Motor racing often benefits from a touch of controversy, and the recent Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix certainly delivered, notably with a significant incident right at the start.
Max Verstappen had once again demonstrated his incredible speed to secure pole position, perhaps aided by a helpful slipstream from teammate Yuki Tsunoda and smart strategy from the Red Bull team after a red flag interrupted qualifying.
Few people in F1 would dispute that Max Verstappen is currently the grid`s top driver. However, McLaren`s Oscar Piastri is developing rapidly. Despite having significantly less experience than Verstappen (163 starts) and even Lando Norris (82 races), Piastri has won 10% of his 51 F1 starts and leads the world championship standings. His performance is clearly on an upward trajectory.
Starting second, Piastri got a better launch than Verstappen and reached the first corner apex with a clear inside line advantage. Updated driving rules for this year mean a driver who effectively “wins” a corner by being sufficiently alongside is no longer required to leave space on the outside. The responsibility is now on the outside driver to concede the position. This change aims to prevent outside drivers from deliberately running wide and claiming a penalty against the inside car, which appears to be what Max attempted in Saudi Arabia.
Red Bull`s Miscalculation in the Controversy
While Max is known for skillfully navigating the regulations, this instance saw him gamble and lose. Even with different camera angles, there was little ambiguity: accelerating across the run-off area with minimal steering adjustment clearly gave Max an unfair advantage and the lead. This was evident to many, including the stewards, who imposed a five-second penalty. This was reduced from a potential ten seconds due to it being a first-lap, close-quarters incident.
Ultimately, Verstappen finished 2.8 seconds behind the winner. It`s possible that instructing him to immediately give the position back might have allowed him to win. Conversely, leading in clear air provided advantages like better tire, brake, and engine management, contributing to strong pace in the first stint. Perhaps the five-second penalty was deemed a worthwhile cost for these benefits.
Had there been a wall, barrier, or gravel trap outside turn one, Max would likely have yielded and tucked in behind Piastri`s McLaren.
Max remained visibly frustrated after the race, believing the stewards were mistaken and that he was simply forced off track despite having won the corner. Team boss Christian Horner strongly supported this view. While their relentless competitive nature and conviction in being right are key to their dominance, in this specific scenario, they seemed to have misjudged the situation and paid the price.
Piastri`s Fearless Drive to Victory
Elsewhere on lap one, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly unfortunately made contact in turn five, resulting in both cars hitting the wall and retiring. It was a typical opening lap entanglement, and both drivers would likely leave more room if they had the chance to redo the moment.
This incident helped Lando Norris gain positions after his qualifying crash left him P10. Starting on hard tires, Norris mounted a strong chase. He quickly overtook Carlos Sainz and then caught Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton cleverly used the DRS detection point after the final corner to let Norris by, only to repass him on the long pit straight using DRS. Norris eventually understood the tactic, hung back, and then used the same strategy on the pit straight, but lost three crucial laps in the process, potentially costing him a podium spot.
Norris also passed Kimi Antonelli`s Mercedes and closed the gap to Charles Leclerc`s Ferrari, who impressively managed his medium tires until lap 29. Norris, on a different strategy, extended his initial hard tire stint until lap 34.
Piastri was the first of the front-runners to pit on lap 19, followed by George Russell (struggling with his Mercedes) on lap 20, and Verstappen from the lead on lap 21. After serving his five-second penalty, Verstappen rejoined the track in a net second place, about four seconds behind the young Australian, Piastri.
A tense cat-and-mouse battle ensued until the checkered flag on lap 50. Piastri consistently demonstrated enough pace to keep Verstappen at bay, despite navigating challenging traffic. Oscar executed a superb overtake on Lewis Hamilton to regain position before Hamilton pitted, showcasing his fearlessness, even against a driver of Lewis`s caliber in fast corners.
During his sole pit stop, Norris narrowly avoided penalties for white line infringements on entry and exit, but ultimately escaped scrutiny. After passing Russell, he focused on chasing Leclerc`s Ferrari again. Both Leclerc and Norris drove exceptionally well, but the Ferrari driver secured the team`s first podium of the year, with Norris finishing just one second behind.
Hamilton`s Struggles and Post-Race Disappointment
George Russell finished a distant fifth after his tires significantly degraded, seven seconds ahead of his rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Overall, it was a disappointing race for Mercedes, which they described as their worst of the season, especially given their P3 and P5 starting positions translating to P5 and P6 finishes.
Lewis Hamilton finished seventh, half a minute behind Leclerc, showing flashes of strong pace at times. The potential is there, but watching Lewis`s post-race interviews is currently difficult. He is clearly unhappy with his performance and appears both perplexed and disappointed.
Carlos Sainz had a positive weekend for Williams, finishing eighth. He even strategically slowed down to keep teammate Alex Albon within DRS range, helping Albon defend against the impressive Isack Hadjar, who claimed the final point for Racing Bulls in tenth place. Haas did not score points in this race, allowing Williams to move up to fifth in the Constructors` Championship.
Fernando Alonso was notably unhappy after the race, describing it as his worst experience in 25 years. He finished 11th after Liam Lawson received a penalty for passing off track and not giving the position back. It`s worth remembering that just two years ago, his Aston Martin was the only car consistently challenging Red Bull, highlighting the significant relative loss of pace for his team since then.
McLaren currently leads the Constructors` Championship by 77 points, with Piastri and Norris holding the top two spots in the drivers` standings. However, if their drivers start taking points away from each other in future races – a likely scenario – then despite McLaren`s slight race-pace advantage, Verstappen, and potentially Russell, will be ready to capitalize.
Norris needs a win in Miami to regain momentum, but the competition is formidable and constantly improving.
Marcus Prine