What you need to know about the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

1. Leclerc / Verstappen Act II: the starting point of the fight for the world title (2022)

In just two editions, it’s hard to find much debate about the first place in this ranking. Indeed, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen provided us with a fabulous spectacle during the previous edition of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Winner of the first round in Bahrain after his rival’s retirement in the final laps, Leclerc controlled most of the race, particularly by overtaking Pérez during the pit stops. However, with 15 laps to go, the virtual safety car procedure severely disadvantaged Leclerc and brought Verstappen back into contention.

Matching blow for blow and playing with the DRS activation line, Verstappen and Leclerc offered the audience a magnificent battle, ultimately won by the Dutchman, who then equalized the victory counter with his Monegasque rival. This marks the beginning of the fight for the 2022 championship, also claimed by the Red Bull driver.

2. Sergio Pérez’s first pole position (2022)

He is another driver who distinguished himself well during this Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2022. For the weekend of his 216th Grand Prix, Sergio Pérez simply achieves the first pole position of his career. The Mexican thus becomes the driver who has waited the longest in history before securing his first pole.

“Checo” even entrusted the radio with the power to do 2000 laps or more but never to beat this time. Unfortunately for him, despite a strong start and beginning of the race, his team’s strategy will fail him and the Mexican driver will only finish in 3rd place in this Grand Prix.

3. The now-infamously famous episode of the FIA offers (2021)

Flashback to 2021 now, for the first edition in the streets of Jeddah. Hamilton starts in pole position (his 103rd and final to this day) ahead of his teammate Bottas and his rival Verstappen. On the tenth lap, Schumacher crashes and Verstappen benefits from a free pit stop in front of the Mercedes and finds himself propelled to the top of the race before the first red flag interruption to repair the TecPro barriers at the corner where Schumacher crashed.

At the restart, Hamilton tries to pass Verstappen but the latter, by going off track, keeps the advantage over the Brit. In the process, Hamilton actually loses second place to Ocon. That’s when a spectacular collision occurs, involving Nikita Mazepin and George Russell, forcing the race direction to bring out the red flag.

The incident of the second start under investigation by the stewards initiates a very long exchange between the members of the different teams involved and the race management through the voice of Michael Masi. Therefore, Masi offers Red Bull a “deal” to start Verstappen behind Ocon and Hamilton as a penalty, which the Austrian team accepts.

Since the end of this 2021 season, radio communications between teams and race control are confidential and not broadcasted. A blessing in disguise.

Read also: The Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Canal+

4. The huge crash of Mick Schumacher (2022)

To say that the relationship between Mick Schumacher and the urban circuit of Jeddah resembles more of a dramatic romance rather than a fairy tale is certainly an understatement. The German driver has never been very comfortable on urban circuits in Formula 1, but the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is undoubtedly one of his most despised circuits.

After his crash in the race in 2021, the son of the seven-time world champion violently crashed during qualifying while improving his time for a possible passage to Q3. The impact was measured at around 33 Gs endured. The Haas driver managed to extricate himself from his car before having to give up participating in the Grand Prix due to the numerous contusions revealed during his visit to the medical center. More fear than harm, but still a big scare.

5. The finish on the line between Ocon and Bottas (2021)

The 2021 edition was obviously centered around the Hamilton/Verstappen battle for the fight for the acquisition of the world championship title, but a man also came to take his share of the limelight in this event: Esteban Ocon.

Remembering everyone’s good memories, one week after his teammate Fernando Alonso’s podium in Qatar, the French driver sparkled by gaining positions at every start of the Grand Prix, eventually finding himself in the lead for a few laps ahead of the championship titans.

For a long time in third place, the Normand driver suffered with his tires towards the end of the race, only to see the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas catching up in the final laps. And during the last acceleration leading to the finish line, the Alpine driver is stolen his podium spot by the Finnish driver, greatly assisted by the DRS. Frustrating.

And you? What is your standout moment from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

The first free practice session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix starts this Friday at 2:30 p.m. All the schedules to know can be found in the TV program.