Hamilton of Arabia Wins a crazy GP and joins Verstappen at the head of the World Championship

Everything happens on the track: accidents, three starts and penalties 12th in the last race in Abu Dhabi for the title

GEDDA (ARABIA SAUDITA)

At the end of an incredible first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton wins. After three starts and an endless series of accidents, the Mercedes world champion wins the duel to the death with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull between overtaking, rear-end collisions and penalties. A series of episodes that could lead the two teams to appeals and protests. The fact is that after the finish line the situation in the lead of the World Championship sees the two rivals on equal points, leaving the final verdict at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi on 12 December.

Started from pole, Hamilton takes the lead ahead of teammate Bottas and World Championship leader Verstappen on Red Bull. First twist on lap ten: Mick Schumacher’s Haas hits the wall. First the safety car enters the track and then the race direction decides to display the red flag by suspending the race to repair the barriers destroyed by the accident. With the safety car, the Mercedes stopped taking advantage of the moment, Verstappen’s Red Bull pulled straight ahead and thanks to the stop he found himself in the lead: a red flag that appeared useless and that actually benefits the Dutch leader of the World Championship.

After a quarter of an hour of stop, the GP restarts with a new start from the grid where Verstappen’s Red Bull sprints from pole and holds the lead in front of the Mercedes of Hamilton and Bottas also overtaken by the Alpine of Ocon. Immediately after an accident at Mazepin’s Haas and Perez’s Red Bull, Russell’s Williams was also out of action and the race was interrupted with a new red flag. Perez turns away after a contact with Leclerc; then, in an attempt to slow down, contact occurs between Russell and Mazepin. The latter ends up on the barriers. The situation benefits as in the previous Verstappen red flag: overtaken by Hamilton at the restart, the Dutchman should have returned to the British the position for having cut the track in a wheel to wheel. Surreal conversation between the race direction and Red Bull. Masi: «We give you the opportunity to start from second position, because Verstappen has cut the chicane at turn 1-2». The “proposal” of the race director avoids the investigation of Verstappen. After a 20-minute stop, the GP restarts for the third time with the Alpine on pole ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes and Verstappen’s Red Bull. Verstappen, who at the first chicane is ahead of Ocon and Hamilton. On lap 25, a new accident: Vettel’s Aston Martin and Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri collide and the virtual safety car is activated. Then the challenge begins again with Hamilton chasing Verstappen, the two end up under investigation for two attempts to overtake the Englishman. On lap 37 Verstappen suddenly brakes to give Hamilton back the position but the Englishman hits him damaging the front wing and remaining second. The race marshals penalize Verstappen with 5 seconds and the Dutchman gives the position to his rival who goes on to win by reopening the World Championship at 100%. –