Verstappen edges Leclerc in gripping Saudi GP duel
Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc with four laps to go to win yesterday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Forty-eight hours after a nearby missile strike threatened to cancel the second round of the new Formula One season, Verstappen claimed the first victory of his title defence following a thrilling battle with Leclerc which went to the wire.
Verstappen crossed the line only half-a-second ahead of Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz third and pole-sitter Sergio Perez fourth.
George Russell finished fifth for Mercedes, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton only 10th on an evening to forget for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton, who started only 15th following one of the worst qualifying performances of his career, made good progress through the field to move up to 10th by the start of lap 14, and then seventh when Mercedes kept him out on old rubber following Nicholas Latifi's lap17 crash and the first safety car. That became sixth when he made his way ahead of Kevin Magnussen.
Mercedes were banking on further drama to afford Hamilton a free pit stop.
However, when the virtual safety car arrived with 14 laps to run, Hamilton was denied a stop for fresh rubber, with Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo stuttering to a halt on the entry to the pit lane.
When the virtual safety car period ended on lap 41 and the pit lane reopened, Hamilton was allowed to stop, but he fell back six places to 12th before passing Alexander Albon and then Lance Stroll to take the final point.
Up front, Leclerc and Vermax stappen were involved in a tantalising battle for victory for the second time in a week.
On lap 42, Verstappen fought his way past Leclerc at the final corner, only for the Monegasque to move back ahead of the world champion on the main straight.
At the end of lap 46, Verstappen learnt his lesson and fixed his Red Bull on to the back of Leclerc's Ferrari gearbox through the final bend before using the tow and DRS to roar past his rival on the main straight.
Leclerc hustled Verstappen to the line, but the Dutch driver kept his composure to win.
Leclerc leads Ferrari teammate Sainz in the championship, with Verstappen 20 points adrift following his late retirement in Bahrain a week ago.
Verstappen said: "It was a really tough race but good race. We battled hard and we had to play the long game.
"They were really quick through corners; we were quick on the straights.
"It wasn't easy, we were playing smart tricks in the final corner, but we managed to get ahead. We are happy that we finally kick-started the season.”
Leclerc, who won the opening round in Bahrain, added: "It wasn't enough today, but I really enjoyed that race.
"It is hard racing but fair. And every race should be like this. I wanted to win today. Max did a great job.
"I was pushing like I have rarely pushed before, to the absolute limit, but of course there is respect. However, I am disappointed."
Perez was unfortunate to drop back after he lost out when he stopped before the safety car was deployed.
Russell took the flag more than half-a-second back as Mercedes' poor start to the campaign continued, with fellow Briton Lando Norris a respectable seventh for Mclaren.
Afterwards Hamilton said he was looking forward to getting out of Saudi Arabia following the 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.
It is understood the drivers will meet with F1 to discuss the future of the race in Jeddah, possibly by a virtual call in the coming days, or in-person at the next round in Australia on April 10.
Hamilton said: "I am so happy the weekend is done and I am also just so happy that everyone is safe. I am looking forward to getting out."
Asked if he had any reservations about returning to Saudi Arabia next year, Hamilton replied: "I just want to go home."
Hamilton's fellow Briton, the 22-year-old Mclaren driver Norris, added: "Of course I am relieved [to have got through the weekend].
"Under any circumstance all we want to do is race. But it is a nervous place to be and you are going to have these nerves and that is why we had the discussions we did. We were given the reassurances and told it is safe and we had to believe that.
"Whether we come back or not - I would love to look forward to do that because it is a fun track, but those are discussions we will have after the weekend." Hamilton all but wrote off his chances of winning an eighth world championship after conceding that a victory "feels like a long way away".
Hamilton is already 29 points behind championship leader Leclerc after only two rounds.
"Right now, we are not fighting for the top step," said Hamilton. "We are so far off the guys up ahead and we have a lot of work to do. It feels like a long way away.
"We need more grip, and we need more power. We are still really down on speed. It is not just one fix. It is several things."