The checkered flag flies, the race in Jeddah ends. He wins for the second time in a row this season Oscar piastri. Second position for Max Verstappen and first podium this year for the Ferrari and Charles Leclerc. He closes his comeback in P4 Lando Norris. Let's go and discover the highlights of the Arabian Grand Prix.
Chaotic start, Piastri-Verstappen investigation
The Jeddah race started chaotically. At turn 1 there was an immediate brawl between Verstappen e Piastres, who starts better than the Dutchman. The latter goes long at the chicane and takes back the lead, with a temporary investigation into the incident. Same thing done by Kimi Antonelli su Leclerc, but the Italian immediately returns the position.
Chaos breaks loose in curve 5, Where tsunoda e gasly they touch each other. Fate is against Alpine which ends its race in the wall, but Red Bull decides to retire the #22 as soon as it returns to the pits. Obviously, the fifth is already on the track Safety car of five Grand Prix held in Arabia. In the rear, Doohan, Bortoleto ed Or with they make the first lap to change tires.
5 seconds to Verstappen, clean restart
On lap 4 the race resumed and, at that very moment, the stewards decided to award the first penalty of the Jeddah Grand Prix. Max Verstappen will have to pay 5 second penalty in the pits for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. On the main straight they fan out Piastres, Russell e Leclerc, but the three remain in the same positions.
Beware of Norris, at the moment in P8, which started with hard rubber to try to make a comeback. At the turn 7 attacks and closes the overtaking on Sainz for P7. 3 laps later in front Piastri is finally in DRS area on the reigning world champion and ready to attack. Same thing goes for Norris on Hamilton.
Norris-Hamilton brawl for P6 and first pit stops
On lap 13 comes the first lunge of the British on his compatriot, but the 7-time world champion passes him again on the main straight. The exact same situation repeats itself on the following lap, with the #44 slow down specifically to gain more traction and overcome #4. The third strike is the good one: the communication comes from the radio team “Play the game”, Lando does it and is patient for definitively overtake him on lap 15.
Leading the race Max try to open the gap with Oscar watching very carefully when the pit stops will begin. The Australian is the first to pass through the pits (3.4 seconds) on lap 20 together with Antonelli ed Alonso. The #81 comes out behind Hamilton in P6 at 2 seconds. Next lap, Leclerc and Verstappen remain out and he comes back in Russell. Another passage, it stops Verstappen and serves his penalty, exiting behind Lewis who has just been passed by Piastri.
After the pit stop, Leclerc and Norris light up
Those who have not yet made the pit stop are Leclerc e Norris. While the Englishman had mounted white tyres from the start of the race, the Monegasque had recorded his best laps from lap 22, maintaining the exact same pace as the McLaren with the hard tyres. His pit stop was made on lap 30, with a tyre that is 8 laps fresher than the others and in P5 about 4 seconds behind Russell. The leader is now Papaya #4.
After the break, the #16 Ferrari is the faster on the track and print the fastest lap in this Jeddah race. Norris passes from the pits on lap 35. The standings see Piastri in front, then Max at 4 and a half seconds and Russell, with Leclerc getting closer and closer. Then Norris with yellow tyres, Antonelli, Hamilton, the two Williams (Sainz ahead of Albon) and Hadjar to close the top 10.
Norris and Leclerc two furies: it's a fight for the podium
The 26-year-old Monaco-born driver is a fury in this race in Jeddah. On lap 38 arrives right in Russell's exhausts and wastes no time. He immediately annoys him and then continues his march. The goal is maintain the gap with Norris to conquer the first podium of the season for Ferrari. The race has also heated up Hamilton who earns on Kimi Antonelli before him.
At the turn 40 it's up to Lando to overtake the Mercedes #63. It's all easy for McLaren, but the stewards are casting a shadow over the #4. They are in fact checking out a possible overtaking of the pit exit line, but everything is immediately denied by the no further action of the race direction.
Half magic by Charles, Piastri wins and then Max
Now it becomes a race of suffering for Leclerc, who has to keep behind a Norris at just under two seconds from him. The lapped riders are an ordeal for both, with gaps that go up and down. With two laps to go the gap becomes 1.3 seconds. At the next stage the gap is unchanged. Everything ends in favour of the Ferrari driver, who with a bit of magic keeps Lando Norris' McLaren at bay and conquers the first podium of the season for him and for Ferrari. The other Maranello car closes in P7.
In the middle of McLaren and Hamilton we find the two Mercedes, with Russell ahead of Hamilton. Two Williams in points in P8 and P9, with Isaac Hadjar which closes the Top 10. The fastest lap is achieved by Norris, while the last place bonus goes to jack doohan. The Sky pilot is instead Charles Leclerc. Next appointment at Miami in two weeks.
