Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix around a street circuit on the Corniche in Jeddah.
However, the increasingly acrimonious rivalry of the season, between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, Mercedes and Red Bull reached a new level. The two drivers will head into the final race of the season next weekend in Abu Dhabi level on points, although Verstappen still leads courtesy of having won more races. The Constructors’ title is all but over now – barring a series of mishaps next weekend, Mercedes will be retaining it.
The drama in the Saudi race began with Saturday’s qualifying. Verstappen seemed destined to take pole only to clip the wall in the final corner and have to settle for third.
That meant Hamilton lined up on pole alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas and the pair lead away from the line and seemed in control, when the first safety car was deployed after a backmarker hit a wall.
Mercedes used the opportunity to change their tyres while Verstappen stayed out on his and inherited the lead. Luck then fell their way after the race was stopped, meaning he could put on fresh rubber and still restart in the lead under a controversial rule that some drivers want to see repealed.
However, on the restart, Hamilton got ahead of Verstappen, only for the Dutchman to barge past him from off the track, and Esteban Ocon in the Alpine took second with the Englishman relegated to third.
Mercedes immediately protested. When the race was stopped for a second time, after much negotiating between the teams and race control, it was decided it would restart, this time with Ocon at the front of the grid, followed by Hamilton and Verstappen.
This time, though, Verstappen made the better start, passed the two cards in front, and surged into the lead. Hamilton got past Ocon and began to chase him down, on hard tyres that offered more chances to get to the end of the race.
Again, he drew alongside and overtook his rival, only for Verstappen to once more force him off the track.
With Mercedes immediately protesting, Verstappen was immediately placed under investigation and eventually asked to give the place back. He was also handed a five-second penalty, but either on purpose or due to miscommunication, he did not immediately cede the place back. Instead, he chose to slow down dramatically, causing Hamilton to crash in to the back of him.
The world champion protested that Verstappen had brake-assessed him – a dangerous manoeuvre in a race – and feared that his front wing had been damaged. However, once more he pursued his rival and finally overtook him, and from there he was finally able to stretch away to clinch the win.
Afterwards both teams had plenty to say on the various incidents, with Mercedes and Hamilton claiming Verstappen had been out of control, and Red Bull believing he had been hard done by.
Later both men were summoned to the stewards and it was Verstappen who received further punishment in the form of an additional ten second time penalty, and two points and two disciplinary points added to his F1 driving licence.
Meanwhile, Bottas pipped Ocon for third virtually on the line, and, with the other Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez crashing out, it means Mercedes now have an almost unassailable grip on the Constructors’ title once more.