The Saudi Arabian GP was a mixed bag, with the lead changing hands a number of times during the first few laps. Safety cars were present, working well to shake up the order. However, Red Bull still managed to come out on top with a commanding lead.

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Alonso vs Perez

Alonso had a mega start and overtook polesitter Perez into turn 1. The Aston Martin managed to maintain the lead for a few laps before Perez breezed past with DRS. Unfortunately, Alonso received a five-second penalty for a starting infringement. Aston Martin showed immense pace throughout the race, but Stroll had to stop with a technical fault. This brought out the safety car. Alonso served his penalty under the safety car and managed to come out without losing a place on track. A place he maintained to claim his second podium in as many races.

Click here to read a more detailed account of the race.

The Spaniard took part in the post-race celebrations, however, Alonso’s rear jack mechanic was later judged to have touched the his car before the initial five-second penalty had been served. This earned the Spaniard a further 10-second penalty after the race that dropped him to P4. His team appealed the decision and won, resulting in a second overturn of the results by the FIA and reinstating his original P3.

Mercedes vs Mercedes

Hamilton had a terrible qualifying session and started the race in 7th place. Sir Lewis went a different route and chose hard tyres for the start of the race. These tyres saw a few drivers overtake Hamilton with ease. However, the safety car allowed Hamilton to pit for medium tyres while everyone around him was on hards.

This saw him close the gap and overtake the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. Hamilton was incredibly close to George Russell, but couldn’t overtake his teammate. Since Hamilton was on medium tyres, he had to drop back so that they could last till the end of the race.

Perez vs Verstappen

Verstappen suffered in qualifying and started the race back in 15th place. As the race unfolded, Max managed to slice his way through the field. The safety car came in at the right time, allowing Max to restart right behind the leaders of the race. This saw Max overtake both Russell and Alonso to secure second place behind Perez.

While Max gave it everything he had, Perez had an answer for the challenge. Perez effectively maintained a five-second lead for the last 10 laps. Max dropped back and managed to snatch the fastest lap of the race. This means that Max still leads the championship.