comments, the Ferrari driver admitted that there were mistakes from her previous approach that she’s aiming to eliminate.
UNFAMILARITY PROVING TO BE NO PROBLEM
Lots of eyes were fixed on the rookies to see how the nine drivers, alongside 2023 returnee Chloe Chong, would cope compared to their more experienced counterparts. Some managed better than others, but McLaren’s Ella Lloyd and Palmowski proved they could keep up, with the duo only behind Weug in terms of average finishing position.
Further down the order, Kick Sauber’s Emma Felbermayr posted five top-10 times for Rodin Motorsport, whilst Alba Larsen earned four of her own. Ending on a high with a P5 finish, the Tommy Hilfiger driver recognised that she still had work to do to get to the peak of the new tyres.
Speaking after Day 3, she added: “It’s a really fun track when you really get to know it (…) Even though there aren’t much overtaking opportunities, it’s still going to be a fun race because it’s easy to make a mistake.”
READ MORE: Palmowski sets the pace on Day 2 of Jeddah in-season test
“The high-speed is tricky (through) Turns 7, 8, 9 and 10. You’ve got to position the car right and have a lot of speed, so it’s about confidence.”
FEELING THE HEAT
Scorching temperatures were a recurring theme throughout the drivers’ feedback across the three days. Hitting highs of around 35˚C, the field got a sense of the conditions they’ll face during the race weekend, with Practice and both races taking place in the afternoon sun, whilst the late-night Qualifying will have its own challenges in store.
Coping with the intensity of the heat and its knock-on effect on tyre management alongside the fatigue caused by the circuit’s demanding layout, some drivers were feeling the strain more than others.
Although Lloyd, who’s debut appearance was in the Singaporean humidity last year, seemed unfazed, her fellow Briton Palmowski admitted that the conditions were giving her a spot of bother.
“It’s something that I don’t have much experience with,” said the Red Bull Racing driver. “I’m used to super cold temperatures, so it has been a challenge. It’s difficult, especially throughout the long runs, just maintaining focus especially when the stakes are so high. There’s no margin for error at all around with the walls being so close, so high-speed.”
READ MORE: Weug ends Day 3 top of the timesheets in Jeddah in-season testing
She added: “I’ve loved driving at night. The atmosphere with the lights and getting super close to the walls, it really gets the adrenaline going. I came off the track with the highest heart rate I’ve ever had because you’ve got to be super laser-focused, more so than at other circuits.”
WHO’S BEEN HIDING THEIR PACE?
Testing times can give an initial indication as to who could be on form in Round 2, but varying set-ups and run plans mean you can’t take them at face value. Teams will always try to be strategic in how they show their pace in order to prevent giving their rivals the upper hand.
Palmowski might have been fastest overall and confident that her pace can make her a frontrunner, but even she insists that there are still plenty of question marks surrounding the field’s outright performance.
“In the pecking order we’re up there,” she noted. “To be honest, it’s been difficult to see the true pace of everybody throughout testing because I think there’s been a few tactics — slowing down maybe in Sector 3 so that you don’t go quickest at the end of the session.
“Some people may have been sandbagging, us included. I’d like to say top three or top four, we should be around that reason. I’d love to be on pole, would love to win the races, but obviously it’s still early days in the season, so I just need to collect the points.”
One driver who’d you’d suspect has some untapped potential is Doriane Pin. The Mercedes driver secured both pole positions and won on debut last year in Jeddah, but the Standings leader finished no higher than fourth after recording P1 and P3 finishes on the opening day’s running.
Larsen also anticipates a much more competitive weekend overall compared to Shanghai, but only time will tell who can deliver when it actually counts on the race weekend.
“I’m still going to think the same way I did in Shanghai (with) not too high expectations because some of the girls have been here before,” said the Danish driver. “Now everybody’s a bit more up to pace, I think it’s going to be a bit more mixed this time, but I’m still quite confident.”