Excluding the influence that the developments coming from the Maranello and Brackley offices may have, the details will determine the hierarchies between Red Bull and Ferrari. The splendid technical balance that this start of the world championship is proposing has allowed the riders to get into the chair, opening the doors to an all-out challenge with Verstappen and Leclerc protagonists.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, celebrates on the podium
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
We are facing a duel that sees a Charles found, after two years spent away from the spotlight, and also a new Max, very different from the one that Lewis Hamilton faced last year.
The result seen in Bahrain, and confirmed today in Jeddah, is a tough, aggressive but always fair confrontation, in which a much more correct Verstappen stands out than the one seen in 2021. A nice spot for Formula 1, given that at the moment they seem also be true and felt the utterances seen after the checkered flag, with Leclerc who raised his thumb at the opponent and Max who, before getting on the podium, patted the Ferrari man on the back.
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd position, celebrates on the podium](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/0RrgZnO0/s8/charles-leclerc-ferrari-2nd-po-1.jpg)
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd position, celebrates on the podium
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
It is right to underline that this is ‘at the moment’, because if the balances are confirmed until late in the season, spirits will inevitably overheat as the final sprint approaches.
In Jeddah the difference that played in Verstappen and Red Bull’s favor was a virtual safety car that arrived in the final. After the early pit stop (linked to the safety car entering the track caused by Latifi’s accident) Max found himself in second position behind Leclerc, but however much the Dutchman pushed, from lap 18 to 38 he did not never managed to enter the DRS area.
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6D1vMKK0/s8/charles-leclerc-ferrari-f1-75--1.jpg)
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Verstappen was able to count on a very good top speed, but also with an annoying overheating of the front tires, complained over the radio on several occasions. Then the race was frozen by the VSC caused by Ricciardo’s stop, and the two laps at a reduced pace allowed Red Bull to bring the tires back into the right working window. When the race resumed Verstappen confirmed a more aggressive pace, and the duel with Leclerc got underway, with the definitive overtaking on lap 46.
Although Verstappen took a well-deserved victory, it is difficult to paint Leclerc as the loser of the day. For Ferrari, the Jeddah weekend was full of confirmations, and all very positive.
The F1-75 passed the test brilliantly on a very different circuit from the one on which it triumphed in Bahrain, contending for the victory at Red Bull to the checkered flag and confirming two drivers on the podium. It was undoubtedly very interesting to see how much two conceptually different cars with different characteristics found themselves splitting the hundredth of a second to prevail over the opponent, a scenario desired by those who launched the new technical regulation, but which is offering (in this first part of the season) a show better than the rosiest expectations.
![Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd, Paul Monaghan, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st, Carlos Sainz Jr.](https://cdn-3.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6xEpQ310/s8/charles-leclerc-ferrari-2nd-po-1.jpg)
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2nd, Paul Monaghan, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st, Carlos Sainz Jr.
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Ferrari is definitely in the game, and even if you quickly get used to the triumphs, it’s not a small thing remembering Jeddah four months ago, with Leclerc and Sainz passing in seventh and eighth position under the checkered flag.
![Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18](https://cdn-6.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YMdQzJ12/s8/sergio-perez-red-bull-racing-r-1.jpg)
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The fifty laps of the race also highlighted a different pace of the Leclerc-Verstappen tandem compared to that of Perez-Sainz. The Mexican poleman has a lot to complain, given that he had to give up the command of the race due to the safety car, but when it came to regaining the lead tandem his run-up stopped behind Sainz.
The season will run its course, but the nightmare for both of them is to find themselves in the conditions of having to make themselves available to the team, a not exciting prospect, which would be a déjà-vu for the Mexican and an unpleasant novelty for Sainz.
![Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-22](https://cdn-5.motorsport.com/images/mgl/Y99MapLY/s8/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-w13-ke-1.jpg)
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-22
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Mercedes still continues to make headlines, but only because after eight years of branding it is not easy to get used to seeing Brackley’s team in the unprecedented role of supporting actor. Jeddah confirmed what we saw in Bahrain, and without the two Red Bulls out of the game as in Sakhir, fifth place is the position that the W13 can aspire to today as the highest goal.
![George Russell, Mercedes](https://cdn-1.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6D1vMOG0/s8/george-russell-mercedes-1.jpg)
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Russell hit the target, with Hamilton paying a pledge to the disastrous qualification that relegated him to the start in sixteenth position. Lewis fought, but miracles in Formula 1 do not exist, and in the end he snatched the point of tenth position by finishing almost ten seconds behind Kevin Magnussen. This is at the moment, waiting for better times that don’t seem to be around the corner.
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