Max Verstappen will return to Saudi Arabia, where he suffered a rare defeat last season, and is expected to face an investigation this week into his and his Red Bull team's future.
After a turbulent week of stories, speculation and a majestic victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the three-time world champion will need to once again rely on his deep well of mental resilience to stay out of trouble on and off the track.
Last year, he suffered a driveshaft problem during qualifying and started 15th on the grid.
He surged to the front to finish second behind teammate Sergio Perez, one of the only two races the Mexican has won.
This time, after winning the season opener last Saturday, he will be aiming for a ninth successive victory and the 100th podium finish of his career, and preferably the 56th time in his career.
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But racing will not be the story that tops the agenda following the uproar caused by his father Jos – who will be absent this weekend, rather than taking part in a regional car rally in Belgium – by claiming that Red Bull would be torn apart if Christian Horner remained as team boss.
Horner, 50, was cleared of alleged inappropriate behavior with a female colleague last Wednesday through an internal investigation and remained the focus of attention after messages he allegedly sent were published.
The uproar continued throughout the weekend in Bahrain and throughout Monday when the senior Verstappen held his 52nd birthday party in Dubai – to which Horner was said to not have been invited, suggesting a clear rift between them.
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Horner reportedly held an outdoor meeting with Verstappen's agent Raymond Vermeulen, hoping some normalcy will return to the Jeddah Corniche circuit where he won under the lights in 2022.
The world champion will be hoping to continue where he left off in Sakhir, but the smoother and more sympathetic asphalt surface is expected to reduce the advantage he enjoyed on the abrasive Bahrain track in his RB20.
“It's a completely different layout with a lot of high-speed corners,” Verstappen said.
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“The grandstand is also different so there will be less degradation, and maybe that will help other teams as well,” he added.
Among those looking to record an immediate improvement will be Ferrari and McLaren, with Aston Martin and Mercedes also keen to show more of their potential on the second-fastest and second-longest circuit on the calendar.
After his feisty drive in Bahrain, Carlos Sainz, whose Ferrari seat will be taken by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025, could pose a threat to Red Bull.
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So will Hamilton as he seeks to end a 46-match winless drought at the venue where he last triumphed in 2021 – the inaugural Saudi event.
“It's an opportunity to move forward immediately,” said team boss Toto Wolff, who said last Saturday that Verstappen's form and superiority had made him feel better.
“We are aiming for a more consistent weekend to understand our true performance compared to the rest of the network.”
There is expected to be more intense racing as well as more personal and political controversy off the track, not just over Horner, whose Spice Girl ex-wife Geri Halliwell is not expected to attend, but also the president of the governing body, the FIA. (FIA), Mohammed bin Sulayem.
He is alleged to have intervened in a canceled penalty last year, allowing two-time champion Fernando Alonso to finish third for Aston Martin, and allegedly tried to block approval for the Las Vegas circuit.
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