Verstappen edges Leclerc for first win of 2022 in thrilling Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The
Red
Bull
driver
and
reigning
world
champion
picked
up
his
first
points
of
the
F1
season
after
coming
out
on
top
in
a
pulsating
battle
with
his
Ferrari
rival.

It
marked
a
return
to
the
podium
for
the
Dutchman
after
a
late
mechanical
failure
denied
him
a
top-three
finish
at
last
week’s
season
opener
in
Sakhir.

Leclerc
seized
the
lead
early
on
from
Verstappen’s
team-mate
Sergio
Perez
amid
a
safety
car
procession,
following
a
crash
by
Williams’ Nicholas
Latifi,
and
looked
poised
for
back-to-back
wins
after
victory
in
Bahrain.

But
amid
a
thrilling
final
stretch
at
the
Jeddah
Corniche
Circuit,
Leclerc
was
caught
on
the
main
straight
heading
into
lap
47
by
Verstappen.

Leclerc’s
team-mate
Carlos
Sainz
came
home
in
third,
to
leave
pole-sitter
Sergio
Perez
fourth,
while
Lewis
Hamilton,
who
started
15th
following
a
dreadful
qualifying
session
on
Saturday,
fought
through
the
grid
for
a
points
finish
in
10th.

After
a
tumultuous
build-up
to
race
day
on
and
off
the
track,
an
uncharacteristically
sedate
start
saw
the
grid
mostly
hold
position
in
the
opening
moments.

Verstappen
made
one
of
the
few
jumps,
getting
the
edge
on
Sainz
down
to
Turn
1,
but
he
was
otherwise
unable
to
gain
early
ground
on
Perez
and
Leclerc
until
Latifi’s
crash
facilitated
a
reshuffle
at
the
top.

Having
maintained
a
one-second-plus
advantage
over
Verstappen
after
taking
the
lead,
Leclerc
was
forced
to
fight
tooth
and
nail
to
keep
himself
ahead
of
the
Red
Bull
man.

But
with
just
four
laps
to
go,
he
could
not
hold
on
to
his
slender
lead
and
the
Dutchman
passed
to
notch
up
those
first
points
of
his
title
defence.