Saudi Arabian GP | Hamilton joins Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ championship

(Jeddah) Two pilots face to face. Only one race to go. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the stage for a frenzied end to the season on Sunday by winning the controversial Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who started from the top position, crossed the finish line of the Jeddah street circuit with a cushion of 11.825 seconds ahead of main rival in the drivers’ championship, Max Verstappen.

Hamilton also got the extra point awarded to the driver with the fastest lap in the race, meaning Verstappen and Hamilton are tied in the standings with 369.5 points.

It was Hamilton’s eighth win this season, and his 103^e in career in F1. In addition, the Briton is approaching an eighth world championship title – he would surpass Michael Schumacher, who shares with him the brand of the premier series of motorsport.

This means that this thrilling championship race will end next weekend. It was indeed the penultimate stopover of the season, which will culminate on December 12 with the holding of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton teammate Valtteri Bottas narrowly snatched third place from Alpine rider Esteban Ocon at the finish line. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) completed the top 5.

“It was not easy, because we made a mistake during the first red flag by adopting the hard tires. It was difficult to overtake, but I finally got there for third place on the last lap. It was a big mental and physical challenge, ”admitted the Finn, who will be driving for Alfa Romeo next season.

By virtue of these results, Mercedes now leads the constructors’ championship by 28 points ahead of Red Bull.

For his part, Quebecer Lance Stroll could not do better than the 11^e place behind the wheel of his Aston Martin car. His teammate, the German Sebastian Vettel, was forced to retire.

Torontonian Nicolas Latifi ended in 12^e row behind the wheel of his Williams.

If the start went off without a hitch, several incidents followed from the 10^e tower.

Haas pilot Mick Schumacher first suffered a violent runway excursion at 10^e passage, at the same place where driver Charles Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari two days earlier during free practice. He escaped unscathed, and the race was briefly interrupted.

The event was restarted at 15^e lap with a second standing start, this time with Verstappen ahead of Hamilton. The Mercedes driver seemed to have beaten the Dutchman in the first corner, but the Red Bull driver did not give up and almost caused a collision with him.

At the rear, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez suffered a collision with Leclerc, causing a spectacular crash between Haas driver Nikita Mazepin and Williams driver George Russell. This resulted in a second consecutive red flag.

And this time around, Ocon started from the top position, ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen, in order. The Red Bull driver then demonstrated all his know-how to first surprise the Briton, then quickly hit Ocon.

Hamilton then went after Verstappen who, for his part, reported a loss of power from the Honda engine. A psychological struggle then took shape on the horizon, with first place in the drivers’ championship at stake.

The race was far from over by then – other twists awaited in the detour.

The Mercedes driver finally tried to pass at 37^e lap, but Verstappen bypassed the first corner and regained the lead. Then, when his team asked him to cede the first place to Hamilton for the sake of fairplay, the Red Bull driver suddenly braked – resulting in a collision and Hamilton’s right front wing broken.

A five-second penalty was imposed on Verstappen for his gesture, paving the way for Hamilton to win.

“It was extremely difficult. I tried to be as careful as possible, because of my experience over the years, to keep the car on track and to drive clean, ”said Hamilton at first.

Other incidents occurred between Hamilton and Verstappen during the event, and these will be analyzed by the marshals over the next few hours.

A tribute to Frank Williams

Before the start, F1 gathered to pay tribute to Frank Williams, the founder of the team that bore his name and who passed away last weekend.

Shortly before the start, the drivers and team managers joined F1 President and COO Stefano Domenicali as well as FIA President Jean Todt.

“Frank, he was a friend, and he had a knack for motivating everyone around him. The whole factory was working for Frank, because of his passion, Bottas said. He gave me my first round in Formula 1. Without Frank, and the luck he took by betting on me, I wouldn’t be where I am now. ”

They all observed a minute of silence in his memory, as they gathered in a circle around a photo of Williams – the pilots had their helmets down on the ground in front of them. Then we reserved applause. Williams died last Sunday at the age of 79.