Max Verstappen wins Saudi Arabian GP after nail-biting fight with Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen pulled off a fine overtake in the closing stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to take victory ahead of Charles Leclerc, in a nail-biting finish in Jeddah.

A repeat of the duel in Bahrain helped decide the victor in Saudi, with both drivers managing to finish this time without any late retirements.

Inside the last ten laps, Verstappen closed in and overtook Leclerc for the lead, but the Monegasque was again wily, as he was in Bahrain, and he used DRS down the main straight to retake P1.

Max cottoned on to the tactic, though, with the rather comical sight of the pair locking up the next time they came to the DRS zone before the start/finish straight being produced as neither wanted to be in the lead, with Leclerc, in the end, punching the throttle and holding position.

Verstappen, though, was not to be denied with him getting the tactic right at the end of lap 46 of 50, with him blasting past Leclerc and making it stick into turn one.

In the closing laps, Leclerc would try and repay the favour but simply could not get back past the Red Bull, with Verstappen going on to take his first win of the season and achieving the perfect response after his Bahrain disappointment.

Disappointment, meanwhile, was the word for Sergio Perez who had been leading nicely after a good start from pole position.

Indeed, the Mexican looked assured out in front but a pit-stop just before a Safety Car, caused by Nicholas Latifi hitting the wall, scuppered his chances as his team-mate, and both Ferraris, managed to overtake him as they could pit in slower conditions – though Perez did have to let Sainz pass upon the restart after a Safety Car line infringement.

Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton battled up as high as sixth from P15 on the