Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Sensational battles between Hamilton and Verstappen! Hamilton wins

Second to last race of the season and even before the lights went out, the pressure was at its peak. A new circuit in the world of Formula 1 that has proven to be very dangerous for the Formula 2 drivers who experienced many accidents during the weekend.

The other element that fueled this intense tension was the crash of Max Verstappen during qualifying. While the Dutchman could have secured pole position, a crash in the final turn deprived him of it and forced the Red Bull mechanics to replace numerous parts on his car. Although the Austrian team claimed that the gearbox of the championship leader had not been damaged, Charles Leclerc’s accident in Monaco demonstrated that an error on Saturday could prove very costly the following day.

The departure:

Lewis Hamilton managed to keep his pole position at the start of the Grand Prix. With Valtteri Bottas just behind him, Mercedes carried out a perfect operation by controlling the race lead on a circuit where it is very difficult to stay behind and even more challenging to overtake.

A little further back in the pack, it was a much more difficult start for Pierre Gasly. Starting 6th on the grid, the Normandy driver found himself overtaken by the McLaren of Lando Norris and the Alpine of his compatriot Esteban Ocon. Later, on the 8th lap, he was demoted to 9th position after being passed by Daniel Ricciardo.

Michael Schumacher’s crash

On the 10th lap, the race was interrupted by an unfortunate crash from Mick Schumacher at the 22nd corner. He made exactly the same mistake as Charles Leclerc in FP2. Losing the rear of his car on the track, his rear wing came crashing into the barriers.

If at first it’s a safety car that is out, it’s finally a red flag that is waved due to barriers too damaged.

A huge stroke of luck for Max Verstappen who did not stop under the safety car, unlike the two Mercedes, and who could therefore change tires in the pitlane while keeping the lead position.

The Second Departure:

For this second Grand Prix start, the FIA had the choice between starting under the Safety Car or a standing start. It was to the delight of the fans that the second option was chosen.

A second start much crazier than the first during which Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton came close to a collision. Extracting himself better from the grid, the Briton took back the first position. Not giving up, the Dutchman goes outside but Hamilton pushes him out which forces him to complete his overtaking off track.

The FIA then suggests to Red Bull to have Verstappen start 3rd, right behind Hamilton, in order to prevent the Dutch driver from a possible penalty.

The midfield was the scene of two impressive accidents. A first one involving Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly. The Mexican was sandwiched between the Ferrari and the AlphaTauri, which sent him into the wall. An unfortunate retirement for Red Bull, which lost a significant number of points for the constructor’s championship.

The second was intimately linked to the first. Indeed, faced with the commotion in front of him, George Russell braked to avoid the Red Bull parked right in the middle of the track, the Williams driver braked suddenly. Nikita Mazepin, just behind the Englishman, couldn’t avoid him. The two drivers were forced to prematurely exit their single-seaters.

Never two without three

Starting 3rd with medium tires, Max Verstappen took off like a rocket and immediately got rid of Lewis Hamilton at the first corner thanks to a dive to the inside.

Esteban Ocon, who had just lost his first position at the start, also had to concede the 2nd place to Lewis Hamilton one lap later.

On the 37th lap after putting pressure on Max Verstappen for many laps, Lewis Hamilton attempts his first overtake. He is immediately pushed to the outside by his rival.

One lap later, Max Verstappen tries to let Hamilton pass, but the Mercedes driver doesn’t seem to be aware that he needs to overtake the Red Bull, resulting in a collision between the two.

Finally, a 5-second penalty is awarded to Max Verstappen due to this incident on the 37th lap. With his worn medium tires, the Dutch driver can no longer compete and must settle for second place.

Disappointment for Esteban Ocon who was deprived of his 3rd career podium by Valtteri Bottas. The Finn overtakes him on the finish line.

This means that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will head to Abu Dhabi with the same number of points. This promises an exciting title fight.