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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
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Pit stop
Bottas creates a gap to Hamilton ahead of him to allow Mercedes a comfortable double stack, while Verstappen stays out and takes the lead of the race.
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"Valtteri is massively off the pace, that shouldn't be allowed." Verstappen says over his team radio as Bottas was easing off to create a gap before pitting. That could cause further trouble between the top two teams.
Schumacher has now climbed gingerly from the wreck of his Haas. A similar incident to Leclerc's FP2 shunt as he just lost the rear on corner entry and had no chance of saving it.
Verstappen isn't happy with anyone going slowly as he now complains about the safety car going too slow. Just no pleasing the Red Bull driver tonight.
Sainz is ahead of Giovinazzi now - replays show he got the move done into Turn 1, but it may be that the Alfa was slowing in response to the safety car boards. Concerned faces on the pitwall at Ferrari currently.
So, those who have pitted are:
2. Hamilton
3. Bottas
6. Leclerc
8. Perez
14. Norris
15. Alonso
17. Russell
18. Stroll
19. Latifi
Red flag
The race has been red flagged! The race has been stopped for barrier repairs after Schumacher's crash.
That will irk Mercedes because now Verstappen, who is in the lead of the race due to Hamilton and Bottas pitting, can make a free tyre change while retaining the lead of the race.
"Why is there a red flag? The tyre wall looks fine! Find out what the reason is," Hamilton instructs over his team radio. This is a massive freebie to Verstappen and all those who didn't pit under the safety car.
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"It is a risk we knew we had [by pitting] because we knew they could throw the red flag, I'll come talk to you," James Vowles, Mercedes chief strategist, informs Hamilton on the team radio.
The race will resume at 21:15 local time - so in 10 minutes.
Schumacher has made it back to the pits and is discussing his shunt with the Haas engineers. He appears fine, but presumably the same can't be said for the Tec-Pro barrier he hit.
The biggest winner in this situation is, of course, Verstappen, but Ocon and Ricciardo have also moved up the order - to fourth and fifth respectively - effectively with a free pitstop.
Fully expecting the restart to be a standing start, which will provide a front-row fight between Verstappen and Hamilton. Given what has just happened and what is at stake, not one to miss!
While Red Bull's gamble worked out for Verstappen, it didn't work so nicely for Perez who finds himself eighth on the grid for the restart.
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"Hi Lewis, everyone is going to go to the end of the race on these tyres but you had the car pace in the race," Vowles tells Hamilton over team radio. A very clear race objective.
Sainz is another who will welcome the opportunity for a restart. After his troubles in Q2 yesterday left him 15th on the grid, he's moved up nicely to ninth. No word as yet whether his move on Giovinazzi just as the safety car was coming out will be reviewed by the stewards.
Lights green
As expected Verstappen is on brand new hard tyres as the cars leave pitlane ahead of the restart of the race.
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"He did a practice start in the pitlane, you can't do that," Hamilton says over team radio.
Race controls confirms it will be a standing start. Here we go again.
A few drivers have gone with mediums for the restart. Among them are the drivers who started on hards (Ricciardo, Sainz, Vettel) but also Perez and Latifi.
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"Mate, Lewis is leaving way more than 10 car [lengths], that is not OK," Verstappen says over team radio. A war of words and they don't even know it.
The drivers are lining up on the grid, here we go, again...
Hamilton gets the better start and pulls alongside Verstappen but the Red Bull driver doesn't yield and goes over the kerbs to keep the lead. That drops Hamilton behind Ocon.
Red flag
Accident at the back bring out another red flag - Perez is turned into the wall and Mazepin comes to a halt with damaged suspension
Perez looks like he's going no further either. "I'm sorry, I couldn't avoid it," reports Mazepin over the radio.
You didn't think this was going to be a quiet one, did you?
Replays of the start for the top two show Verstappen run off the track and rejoin at Turn 2 over the kerbs, which forces Hamilton to move wide to avoid contact and that provides space for Ocon to sneak into second.
Replays show Perez tried to slice between Leclerc and Gasly as the pack was bottled up exiting Turn 2, but took the apex for Turn 3 when Leclerc was still on his inside, creating an inevitable collision.
Mazepin was coming flat chat around the corner and was faced with a wall of cars ahead, barrelling into the back of one of the Williams which gets lifted up into the air. It may have been Russell, who is showing as stopped on the timing screens.
You won't be surprised to know Hamilton isn't happy with Verstappen's defending at the restart. There's no official confirmation of an investigation yet - probably dealing with the carnage behind first.
Perez initially got going again after his hit on the left-rear from Leclerc sent him into the wall with his nose. He was lucky that nobody else hit him square on, but presumably the initial contact with Leclerc created damage too serious to continue.
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"I am going to give you the opportunity to start from grid position two for this restart," FIA race director Masi tells the Red Bull team. Red Bull respond to say they will think about it. What is going on?
OK some more Masi to Red Bull chatter clarifies what's going on in this honesty policy. Masi has asked Red Bull to take second with Hamilton first - effectively swap positions from the restart - with Ocon in third.
More FIA radio clarifies it will be Ocon first, Hamilton second and Verstappen third at the restart, which Red Bull has accepted. Where is Noel Edmonds and is this Deal or No Deal?
Confirmation that it was Russell who got clobbered by Mazepin there. Both are out. Norris meanwhile is back to last, having been forced to slow to avoid the multiple collisions.
While that was all going on race control has confirmed the race will restart, in whatever order they eventually decide, at 21:40 local time - that is five minutes away.
"Perez forgot about me being here, I think," said Leclerc after that contact. He'll restart P7, just behind Gasly, with Giovinazzi, Sainz and Vettel ronding out the top 10.
Next question: Will it be a standing start, a rolling start or a game of rock, paper, scissors?
By: Autosport Staff
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