This year the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix has not been short of chaos, drama and controversy. Once again, Formula 1 race officials seem to make the rules, and a clash between title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton kept the focus firmly on the top of the field.
While the two main protagonists of the season were fighting for victory, many great races happened behind them. Here are three more stories from the race that got lost in the action.
Daniel Ricciardo has his best result since the US Grand Prix
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has had one of the most frustrating and challenging roller coaster seasons in Formula 1. He left Renault, now Alpine, to join a resurgent McLaren team earlier this year. That didn’t quite go according to plan and the Australian struggled to keep up with his team-mate’s pace.
After an Italian Grand Prix in which the leaders withdrew from the race, Ricciardo took a spectacular win for McLaren. Many believed that success meant Ricciardo was getting back to his old form and ready to challenge regular podiums. However, bad luck, a few mechanical failures, and problems driving the McLaren F1 car prevented a number of good results. But now Ricciardo seems he could get a handle on how to make the McLaren fast.
Ricciardo collected 10 points as fifth in the Grand Prix. This is his best result since October when he finished fifth in the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Ricciardo and McLaren have indicated that the car will now suit his driving style. A competitive Ricciardo makes great races and hopefully he can take that momentum with him until 2022 when the cars will be completely different.
Esteban Ocon is almost on the podium
Esteban Ocon from France drives the (31) Alpine A521 Renault during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia on December 05, 2021 | Lars Baron / Getty Images
Esteban Ocon is a driver who tends to fly under the radar. He drives for the Alpine F1 team and while the team has made progress this year the results have been mostly mediocre. A shock victory in Hungary was the highlight of the season. Ocon took the win and his teammate Fernando Alonso stunned fans with a defensive driving style that kept Lewis Hamilton in check for 12 laps.
Ocon was surpassed by Alonso that season and spent most of 2021 barely or not at all influencing the races. That changed in Saudi Arabia, where an attacking Ocon was fighting for a podium. While the leaders fought and the stewards rearranged the running order, Esteban Ocon got caught up in the mix of a hectic Grand Prix that almost earned him another podium.
Ocon is a talented driver, but the inconsistent performance of his alpine F1 car has meant that he usually competes against himself in a Grand Prix. He’s not a particularly exciting driver, but if the stars are aligned he can go up front and win.
Ferrari takes third place in the constructors’ championship
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (R) and Ferrari’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr (L) will compete in the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia on December 5, 2021 | GIUSEPPE CACACE / Getty Images
2020 was a disastrous season for Ferrari. Formula 1 and the FIA determined that their engine was not approved for racing and the resulting changes made them one of the slower teams on the grid. This wasn’t where Ferrari expected, and their position didn’t look promising again at the start of the 2021 racing season.
Ferrari is the most successful team in Formula 1 for a reason and quickly set about making updates and changes to the car and engine. These changes and the addition of Carlos Sainz Jr. to the team have changed their fortunes, overtaking McLaren in third place in the constructors’ championship.
In early 2021, McLaren was by far the better team. Lando Norris led the attack, taking several podiums to take a sizeable points lead. But the consistency of Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, combined with constant improvements to the car, reversed the rating and Ferrari has now won Formula 1 as the best of the others. The Italian super team leads McLaren with 38.5 points, one remaining before the end.
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Mercedes and Red Bull have been the focus of most race weekends, but behind their gigantic battle for the championship is a field of racers and teams taking big strides. From epic battles to shock performances, some of the best parts of Formula 1 aren’t always at the top of the race.
Related: Max Verstappen is your chauffeur for a lap of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit
The post 3 stories you missed during the chaos of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix first appeared on monter-une-startup.
