The Formula 1 World Cup is now turning into a really big thriller in the final. Lewis Hamilton won the turbulent and controversial Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia yesterday in front of his great adversary Max Verstappen and thanks to the fastest race lap he will start the last race on Sunday in Abu Dabi, tied with the Red Bull driver. Verstappen had to be content with second place after a five-second penalty and multiple tough, uncompromising attacks against the Briton. Because of his controversial maneuvers during the race, Verstappen also had to fear a penalty from the stewards.
Mercedes initially controlled the race at the front on the new, super-fast street circuit in the lagoon. It was Haas driver Mick Schumacher who crashed a safety car on lap ten on the track that had sprung up in just seven months and turned everything upside down. Hamilton and Bottas came immediately to the pits to change tires, while Verstappen stayed outside. Because the damaged TechPro barriers had to be repaired, the race was stopped.
Only the third start was successful
The sequel only took seconds. Hamilton won the start from P2, but Verstappen overtook him with an illegal short-cut maneuver in turn one and three drivers crashed in the back. The race was stopped again to clear the scrap car from the track. Red Bull initially received an offer from race director Michael Masi to start as compensation for damage from P2. Masi had overlooked the fact that Alpine pilot Esteban Ocon had come to the very front in the turmoil. So the restart went with Ocon before Hamilton and Verstappen. The Dutchman seized the opportunity and took the lead in turn one.
Even after that, the route showed its weaknesses with hardly any run-off zones and many walls. After all, small accidents repeatedly triggered a series of virtual safety cars. With 13 laps to go, Hamilton was as good as past Verstappen before the Dutchman, who was fighting with his hands and feet, took a short cut again to stay in the lead. “The guy is crazy,” Hamilton complained afterwards over the pit radio.
Then there was the most controversial scene of the evening seven laps before the end: Although Verstappen delayed to give back the place, Hamilton initially held back, but came so close to the rear of the Red Bull that he took his front wing during Verstappen’s “brake test” damaged.
On lap 42, Verstappen let Hamilton pass, only to take the lead back immediately. But there was also a 5-second time penalty and the race finally tipped over in favor of Hamilton, who then drove to one of his most important victories.
Before the decision in Abu Dhabi, both pilots now hold at 369.5 points. Verstappen, who is already 32 points ahead of Austria, has one more victory to show. If both are eliminated, the Dutchman would become world champion for the first time. Incidentally, there were already two drivers tied for the final in Formula 1. In 1974 Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni had a crime thriller – with the better ending for the former.
Source: Nachrichten
