1. Leclerc / Verstappen Act II: the starting point of the fight for the world title (2022)
In just two editions, it is difficult to find much debate as to the first place in this ranking. Indeed, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen gave us a fabulous show during the past edition of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Winner of the first round in Bahrain after the retirement in the last laps of his rival, Leclerc mastered most of the race, in particular by passing Pérez in the pit stop game. But with 15 laps to go, the virtual safety car procedure worked greatly against Leclerc and put Verstappen back in the game. Going blow for blow and playing with the activation line of the DRS, Verstappen and Leclerc offer the public a magnificent fight won in the end by the Dutchman who then equalizes the counter of victories for his Monegasque rival. The start of the fight for the 2022 title, also won by the resident of Red Bull.
2. Sergio Pérez’s first pole (2022)
He is another driver who distinguished himself during this Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia 2022. For the weekend of his 216th Grand Prix, Sergio Pérez quite simply achieved the first pole position of his career. The Mexican therefore becomes the driver who has waited the longest in history before signing his first pole.
Czech even confided on the radio “to be able to do 2000 laps or more but never to be able to beat this time”. Unfortunately for him, despite a solid start and start to the race, his team’s strategy failed him and the Mexican finished only 3rd in this Grand Prix.
3. The now infamous episode of FIA bids (2021)
Flashback to 2021 now, for the first edition in the streets of Jeddah. Hamilton started on pole position (his 103rd and last to date) ahead of team-mate Bottas and rival Verstappen. On the tenth lap, Schumacher crashed and Verstappen offered himself a free stop against the Mercedes and found himself propelled into the lead of the race before the first red flag interruption to repair the TecPros of the corner where Schumacher crashed. At the restart, Hamilton tries to pass Verstappen but the latter, passing off the track, keeps the advantage against the Briton. The latter is also steal second place by Ocon in the maneuver. It was then that this produced a spectacular pile-up involving in particular Nikita Mazepin and George Russell, forcing the race management to put the event back under a red flag. The incident of the second start under investigation by the marshals therefore started a very long exchange between the members of the various teams involved and the race management through the voice of Michael Masi. The latter, therefore, offers an “offer” to Red Bull to start Verstappen behind Ocon and Hamilton as a penalty, which the Austrian team accepts. Since the end of this 2021 season, radio communications between the teams and race management have been confidential and not broadcast. A bad for a good.
4. L’enorme crash de Mick Schumacher (2022)
To say that the story between Mick Schumacher and the Jeddah Street Circuit is more like a dramatic romance rather than a fairy tale is certainly an understatement. The German driver has never been very comfortable on street circuits in Formula 1 but the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is undoubtedly one of his most hated circuits. After his crash in the race in 2021, the son of the seven-time world champion came out violently in qualifying as he improved his time for a possible passage in Q3. The shock was measured around 33 G sudden. The Haas driver nevertheless got out of his single-seater himself before having to give up participation in the Grand Prix because of the numerous bruises revealed during his visit to the medical center. More fear than harm but a big scare all the same.
5. The finish on the line between Ocon and Bottas (2021)
The 2021 edition was obviously centered on the Hamilton / Verstappen battle for the fight to acquire the title of world champion, but a man also came to take his share of light during this event: Estéban Ocon. As everyone remembers, a week after the podium conquered by his teammate Fernando Alonso in Qatar, the Frenchman sparked by gaining places at each start of the Grand Prix until finding himself in the lead for a few laps ahead of the championship titans. Third for a long time, the Norman suffered with his tires at the end of the race until he saw the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas return to his wheels in the final loops. And during the last acceleration leading to the finish line, the Alpine driver was robbed of his podium by the Finnish driver, well helped by the DRS. Infuriating.
And you ? What is your highlight of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
The first free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix starts this Friday from 2:30 p.m. All the schedules to know are to be found in the TV program.