Hamilton beats F1 title rival Verstappen in wild Saudi GP

Hamilton beats F1 title rival Verstappen in wild Saudi GP

 

 

 
Hamilton prevailed to a potentially crucial eighth victory of the season in the wildest grand prix in years as the title fight got dirty on and off the track, with Hamilton and Verstappen coming to blows on multiple occasions. The race featured two full safety cars, two red flag periods and two standing restarts, and no fewer than four Virtual Safety Cars in a dramatic first race in Jeddah that lasted more than two hours. “ad_The major flashpoint of the race came in the closing stages as Hamilton hunted down Verstappen in a relentless battle for the lead.Hamilton had unsuccessfully tried to pass Verstappen around the outside at Turn 1 on Lap 37 as the pair made light contact, with Verstappen skipping over the run-off and extending his lead. Related F1 World Championship points standings after the 2021 Saudi Arabian F1 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Full Race Results from Round 21Verstappen was instructed by Red Bull to hand the position back and did so at the final corner so that he could immediately repass Hamilton. Bizarre and dramatic scenes followed as Hamilton ran into the back of Verstappen as the Red Bull driver appeared to be re-handing the position back to Hamilton at Turn 27. Related Verstappen avoids F1 gearbox change and grid penalty Perez fears big at “very dangerous” Jeddah F1 trackDespite suffering front wing damage, Hamilton lunged past Verstappen at the final corner to retake the lead with seven laps to go, forcing his rival wide in the process. Verstappen struggled with tyre life and fell back in the final laps as he settled for second despite picking up a five-second time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage in his battle with Hamilton at the start of Lap 37. The key incident between Verstappen and Hamilton is under investigation. Hamilton’s victory puts him level on points with Verstappen heading into next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, setting up a thrilling winner-takes-all showdown. “4Behind the squabbling title contenders, Valtteri Bottas pipped Alpine’s Esteban Ocon to snatch the final spot on the podium in a dramatic drag race to the line. A long way back in fifth was McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who held off Pierre Gasly and the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. In what could be his penultimate F1 race, Antonio Giovinazzi scored points for Alfa Romeo in ninth, with Lando Norris completing the top-10 order for McLaren. “5 

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