It’s a shame the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix had to end as fans were treated to a thoroughly thrilling race from start to finish Sunday.
From possible Ferrari mind games trickery to snatch the lead to a back-and-forth battle between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc to the finish line, this was the kind of GP that Formula One was hoping for when they altered the regulations with the hopes of allowing cars to follow each other more closely and overtake easier.
Verstappen was able to hold off Leclerc to the checkered flag to earn his 21st GP victory and first points of the new season.
Here are takeaways from the Saudi Arabian GP.
Max back on track
That was more like it for Verstappen as he rebounded from a disappointing early exit in last weekend’s season opener in Bahrain. Frankly, just getting to the end would have been an improvement but you knew the reigning world champion wouldn’t have settled for just that as he finished in the points and on top of the podium, too.
There was a bit of cause for concern with Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull Racing’s sister team AlphaTauri failing to even start the race due to power unit problems, but those fears evaporated faster than, well, Verstappen as he rounded the corners and pushed past Leclerc through the DRS (drag reduction system) zone late in the race. The two jockeyed for the lead until Verstappen snagged it for good on Lap 47.
We’d say the cliche that he “never looked back” but Verstappen had Leclerc in his rearview mirror the rest of the way. Verstappen had complained (at least) twice about Leclerc crossing the pit line while defending the lead and also questioned his opponent’s speed behind him while under yellow caution conditions. It’s a big ask but Verstappen needs to remain focused on the things he can control and let his team handle the issues he can’t control.
Ferrari pulls a fast one on Red Bull
Just when you thought Leclerc was going to undercut pole-sitter Sergio Perez and pit early in the GP, Ferrari fooled the Red Bull driver into boxing before them. Leclerc looked like he was heading into the pits at the end of Lap 15 only to remain on the track and inherit the lead as Perez dove into the pits instead.
Things went from bad to worse for Perez as Williams driver Nicholas Latifi of Toronto crashed bringing out the safety car. That allowed Leclerc, Verstappen and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari all to pit while Perez could only round the track at a snail’s pace. Sainz just snuck out in time and jostled for position for P3 with Perez, which the Mexican driver eventually conceded after the restart.
Poor Checo. Although an improvement from last week’s failure to cross the finish line, from pole position to off the podium is a tough one to take.
The double podium finish for Ferrari extended their lead in the constructors’ championship to 78 points and a 40-point gap over Mercedes. Red Bull has flown into third with 37 points.
Mercedes remain competitive but struggles are real
Who else was shocked seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton did not advance out of Q1 for the first time since 2017? It’s looking more and more like the struggles the Mercedes talked about leading up to the start of the season are real and the team has an uphill battle.
Nevertheless, Hamilton has a competitive car and managed to turn a P15 start on the grid into a P10 finish. Hamilton managed to manoeuvre methodically through traffic to salvage a point. Tire management was also key as Hamilton started on the hard compound set and despite having grip issues early, he was able to stave off the need to pit until late in the race.
Meanwhile, Mercedes teammate George Russell finished ahead of Hamilton in P5 and looking quite comfortable in his new ride already this year.
Magnussen looking magnificent
Props again the Kevin Magnussen for putting Haas into the points with a P9 finish and even battling for position with Hamilton at one point. (Who would have thought we’d see that?)
Magnussen was a one-man machine this weekend after teammate Mick Schumacher crashed hard into the barrier during qualifying and withdrew from the Grand Prix. Thankfully, Schumacher appeared all right afterward.
The 29-year-old Magnussen is a year removed from competing in F1 and basically got the call to return to Haas just 11 days before the start of the season after the team parted ways with Nikita Mazepin.
Besides, this makes Guenther Steiner happy and he deserves it after everything he’s been through as team principal for Haas.
All right, that was just an excuse to post this tweet too.
Splash and dash
• Magnussen also had an exciting battle for position with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso until the double world champion lost power and limped back to the pits. Alonso didn’t quite make it and neither did McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who also lost power and needed an assist from the marshals pushing his Mercedes-powered machine. At the same time, Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo also retired as it looked like chaos on the course.
• Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll nearly got taken out by Williams’ Alexander Albon, who t-boned the Montreal driver late in the race, which brought out the aforementioned yellow that may have prevented Leclerc from making a final push to get past Verstappen. Stroll had to settle for an unlucky P13 finish as he remains pointless on the season.
• While Ferrari may have been playing to try to outsmart Red Bull, Alpine were playing Uno as Alonso and Esteban Ocon were reversing order early in the race. All that did was slow themselves down and allow others to wait patiently behind them for a potential disaster to unfold. That never came as Ocon settled for P6 after Alonso bowed out.
Up next
The F1 season resumes in a fortnight with a return trip Down Under to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix, April 10. The event hasn’t been held during the past two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Set your alarm clocks, North American fans, as lights are out at 1 a.m. ET.
F1 Takeaways: Verstappen back on track with entertaining Saudi Arabian GP
Source: Healthy Lifestyle
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