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Formula 1
Saudi Arabia GP
F1 Saudi Arabia GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Minute-by-minute updates from Saudi Arabia's first ever F1 race
Live Standings
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Summary
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Summary
- Hamilton wins the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from Verstappen. Bottas snatches third from Ocon at the finish line.
- Two red flags stop and start chaotic race.
- First red flag for Schumacher crash and barrier damage.
- Race resumed Verstappen grabs lead after running across the run off at Turn 1. Second red flag for big crash behind involving Perez, Russell and Mazepin. Perez was tagged by Leclerc. Mazepin ran into the back of Russell.
- Hamilton and Verstappen clash at Turn 1. Verstappen holds the lead by using the run off. Verstappen then told to give position to Hamilton and they collide. Incident under investigation.
- Verstappen handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
- Hamilton takes lead with seven laps to go and wins from Verstappen.
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Leaderboard
1. Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Bottas, Mercedes
4. Ocon, Alpine
5. Ricciardo, McLaren
6. Gasly, AlphaTauri
7. Leclerc, Ferrari
8. Sainz, Ferrari
9. Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
10. Norris, McLaren
7 Days
22 hrs
57 min
25 sec
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Green flag
Good evening! It is almost time for the inaugural F1 Saudi Arabian GP. Who is excited?
This is a big one for so many reasons, as Saudi Arabia's first F1 race at the super-fast Jeddah street track. Add to that the title could be won today, it means there's an extra edge for what is at stake.
A quick reminder of the grid: Hamilton starts from pole position in a Mercedes 1-2 with Bottas next to him on the front row. Verstappen came so close to pole until he hit the wall at the final corner on his last Q3 lap, but he starts from third.
A cheerful rendition of the Saudi Arabian national anthem is played on the grid in front of the drivers and a very busy track. All of the big names are there.
You can see why race organisers were eager for a fully night race, as the pre-event lights show is incredible. Hopefully they turn back on some of the lights in time for the race start, mind.
This is your 10-minute warning until the start of the Saudi Arabian GP. Just enough time to grab a mug of tea and settle in.
The grid is being cleared of its cast of extras to leave the main stars of the show to focus on the task at hand: 50 laps of the Jeddah street track and fighting to win the Saudi Arabian GP.
Here’s a quick reminder on how Verstappen can win the title in this race. He must outscore Hamilton by 18 points today, here's how:
-Wins with fastest lap point, Hamilton lower than fifth
-Wins without fastest lap point, Hamilton lower than sixth
-Second with fastest lap, Hamilton lower than ninth
-Second and Hamilton does not score
Starting tyres klaxon: All drivers on mediums, apart from Norris on softs and Ricciardo, Sainz and Vettel on hards. That's a fair mix.
Green flag
The formation lap for the Saudi Arabian GP is underway. All away smoothly.
It is a long lap around Jeddah which just cranks up the tension for the teams and the fans. Good fun though, right?
Drivers are lining up on the grid, here we go...
Lights green
We are go! Hamilton keeps his lead from pole from Bottas and Verstappen in a clean getaway for the frontrunners.
Perez looked for a way around Leclerc at Turn 2 but thought better of it and remains in fifth place.
It's a poor first lap from Tsunoda, who drops from eighth on the grid back to 12th. Ocon by contrast has moved forward two spots, up from ninth to seventh ahead of Gasly, Ricciardo and Giovinazzi in P10.
Hamilton a driver on a mission as he pulls out one second on Bottas at the end of lap one.
An incident at Turn 7 involving Stroll and Russell has been noted by the stewards. They're currently running line astern in 16th and 17th places.
Replays of the start show Perez locking up under braking for the first corner and coming very close to running into the rear of Verstappen. That would have been a hard one to explain to the Red Bull bosses.
DRS has been enabled but the leaders are already spread out which means it isn't in play. For now.
Replays show that Russell was held up as Sainz ran wide ahead of him, allowing Vettel to dive past. Stroll attempted to do the same but had a moment of oversteer and had to drive outside the kerb, beyond the track limits. Gaining a place in that manner will likely constitute gaining an unfair advantage in the eyes of the stewards.
Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1m33.782s on lap three to go 1.4s clear of Bottas.
Ricciardo is currently the best-placed of the drivers to start on hards in ninth, but that distinction could soon go to Sainz - who underlines Tsunoda's miserable start to the grand prix by robbing him of 12th into Turn 1.
Intriguingly, the stewards have said that there is no further action necessary against Stroll for appearing to pass Russell off the track. Play on chaps.
Alonso has moved ahead of Giovinazzi to take tenth in the second Alpine.
Bottas responds to take the fastest lap from Hamilton which keeps him 1.2s ahead of Verstappen. Behind them Perez is stuck behind Leclerc and losing ground on the front three.
Alonso may have got through on Giovinazzi, but the Alfa Romeo driver is keeping the pressure on and forces Alonso into a mistake at Turn 1 - the Alpine driver locks up and has to use the run-off, but keeps his tenth place.
Quote
"I could do with a bit more gap in front," Bottas tells Mercedes over his team radio. Is that a hurry up call from the Finn to his team-mate?
As if to compound Tsunoda's start, he's now been referred to the stewards for his aggressive defending on Ocon during the run to the first corner. He moved hard to the right, leaving Ocon nowhere to go but the wall, and the two made side-to-side contact before Ocon nosed ahead on the outside line.
Stopwatch
Hamilton duly delivers to the request by Bottas with a new fastest lap of 1m33.260s to go 1.6s clear.
Giovinazzi may be on his way out of F1, but he's not leaving without a fight - he superbly re-passes Alonso around the outside of Turn 1, which becomes the inside for the right-hander that follows immediately after. Their battle has given Ricciardo some breathing room behind him, and allowed Sainz to close up.
Verstappen is keeping pace with the Mercedes pair, 1.5s behind Bottas, without looking for a way through yet.
The cars who started on hards are beginning to come into their own now. Ricciardo robs Gasly of eighth into Turn 1, as behind Sainz takes Alonso's 11th place at the same spot.
Perez is currently lapping slower than Leclerc ahead of him and dropping back in fifth place, already 10.9s seconds off the leaders with just nine laps completed.
Vettel is the third driver in the race who started on the hards. He's not made quite the same progress as Ricciardo and Sainz, but is running P15 and beginning to gap the Stroll-Russell fight behind him.
Safety car
Safety car is out, Mick Schumacher has crashed his Haas.
The German was running 18th, ahead of Latifi, when he went off. He radios the team to apologise, but remains in his car for the time being.
Stroll and Russell respond to the safety car by pitting immediately for hard tyres. We expect more to follow them soon...
Pit stop
Hamilton is called in to pit under this safety car. What will Bottas and Verstappen do in response?
While the pitstops play out - a bit of housekeeping. No further action deemed necessary on the Tsunoda/Ocon start clash.
By: Autosport Staff
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