From the photos of Horner to the adventures by taxi in Yeda

Taxi in Yeda: from the handshake to traffic chaos

“150 Sar, sir!“A taxi driver clarified after informing me, playing the horn, that I was delighted to take the hotel to the hotel. when I told him that the previous day I paid 50 sar for the same journey, the price immediately dropped to 100.” No, I will not pay that either, “I said.” Eighty then? “My answer was the same:” No, I am not going to pay that. “

From 150 SAR to less than half in a minute it seems acceptable.

Once sitting in the taxi, the following problem appears: there is no way to fasten the seat belt and the taxi driver says: “Safety belt? Do not worry, it is not necessary here“. But if something has made it clear so far, the traffic in Yeda is that, of the entire Formula 1 calendar (perhaps together with Mexico City), this is where the seat belt is most needed, since the Saudi maintain – let’s say it – thus – a somewhat different driving style than we are used to in Europe.

Yeda’s road network is also extraordinary, in the ironic sense. It seems that they have never heard of high steps, so everything is done with U turns, even in the racecourse. first you have to pass in front of the circuit and then return with a turn in U. The incorporation must be done practically from standing in the left lane, precisely where the speed of traffic in the opposite direction is greater. Without a doubt, everything very comfortable.

And three riddles about what happens at night, when most of the traffic is released. Correct, traffic jams in each turn in U. The taxi drivers, however, know how to deal with it, although this applies to a lesser extent to credit card payment. To the question: “Can I pay by card?“, The answer is invariably” yes “, but the shape is quite creative. A few kilometers before the hotel, the driver suddenly takes a completely different address and is heading towards a gas station. When I explain that the hotel is in the other direction, the answer is: “Gasoline!“I soon fall into the account. The taxi driver does not carry a dataphone, but the gas station employee yes. Then they cite me to pay in the supplier, after which they give the driver the amount transferred into cash. Something very strange.

Are you Formula 1 pilot?

On the road, Formula 1 is announced everywhere with large advertising fences, although the locals do not seem to excite them much yet. Most of the people close to the circuit are there for the immense (and avant -garde) Red Sea mall, which is located right next to the circuit. Not even the taxi driver knows it: “Does it come for the formula?“. Obviously refers to Formula 1, but the most fun thing is that the affirmative answer on my part is followed by all kinds of movements with the hands. In other words, the question is whether I am a F1 pilot. Unfortunately, I have to answer that I do not have the privilege of conducting those cars and that my work is much worse paid.

In the circuit a special island for our work has been created: The island of the media. It is about five or ten minutes walk from Paddock, although the rest of the facilities of the island of the media are very good, as is the catering in a special restaurant.

In addition, Yeda is a pleasant circuit to go on the foot of the track. Not being able to use the laptop during the second training and classification session due to typing, I only faced heat during the first and third training session. The layout of the very fast track makes it easy to cross from curves 22 and 23 to the first chicane of the departure, not yet knowing that this section would be a great topic of conversation in the paddock on Sunday.

Before that happens, most of the conversations in the Paddock revolved around the best Red Bull performance. Nothing is as changing as time, says the saying, but perhaps F1 is even more changing. After all, the contrast between Bahrain a week ago and this weekend in Saudi Arabia could not be greater.

A week later the world could not be more different. Verstappen, with a great return – and the help of a rebuild of Yuki Tsunoda – even managed to get the pole position, ahead of Piastri, which seems increasingly favorite within McLaren.

The layout of rapid curves and the asphalt completely different from that of Bahrain played in favor of Red Bull, which also helped the team managed to put the RB21 ready before the classification. In any case, it was the desired and also very necessary reaction.

Horner’s press conference and his printed photos

After the traditional grid visit before the start of the race and a walk back to the island of the media accompanied by fireworks and a drone show, we see the moment of the race just after the exit. Piastri attacks the interior, Verstappen stays out and skips the first chicane, leaving the track and gaining advantage, according to the commissioners. Because of this, the world champion received a penalty of five seconds.

After the race, I recorded Verstappen’s first reaction before walking to the paddock, but that first reaction was limited to: “We see you in Miami!” It turns out to be the prelude to the statements of Verstappen before the media: before all the cameras and, of course, at the press conference of the FIA, the tongue bites: “I cannot say what I really think, because then they could punish me. We cannot be critical, in any way.”

In the paddock, Red Bull bosses are more direct. During the talk that I traditionally maintain with Marko, he suggests that the sanction is “too hard” and that in his opinion it was simply a “career incident.” Later, in the press session with Horner, who usually brings papers to show us things, this time it went much further. The team chief was presented with two printed photos: one is a screenshot of a camera onboard that the commissioners did not have at the same time and the other role shows lines with the progression in the race of all the pilots.

“You can see well here at the vertex of the curve,” Horner told one of the two leaves. “There Max was clear in front. The guidelines of for the pilots have often discussed in the past and I think this is a very difficult decision.” Then, the British reveals that he also wants to show the “new evidence” to the FIA, although he does not see much sense to ask for a right to review: “We talk to the commissioners after the race and they thought it was obvious, so the problem is as follows: if we present a protest, they will probably reject it.” And a few days later, it was confirmed.

For the general panorama that means that Verstappen remains second in the race results, although the weekend in Yeda in broad strokes also showed a bit of its love-mode relationship with the current formula 1. The Dutchman is a pure pilot and loves to go to the limit with the best racing cars in the world, as his incredible return of the pole once again demonstrated. But the weekend also showed two things that they don’t like. On the one hand, he had to answer questions about his future during the media day and it is not the first time that Sunday was generated a lot of uproar and controversy following a decision of the commissioners. All political aspects of Formula 1 seem to be something that Verstappen can ignore, but those same things are very prominent in the queen category of motor racing, perhaps even more prominent than ever.

There was a lot to reflect when he left Media Island as one of the last to leave on Sunday night to Monday. It was 02.30 in the morning. One more taxi adventure and this diptych full of events in the Middle East will have finished. Next stop: the state of the sun.