December 06, (THEWILL) – Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will race in Abu Dhabi on equal terms after the current champion won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was marred by red-flag incidents.
Verstappen had a chance to win the drivers’ title in this opening race of the oil-rich Saudi Arabia. With just one other race after Saudi Arabia, his eight-point lead meant that a variety of finish scenarios could have given him an unbeatable lead.
But, after hitting a barrier on his final lap of qualifying on Saturday night, Verstappen qualified third, behind the two Mercedes.
The Mercedes sped away in the early stages and appeared to be cruising to victory, but a Mick Schumacher crash brought out the safety car, and Verstappen stayed out to take track position, while Bottas and Hamilton pitted early for hard tyres.
However, when the race was paused to repair the damage caused by the incident, Red Bull was able to replace their driver’s tyres out without penalty while reserving track position.
Despite Esteban Ocon taking the lead and Hamilton in third, another crash seconds after Verstappen drove off track and angled over Hamilton allowed Red Bull to reclaim second place.
Verstappen masterfully broke down the inside to grab the lead officially from the second restart, before a spate of virtual safety cars allowed Red Bull to run down the laps and protect their tyres, leaving the Briton only 17 circuits to hunt down his adversary.
Verstappen had to be made to give his place back to Hamilton with roughly 13 circuits remaining after the Dutchman cut him off again. The Mercedes then raced straight into the back of Verstappen, who had slowed drastically.
The stewards launched an investigation as a result. When Verstappen finally relinquished the position, he utilised DRS to reclaim it, only to be punished with a five-second penalty and had to relinquish it again, allowing the Mercedes drivers the opportunity to finish ahead as Hamilton won.
And now, with one race remaining, the two are tied on points in the race for the title.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
