Verstappen wins the GP of Saudi Arabia after a blistering duel with Leclerc

Yesterday Sergio Pérez took pole position for a Grand Prix for the first time in his career. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified their Ferraris in second and third place respectively. Max Verstappen had a less good qualifying and starts from fourth place. Almost all drivers start today on the medium tires.

Pérez gets off the line well when the lights go out and keeps the lead. Teammate Verstappen also makes a good start and can immediately take P3 from Sainz. At the front of the field, the order in the early laps of the race remains stable.

Behind it is a fierce battle for sixth place. Initially, it is the two Alpines who compete for this, but because they lose a lot of time due to racing, Bottas and Magnussen can also join in. In the end, the veteran Alonso wins this fight, although he will retire later in the race.

Pérez has bad luck with his pit stops

On lap 15, Pérez is the first of the top four to make a pit stop. Shortly afterwards, a safety car comes due to a crash by Latifi. Leclerc, Verstappen and Sainz can all change their tires under safety, as a result of which they all pass the previously leading Pérez.

As the race continues, Leclerc keeps Verstappen behind. In the laps after that, the gap between P1 and P2 remains just over one second, leaving the Red Bull just short of DRS. This continues until three cars drop out in one round. This causes a virtual safety car, allowing Verstappen to get a little closer again.

Verstappen and Leclerc duel for the lead

Verstappen briefly manages to get past the Ferrari, but just like in Bahrain, Leclerc takes the lead again in the next DRS zone. The next lap Max waits to overtake until after the DRS detection line, but Verstappen blocks his brakes, causing the attempt to fail. Three times is a charm and then Verstappen knows the game and takes the lead.

Leclerc tries to fight back, but the Red Bull is faster in a straight line. As a result, the Ferrari is just a little short. Max Verstappen wins the Saudi Arabian GP. Leclerc has to settle for second place and Charles Leclerc takes the last podium spot.

Saudi Arabia 2022 GP results