Analysis
Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP
Is Verstappen v Leclerc F1’s new big rivalry?
Formula 1’s newest rivalry may be brewing courtesy of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen after their latest wheel-to-wheel fight for victory in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Luke Smith
Edited: Mar 29, 2022, 3:47 AM
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After losing out in Bahrain one week earlier, Verstappen managed to make in 1-1 by beating Leclerc to victory in Jeddah courtesy of an overtaking with four laps remaining.
It was a move many laps in the planning for Verstappen, who had seen his initial move at the final corner backfire as it gave Leclerc DRS for the main straight, allowing the Ferrari driver to get back ahead on the long run to Turn 1.
The two drivers played cat and mouse for a few laps before Verstappen finally got the move done, taking advantage of Leclerc’s rear tyre struggles to grab the lead and eventually hold on by half a second at the chequered flag.
In the latest edition of our Paddock Packdown series, we take a look at the DRS tactics Verstappen and Leclerc employed in their fight for victory, and whether it proved DRS can actually be a good thing for F1.
Read Also:
- Ferrari believes Red Bull's F1 downforce choice "merits some analysis"
- Verstappen played "smart tricks" to beat Leclerc in Saudi F1 GP
- F1 2022 races would be "very boring" without DRS, says Leclerc.
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