Searcy, AR (LP) — The 2021 Formula 1 world title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was mean to be a once in a generation occurrence two world class driver in equally matched cars going wheel to wheel seemingly race after race, now this 2022 season has been changing and it’s happening again but this time it’s Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. For the second race running Verstappen and Leclerc went wheel to wheel for victory trading the lead and playing games with each other in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and this time the Verstappen came out on top by just half a second. Unlike Verstappen and Hamilton these two have collided yet but just like it felt early in 2022 is it only matter of time.
Leclerc and Verstappen found themselves battling for the lead once Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was shuffled out of victory contention due to making his pit stop just before the safety car came out for Williams Driver (Nicolas Latifi) crash. That allowed Leclerc and Verstappen to lose less time by pitting under safety car conditions and the rest of the race was all about the perceived team leaders from Ferrari and Red Bull. The race came alive inside the final 10 laps when Verstappen who was happier on the hard tires both driver had for the second stint finally got close enough to put real pressure on the clerk for the lead after a virtual safety car period. After the race Max Verstappen says, “I was a little bit surprised myself that it did look a little bit closer, but I don’t know how close Charles was to zero, you know, with the delta.” And he also says, “That’s always a bit of a question mark. But also, sometimes it depends a bit where the restart is, if it’s in a corner for somebody in front or not.”
When the race was resumed what followed was a fascinating game of cat and mouse, which was centered around the DRS detection point just before the final corner. On lap 42 when Vertsappen first attacked the Leclerc repeated his trick from Bahrain a week earlier letting the Red Bull pass him for the lead then, re-passing him with DRS on the next straight. Verstappen was wise to it he breaks before the DRS line but the Leclerc had slowed down so much that they both locked up in a bid to be behind at the crucial moment Vertsappen’s lock up was much more severe and as he did that Leclerc Accelerated away. “I really enjoyed the race. It’s hard racing but fair and every race should be like this.” And Charles also says, “We have been pushing like I’ve rarely pushed before to the absolute limit and we take risks, but of course the respect has always been there, Max did a great job and it was a fun race.”
After the Australian Grand Prix, Charles’s Leclerc takes another win which he is in the lead with 71 point in the Championship. But Verstappen looses due to a fluid in his car which he has 25 points in the championship.
