Max Verstappen put another dominant show in F1 Saudi Arabian GP ahead of Sergio Perez, with Charles Leclerc rounding the Top 3.
It was a steady start from pole-sitter with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen leading the way in F1 Saudi Arabian GP, as teammate Sergio Perez initially passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second, but the Monegasque managed to come back on him to retake second.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri passed Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso for fourth at the end of the lap, with McLaren’s Lando Norris in sixth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and his teammate Lewis Hamilton in the Top 8 places.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was ninth resisting pressure from Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Ferrari’s Oliver Bearman. While Verstappen stretched his lead, Perez caught up and passed Leclerc for second, as Stroll started to come under pressure.
It led to a mistake as he clipped a wall to run into the barrier to call out the safety car. The pit stop melee started with the order remaining more or less similar, as Perez and Alonso was put under investigation for unsafe release in that situation.
While Norris was cleared off a potential jump start, Perez was handed 5s time penalty for unsafe release. At the same time, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was handed a 10s time penalty for unsafe release involving Williams’ Alexander Albon.
Post the safety car period, Verstappen was back in lead of F1 Saudi Arabian GP from teammate Perez, where both passed Norris who ran late in his stint. Leclerc was fourth from Hamilton, who had Piastri on his tail for long in the battle for fifth.
Alonso was seventh from Russell, with Bearman up to ninth after passing Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Tsunoda. He cleared the Japanese driver early on, while it took him some laps to get the German but he eventually got him to get into points.
Magnussen, meanwhile, had another 10s time penalty after he was found to leaving the field and gaining the advantage against Tsunoda. The Japanese driver was in a thick of a battle chasing Magnussen for 12th which was a fight for a point.
Tsunoda had Alpine’s Esteban Ocon behind with Albon and Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo chasing too. The Japanese racer tried a move at Turn 1-2 but it didn’t work, which allowed Ocon to sneak through to 13th, with Albon chasing them both.
At the front, Verstappen continued to lead from Perez with Leclerc clearing Norris for third. Both Norris and Hamilton ran fourth and fifth without having stopped, as Piastri continued to chase him along with Alonso and Russell.
With Bearman in ninth, Hulkenberg had net 10th spot in place with some help from teammate Magnussen, who led a big train of cars. Post the pit stops, it was Piastri in fourth from Alonso, Russell and Bearman being chased by Norris and Hamilton.
Hulkenberg ran 10th from teammate Magnussen, with Ocon not far behind along with Albon and Tsunoda. At the front, it was comfortable win for F1 Saudi Arabian GP in yet another Red Bull 1-2 with quite a distant from Perez in second.
Leclerc rounded out the podium at much larger distance, with Piastri ending up fourth from Alonso, Russell, Bearman, Norris, Hamilton and Hulkenberg in the Top 10. Albon was 11th from Magnussen, Ocon, with Tsunoda in 14th from Sargeant.
Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo was 16th despite his late spin, as the Stake F1 Team pair of Valtteri Bottas in 17th and Guanyu 18th. Joining the retirement list alongisde Stroll was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who reported of gearbox issue already on formation lap.
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