Piastri challenges Norris in the crocodile pit of Arabia

Saudi Arabia's regime has managed to make its circuit not only a platform to whitewash the atrocities they commit but also one of the most entertaining on the calendar. The best evidence was provided by Friday's free practice sessions, which saw several victims hit the walls. The last, but not the only one, was Yuki Tsunoda, whose landing at Red Bull is proving more than complicated, clearly showing that overdriving, as he often does, won't work here.

To succeed in Jeddah, drivers will need to master several factors. Firstly, the sheer speed that this track entails. The Saudi circuit is one of the fastest on the calendar, which means they must perfectly manage the brakes to avoid overheating at critical points. Consequently, they must know how to handle fast corners, which can provide an extra advantage for drivers with quicker reflexes... otherwise, the walls are too close.

Almost none of the 20 drivers avoided at least a slight brush with the barriers, with Tsunoda being the most affected in the second practice and Bortoleto with the Sauber in the first. The Japanese driver crashed violently after breaking the left front axle when he tried to push too hard on the inside, but others, without reaching such limits, still damaged their cars: Antonelli with the Mercedes, Gasly—surprisingly competitive this Friday, leading the first practice—with the Alpine, and even Max Verstappen...

The ones who didn't make mistakes—not too many—were the McLaren men. The best time was set by Lando Norris, who is feeling the pressure from Oscar Piastri. The Australian is showing glimpses of promise as he feels capable of taking the lead role from the Briton. So much so that he forced Norris to do an extra fast lap to widen the gap between them, which was just six hundredths at one point. Piastri, who is still not one of the most charismatic on the grid by any means, is starting to gain ground in the betting for each race. As long as Norris continues to lead the standings and, above all, remains faster than Piastri, McLaren won't have a problem... which is exactly what Piastri wants to cause them. Saudi Arabia is a perfect testing ground, as mistakes here are costly: a good test for the character of Norris, who will also have to keep a close eye on Max Verstappen, aware that he still has much to say in this World Championship, from which some are trying to oust him prematurely.

Among those who survived, and did well, was Carlos Sainz. The Madrid native is eager to make amends after what happened in Bahrain a few days ago, not because it was his fault—not entirely—but because he set a great fifth time that allows him to be optimistic. For now, Alex Albon is sweeping him aside without mercy, and Sainz, with only one point, knows he will have to take more risks on circuits where things can happen: here, in Arabia, it is more likely he will achieve a good result if he manages to survive.

The other Spaniard on the grid, however, is not in high spirits. Fernando Alonso could not get past a more than disappointing fifteenth place, behind the ousted Liam Lawson and ahead of the promising rookie Ollie Bearman. Such is the situation at Aston Martin that, if they start like this on Sunday, it is more likely that the Englishman from Haas will score points than the Spaniard, as the young Ferrari academy driver has scored in every circuit where he has raced in a dry race.

Alonso finds himself in a weekend where he wants to prove himself, as he has already felt the pressure of rumours. Ahead of this weekend, he had to remind everyone that he has a contract and that, despite Aston Martin's interest in Max Verstappen, he remains the team's driver. He must demonstrate that he is still the driver he once was and not the 'old man' that some in the UK are trying to instil in the collective imagination of fans.