Max Verstappen plays FIFA against FIFA Champ Musaed Al Dossary
A controversial weekend in Jeddah at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has left Formula 1 divided and with mixed feelings about the future of the race. Max Verstappen won a thriller to beat out the leader of the Drivers’ Championship Charles Leclerc, who continues to show the potential of the Ferrari in 2022. The Red Bull star won by less than a second, with Sergio Perez, who had started on pole for the first time in his F1 career hit with the bad luck of the safety car.
Ferrari completed the podium with Carlos Sainz in third, but despite Mercedes’ problems, George Russell shows his class with a fifth place finish. While Lewis Hamilton endured a nightmare weekend, apparently influenced by the car and his feelings towards Saudi Arabia when he stated he “just wanted to go home”, the seven-time world champion was left to languish in the 10th by the checkered flag.
Meanwhile a Saudi GP marshal had been removed after saying on Twitter he hoped seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton suffered an accident similar to Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash in Bahrain in 2020. A spokesman for Formula One’s governing body said the unnamed marshal, writing in Arabic , would play no further part in the race weekend in Jeddah.
Follow all the reaction to the events in Saudi Arabia plus a look ahead to Melbourne after a thrilling start to the 2022 Formula 1 season:
F1 news and reaction to Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
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George Russell on Mercedes’ porpoising problem
George Russell admits wind tunnels aren’t helping Mercedes pick up the porpoising effect which has damaged Mercedes’ performance early on in the 2022 F1 season.
The Mercedes has been hampered by the porpoising effect with the W13 unable to get as low as their rival cars, damaging their lap times.
“I think we’re doing everything we can back at base to try and emulate the issues we are seeing on track,” added Russell.
“The wind tunnels aren’t really picking it [porpoising] up as we are on track, our wind tunnel is in an isolated environment and the circuit has so many parameters at play.
“We’ve got the smartest people in the business and we all believe in our people back at base, so I’m sure we can solve it.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 16:51
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George Russell admits Mercedes ‘behind Red Bull in all areas’
George Russell had conceded that Mercedes are “behind Red Bull in all areas” after two races in the 2022 Formula 1 season.
“Everything did look better when we turned the engines up for qualifying and we looked relatively on par with Ferrari in terms of straight-line speed,” said Russell.
“Red Bull were definitely running less wing than we were but they seemed to accelerate very fast when they get down the straight.
“They are seemingly doing a better job at reducing their drag at high speed and their pace at the moment is extraordinary. We need to do some work in all areas to catch up.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 16:38
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Max Verstappen confirms F1 to discuss Saudi Arabia future
Max Verstappen has confirmed that all drivers will discuss the future of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with F1 following a controversial weekend.
The race was overshadowed after a terrorist attack on a nearby Aramco oil facility, just six miles from the circuit, ahead of Friday’s practice.
“About the race here, well, we had a lot of guarantees that of course, we would be safe,” said Verstappen.
“I think after this weekend, all the drivers also together, we will speak with F1 and of course also the team bosses to see what’s happening for the future.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 16:25
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Max Verstappen provides racing insight under new F1 regulations
“Even after that, he was constantly in the DRS and then with the yellow flags on the last lap, just knowing how much you should lift, whether it was allowed or not, it was tough,” Max Verstappen said after victory in Saudi Arabia , with Charles Leclerc battling right until the checkered flag.
“It seems like once you get quite close, because when the cars get within half a second you can actually have a good exit. I think that makes it a lot more tricky to actually do the pass in the last corner compared to last year, so it’s a lot harder to plan your pass.
“But I’m really happy we finally kick-started the season.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 16:12
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Toto Wolff takes positive from Lewis Hamilton performance
“The encouraging side is that his pace on the hard was positive,” said Wolff, in reference to the Briton’s opening showing on that tyre. “We couldn’t tell if it was fast but it was positive.
“Alonso slowed down during the lap, Ricciardo broke down in the entry and we told him to come in but there was a double yellow with one car slowing down and one stationary so it was a confusing situation.
“He passed by and slowed down because of the confusion which made us come out behind [Kevin] Magnussen, then it’s game over.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 16:01
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Toto Wolff admits to enduring ‘exercise in humility’ after tough F1 season start for Mercedes
Toto Wolff admits he is enduring an “exercise in humility” after Mercedes’ tough start to the 2022 F1 season.
“We had the luxury of being right in the middle of those fun games for the last eight years,” said the Mercedes team principal.
“Actually luxury is the wrong word. We were right in the middle of those fun games in the front, and talking as a Formula 1 stakeholder we’re benefiting from a great show that is really spectacular to look at.
“On the other side, it is extremely painful to not be part of those fun games by quite a chunk of lap time deficit.
“We’re not going to rest until we’re back in the mix. It is no fun at all and an exercise in humility. It’s going to make us stronger even though it’s not fun right now.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 15:48
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Haas estimate $1m damage to Mick Schumacher car after crash in Saudi Arabia
The German driver escaped without major injury despite a significant, high-speed collision with a concrete wall.
The 23-year-old had lost control after riding the kerb at Turn 10.
The team opted to enter only one car come raceday in Jeddah, with Kevin Magnussen finishing ninth.
Guenther Steiner, the team principal for Haas, explained that very few parts of the car survived the incident intact.
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 15:35
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Charles Leclerc admits Max Verstappen understood his DRS mind games
Charles Leclerc admits Max Verstappen understood his DRS mind games to edge his Ferrari out and take the victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“I knew my weakness was straight-line speed compared to the Red Bull’s,” said Leclerc, talking to Sky Sports F1.
“It worked once and then the second time he understood so he braked very early. It was fun, I like the racing like this – the new regulations are definitely working.”
“It was tricky today. I will look back at the race but I don’t think there was much more I could do. One opportunity we missed with the yellow flags in Turn 1, so we didn’t have the DRS there which could have been an opportunity to be alongside Max at the end of the straight.
“We are working very well as a team. I think the only thing would have been a lower downforce level.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 15:22
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Lewis Hamilton confusion after ‘s***’ result in Saudi Arabia
Lewis Hamilton appeared to admit he did not realize he had gained a point for Mercedes despite a ‘s***’ result to finish 10th at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Speaking on the radio after the race in Jeddah, Hamilton’s race engineer, Pete Bonnington, said: “Okay Lewis, so that’s P10.
“Sorry about that. It’s a bit of as*** result given all the hard work.”
Hamilton replied: “Is there even a point for that position?”
“Yeah, we do get a point,” Bonnington confirmed.
Hamilton then finished: “That was a tough day in the office guys but thank you so much for trying.”
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 15:09
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Lewis Hamilton happy to go home after eventful Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton said he was looking forward to getting out of Saudi Arabia following Sunday’s controversial race.
The second round of the new Formula One season had been in doubt 48 hours earlier following a nearby missile strike on an oil refinery during first practice.
After an extraordinary four-hour meeting on Friday night, the drivers were ready to withdraw, only to be talked round by F1 bosses following assurances from Saudi authorities.
Jack Rathborn29 March 2022 14:56
