Saudi Arabia Grand Prix: Sergio Perez in control, Alonso loses his podium then regains it

For this second Grand Prix of the season, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc started respectively in 12th and 15th position. The former due to a 10-place penalty for changing an element on his engine block, and the latter due to a gearbox issue that prevented him from driving in Q2. This race was therefore expected to be lively due to their comeback. Their objective was not to let Sergio Perez escape with the lead of the race.

The departure

The pole position holder, Sergio Perez, lost the lead position right at the braking zone of the first corner. However, despite having a weaker start than the Mexican, Alonso managed to squeeze through a narrow gap to brake later than the Red Bull and overtake it. Unfortunately for the two-time world champion, the joy was short-lived. On the 3rd lap, he was penalized with a 5-second penalty for a mispositioning on the grid. One lap later, Sergio Perez passed him with the help of DRS to regain control of the race.

A very difficult start for Oscar Piastri who broke his front wing after a contact with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. The rookie’s efforts to get his McLaren into Q3 were not rewarded by this race incident, which forced him to pit. It was a double nightmare for McLaren. Just one lap after Piastri, Lando Norris also had to make a pit stop to change his front wing.

The comeback of the heavyweights

Despite the proximity to the walls, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen were not afraid to make overtakes to climb up the field. The Monegasque driver notably treated the spectators to a spectacular battle with Pierre Gasly. After 12 laps on the Jeddah circuit, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen occupied the 7th and 8th positions respectively.

Safety Car

Cruel lack of luck for Lance Stroll, who was forced to retire due to an engine problem while he was still in contention for a podium finish. The Aston Martin’s stop on the track brought out another Aston Martin, the safety car. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Canadian’s retirement was none other than his teammate, Fernando Alonso. In fact, the safety car period allowed the Spaniard to serve his 5-second penalty without losing any positions. The other beneficiary of this incident was Max Verstappen. Thanks to the safety car period, the Dutchman emerged from the pits in 4th position and just a few meters away from victory.

Despite all his experience in Formula 1, Fernando Alonso was caught off guard at the restart by Sergio Pérez. Accelerating relatively early on the straight, the Mexican managed to quickly distance himself from the Spaniard. By the end of the first sector, the Red Bull driver had opened up a gap of 1.6 seconds with the Aston Martin.

On the 22nd lap of the race, Lewis Hamilton made a superb overtaking move on Carlos Sainz. Taking advantage of the grip of his medium tires, the Briton outmaneuvered the Ferrari at the second turn to secure the 5th position. While one side of the Mercedes garage played the role of the hunter, George Russell found himself as the prey of Max Verstappen. On the 23rd lap, the Briton couldn’t do anything to prevent the rocket-like Red Bull from overtaking him.

A battle from a distance

With Max Verstappen overtaking Fernando Alonso on the 24th lap, it left the two Red Bulls leading the race. The two drivers from the Milton Keynes team then engaged in a remote battle. Every lap, the Red Bull drivers pushed their machines to the limit in order to improve the best lap time on the track.

It is an imperial Sergio Perez who emerged victorious in Jeddah. Despite the pressure applied by Max Verstappen, the driver with the number 11 never cracked and triumphs for the 5th time in his Formula 1 career. It is, in fact, the first time he converts a pole position into a victory. However, it is the reigning world champion who leaves Saudi Arabia leading the championship thanks to the point for the fastest lap on the track.

Fernando Alonso once again proved that Aston Martin was the second strongest team on the grid, thanks to his second consecutive podium this season. The two Mercedes, two Ferraris, two Alpines, and Kevin Magnussen complete the Top 10.

Alonso penalized

Alonso was penalized for a poor placement on the starting grid, and his mechanic in charge of the rear jack accidentally touched the car before the penalty was applied. As a result, the FIA gave an additional 10 seconds to the Aston Martin driver, who, despite initially being on the podium, lost his third place. He ultimately finished fourth.

The FIA cancels the sanction on Alonso

What twists and turns at the end of the day, as the International Automobile Federation, after reviewing videos from previous years, has determined that the mechanic who touched the back of the car was not considered to be “working on it,” and therefore removed the 10-second penalty, allowing him to climb back onto the podium.

The race ranking