With a second wind in the closing stages, Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap, but reigning champion Max Verstappen kept him at bay.
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In Saudi Arabia, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen triumphed over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with pole-sitter Sergio Perez settling for fourth after pitting just before a crucial Safety Car. Perez was in the lead until the 16th lap, when a flash of Ferrari mechanics may have prompted Red Bull to make an early pit stop. On the next lap, Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed at the final corner, triggering a VSC and then a Safety Car, which Leclerc, Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz took advantage of.
When the Safety Car retreated on Lap 21, the Mexican was set to restart third, but it was discovered that Sainz had passed him as the Spaniard exited the pits alongside the Red Bull during the caution period, leaving the pole-sitter fourth.
Read More – Saudi Arabian GP qualifying: Red Bull’s Sergio Perez takes maiden pole position
On Lap 38, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo came to a halt at the pit exit, with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso slowing with a problem a lap earlier – and then stopping in the same spot as Ricciardo. Verstappen was within a second of leader Leclerc when the VSC ended on Lap 41, and now came round two of their brilliant 2022 rivalry. On Lap 42, the Dutchman took the lead with DRS on the back straight, but Leclerc fought back with DRS and kept the lead. Verstappen attempted a move on Lap 43, but the Ferrari locked up in unison with him into the final corner, allowing the Ferrari to keep P1.
After a brief lull at the start of Lap 47, Verstappen made sure he had DRS and took the lead away from Leclerc, who was unable to close the gap this time. With a second wind in the closing stages, Leclerc set the fastest lap, but Verstappen kept him at bay, overcoming the scare of a late Sector 1 yellow flag for a Lance Stroll and Alex Albon collision to win by just 0.549s.
George Russell took P5 at the expense of Esteban Ocon, who had fallen behind the Mercedes on Lap 3 and then battled with teammate Fernando Alonso (DNF) in an exciting early-race battle. In a drag race for P6, Ocon, who was out-dragged here for P3 in 2021, kept McLaren’s Lando Norris at bay by a tenth of a second on the line. Pierre Gasly improved one position to P8 for AlphaTauri, with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas ninth from tenth on the grid, and Lewis Hamilton – who was unable to pit during the second VSC – taking the final point for Mercedes from his P15 start.
Read More – Mick Schumacher news: Haas driver ruled out of Saudi Arabian GP after qualifying crash
Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo was denied a second straight points finish after receiving two penalties, the first for cutting a corner in an early scrap with Albon and the second for failing to serve the penalty correctly when he pitted. The five drivers who did not make the flag were Stroll, Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Alonso, and Ricciardo. Mick Schumacher, who crashed out of qualifying, and Yuki Tsunoda, whose AlphaTauri broke down on his lap to the grid due to a technical issue, did not start the race.
