10 things we learned from the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The thrilling start to the 2022 Formula 1 season continued with a fascinating scrap for the win at the front of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. But that was only after pole-winner and early leader Sergio Perez had been done over by unfortunate safety car timing.

As it had in Bahrain a week earlier, the battle boiled down to a series of punch-and-counterpunch passes facilitated by the DRS overtaking aid. This split opinion on the nature of the fight in some quarters, but served up an intriguing race ending when it otherwise might have ended in a stalemate. Both victor and defeated rival were chuffed with how close and fair their fight had been once again.

Carlos Sainz Jr and the unlucky Perez came home well adrift, but the pace advantage of the Red Bull and Ferrari cars relegated the rest to also-rans.

Not that there wasn’t intrigue in the pack behind, where George Russell led the line for Mercedes, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso each fought the other Alpine with no quarter given, and the recovering Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen also lost out to fate’s timing. Plus, reliability dramas struck several squads at an event that now faces even more scrutiny.

Here are 10 things we learned from the 2022 Jeddah race.

Leclerc and Verstappen enjoyed their second spirited battle in as many races

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

1. Leclerc and Verstappen can really race and race smart

Just as they did in Bahrain, Verstappen and Leclerc engaged in a lengthy wheel-to-wheel scrap for the win, which in this case lit up the closing stages. Again, Leclerc opted to base his tactics around the DRS zones, which meant attack ended up being his primary form of defence against Red Bull’s