One everywhere! Defending champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) “launched [sa] season” by winning the second Formula 1 Grand Prix of 2022 in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), winner of the inaugural event.
Attack, counter-attack and so on…the duo, emerging as favorites, put on a great show battling for victory in the final eight laps, just like in the Bahrain Grand Prix last week.
“Oh, my God… I really enjoyed this race! It was hard, but fair, and it should be like that every time! then exclaimed Leclerc. It is not the spectators who will say otherwise.
“Disappointed”, the Monegasque still leads the championship with 45 points, against 33 for his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz Jr, who completes the Grand Prix podium, and 25 for Verstappen, who had abandoned in Bahrain because of failure.
Part 4and behind Leclerc, 2and on the grid, Verstappen “played for the long haul”, saving his attempts for the end of the race. “We had a little more rhythm then, so I tried to overtake, it was not easy to play it fine in the last corner, but it worked”, welcomed the Dutchman. “It was hard, but I’m very happy to finally start my season. »
“Discouraging”
In a disappointing start to the year for defending constructors’ champion Mercedes, Briton Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen’s rival last year, was just 15and on the grid after poor qualifying. He just entered the points, in the 10and final place. “It’s discouraging, but we will continue to work hard and fight, that’s all we can do,” promises the seven-time world champion.
the poleman Sergio Pérez, he only finished 4and on the street and very fast circuit of Jeddah. At the head of the race, the Mexican of Red Bull was unlucky by stopping to change tires just before an accident caused the exit of the safety car.
Leclerc, Verstappen and Sainz took advantage of the “free” pit stop offered by this ” safety car to overtake him.
Controversy
Qualifying on Saturday was marked by a violent accident for Mick Schumacher (Haas), forfeited on Sunday. The 23-year-old German was “ready to race”, but his team preferred not to urgently rebuild his disintegrated single-seater.
Already controversial due to the dangerousness of the track and above all the human rights violations in the country, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, added to the calendar in 2021, is now in question also for security reasons.
This weekend’s event was indeed maintained despite the attack on an oil depot located about twelve kilometers from the circuit, perpetrated on Friday by Houthi rebels from neighboring Yemen.
Worried for the safety of the participants, the pilots debated this decision for more than four hours in the night from Friday to Saturday, before lining up behind the position of the organizers and the bosses of their teams.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think it was fair,” said Britain’s Russell (Mercedes) later on behalf of the drivers’ union (the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association). “Obviously there will be things to clarify after this weekend about what we are going to do next, but, from what I understand, everything was under control in this specific region. »
“Of course, there are tensions, things to improve”, recognizes for his part the p.-d-.g. of F1, Stefano Domenicali. Before tempering: “We don’t want to be political about it, but I believe that we play a very important role in the modernization of this country. »