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Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
F1 Saudi Arabia GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Live updates from the Saudi Arabian GP at Jeddah
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The Saudi Arabian GP follows on from a dramatic season-opener in Bahrain, where Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 from team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr as Red Bull suffered a double retirement when both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez suffered a vacuum issue within its fuel system.
The Saudi Arabian race has already been a dramatic weekend both on and off the track, with a missile attack on a nearby oil facility creating serious talks about the race being boycotted by the drivers on Friday night. After gaining sufficient assurances from the Saudi Arabian security officials, the race weekend has continued with Red Bull’s Perez taking his maiden F1 pole position.
Mick Schumacher will miss the Saudi Arabian GP after a heavy crash in qualifying which has damaged his Haas F1 car. Sebastian Vettel is also missing for Aston Martin due to COVID-19, with Nico Hulkenberg continuing in his role as super-sub.
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The leading duo is still managing to match each other, both post 1m32.4s laps that time around, the 35th lap of the day. 15 laps remain.
Alonso is the one looking for a move now, sizing up Magnussen on the run to the final corner. With the DRS boost Alonso gets around the outside of Magnussen at Turn 1 to take seventh place.
Bottas is sniffing for a way past Alonso for eighth place. The Finn is within DRS range but, so far, hasn't attempted a move. Both are also catching Magnussen ahead who is yet to pit.
Stopwatch
Having watched Verstappen chip away at his lead a little bit, Leclerc has set a 1m32.683s to open the gap up to 1.5s by the end of lap 32.
Quote
"So for us this is about just trying to run as long as we can and hope for another safety car," Hulkenberg is told over team radio. One-stopper it is and some very difficult laps coming up.
No further investigation for the Sainz/Perez safety car line incident - as Perez wisely gave up third place.
On lap 29 Gasly also gets by Hulkenberg, you guessed it with the aid of DRS at Turn 1, to take 13th place.
Stopwatch
And indeed, it's a 1m32.711s for Leclerc - he's trading fastest laps with Verstappen as they fight for victory.
And Norris duly gets by the Aston Martin driver with the aid of DRS into Turn 1 for 12th place. It can't be fun this for Hulkenberg on his very old hards.
Stopwatch
Verstappen responds with a 1m33.059s to close back in on Leclerc, but the leader is currently retaliating on this tour around the track. Sainz lost time due to a missed shift on lap 27.
Hulkenberg loses another place, this time to Ricciardo, so is back to 12th place with Norris now right behind him.
Stopwatch
Sainz, meanwhile, has set a 1m33.181s on lap 26 to set the fastest lap, in his bid to close back in on Verstappen.
Penalty
Zhou is duly given a drive through penalty for not serving his original penalty. What a nightmare for the F1 rookie.
Verstappen reports that Leclerc crossed the pit entry line, which you're not allowed to do unless you're pitting. We'll see if anything happens there.
Zhou really isn't having a good day. He is under investigation for not serving his five-second time penalty, it looks like that pitstop issue might have led to him not being stationary and untouched by his pitcrew for the full time.
A lap later Hulkenberg loses another place, this time to Ocon, and duly drops to 11th.
Stopwatch
Verstappen punches in a 1m33.445s to close in on Leclerc a little bit as we reach half-distance. Meanwhile, Hamilton now puts a move on Magnussen with DRS and makes it stick.
Bottas, with the aid of DRS at Turn 1, gets by Hulkenberg for ninth place. Hulkenberg is the cork in the midfield bottle on his older hard tyres.
Hamilton dispatches Magnussen for sixth ahead of Turn 27, but the Haas driver comes back at him with DRS and reclaims the position into Turn 1!
Stopwatch
It's a 1m34.075s on that lap for Leclerc, denying Verstappen DRS at the start of lap 23.
The DRS has been enabled so the overtakes may now follow after a relatively tame restart.
Leclerc was not going to respond to Verstappen's jockeying at the restart, guiding the Red Bull driver to the marbles before taking off.
Magnussen is in a Mercedes sandwich at the restart but holds station in sixth place for now.
Green flag
Leclerc holds on from Verstappen, and Perez gave up the place to Sainz there - so it's Ferrari, Red Bull, Ferrari, Red Bull.
Quote
"If I was ahead at the safety car line, I should start ahead of him," Sainz reports. He's very unhappy with that at the moment.
Safety car
The safety car is in this lap. Here we go.
And indeed, the Sainz/Perez moment has been noted for a safety car infringement. Perez may have to give that back.
Sainz is unhappy with Perez, whom he says pushed him off despite the Ferrari driver apparently being ahead at the pit exit line. The stewards will undoubtedly get involved here.
Pit stop
Zhou not having the best race so far. He serves the five-second time penalty during his pitstop under the safety car but loses further time when the car comes off the front jack and needs lifting up by a second jack. He is currently in 15th place.
With the flurry of safety car pitstops, Magnussen and Hamilton on the hard tyres stayed out and occupy sixth and seventh.
Latifi appeared to grab a fistful of oversteer when getting on the power out of the final corner and trying to correct it he clatters into the wall. The Williams driver is OK and out of the car which is now being picked up by a recovery tractor.
Safety car
With the full safety car, Leclerc leads from Verstappen! Awful luck for Perez there, who got caught out at the worst time.
Safety car
It is now a full safety car rather than a virtual one.
Crash
"I don't know what happened there man!" Latifi reports over his Williams team radio. He has hit the wall at the exit of the final corner.
Pit stop
That's inexplicably worked wonders for Ferrari as a result - Leclerc and Sainz get very 'cheap' pitstops now, as does Verstappen who also peels in.
Crash
Latifi has crashed! Virtual Safety Car deployed!
Pit stop
Stroll and Albon also pit early from the midfield and duly cycle back to the rear of the field. Still all 18 runners going who started this race.
Pit stop
"Box to overtake?" Leclerc asks, which Perez responds to by pitting. Gamesmanship from Ferrari to force Red Bull into stopping?
Just to emphasise the pace problems that Mercedes is facing, Russell's 12s behind Sainz - but 10s clear of Alonso in sixth. Toto Wolff declared it as "no man's land", and that's about the long and short of it.
Hamilton makes quick work of overtaking Gasly for 10th place with the help of DRS along the main straight.
By: autosport.com
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