JEDDAH: Two races into the Formula One season and defending champion Max Verstappen is already going toe-to-toe with Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc rather than veteran Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 champion whose crown he took last year.

Verstappen and Leclerc, both 24 and rivals since their karting days, went wheel-to-wheel on Sunday, before Verstappen made a decisive pass three laps from the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for his first win of the season and 21st of his career, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

“Every battle is different,” Verstappen said. “It’s just smart racing and good racing. It was not easy but a lot of fun.”

The race under floodlights was held two days after an attack on a nearby oil depot by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Hamilton is F1’s record holder with 103 wins, but managed one meagre point for Mercedes in 10th.

“It’s gutting but we’ll keep working hard and keep fighting, that’s all we can do,” Hamilton said. “Right now we’re not fighting for the top. We’re so far off the guys ahead. It feels like a long, long way away.”

Leclerc was aiming for back-to-back victories after winning the season-opener in Bahrain from pole position last Sunday.

After coming close, Leclerc congratulated his rival on the radio and then gave him a thumbs-up afterward.

“We’ve been pushing like I’ve rarely pushed before, we take risks. Of course there’s respect,” Leclerc said. “It was hard racing but fair. Every race should be like this. It was fun.”

Ferrari had opened the season with a one-two last week in Bahrain and Sunday’s win put Red Bull, who drew a blank in Sakhir, back in the game.

Leclerc, who recorded the fastest lap, leads the overall standings by 12 points from team mate Sainz with 21 races to go. Verstappen is 20 points off Leclerc in third.

Ferrari continue to lead the constructors’ standings ahead of Mercedes with Red Bull vaulting up to third.

Leclerc and Verstappen were running second and third after the start.

Pole-sitter Perez appeared to have the race under control but an unfortunately-timed safety car, just after his pitstop, dropped him behind the Monegasque and his Red Bull team-mate.

The Mexican lost another place when he was ordered to give up third position to Sainz, who had exited the pits alongside but slightly ahead of the 32-year-old under safety car conditions.

Leclerc established a comfortable lead over Verstappen as the race resumed and appeared set for a second straight win.

But a virtual safety car in the closing laps brought the race to life.

Leclerc and Verstappen swapped the lead several times, as they both tried to be behind the other turning onto the long start-finish straight in an attempt to benefit from the top-speed boost of the Drag Reduction System (DRS).

Verstappen eventually won the game of “DRS chicken” and swept past his Ferrari rival on the 47th of 50 laps.

George Russell took fifth for struggling champions Mercedes ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and McLaren’s Lando Norris with Pierre Gasly taking eighth for AlphaTauri.

Kevin Magnussen finished ninth for Haas and Hamilton, winner of last year’s inaugural Saudi race, rescuing some pride after starting 15th to claim the final point.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2022