Given Max Verstappen's dominance so far, we didn't expect any miracles from the second race of the season, but it exceeded all our expectations...
Verstappen got off to a fearsome start, and for a while, it seemed like the other Red Bull had also made a great start: Sergio Perez fought against Charles Leclerc, but the Ferrari ultimately fought back. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri raced well, and importantly, smartly, as the young Australian worked his way past Fernando Alonso, allowing him to chase the front-runners. Lando Norris didn't fare as well, as he managed to move at the start, but surprisingly, he wasn't penalized for it. Meanwhile, Perez fought his way past the Ferrari, allowing him to chase down his teammate, while in the other red car, Oliver Bearman skillfully navigated his first F1 start without losing positions and began his charge through the midfield.
Just as the race was beginning to settle into a predictable pattern, Lance Stroll "saved the day": The Canadian crashed the Aston, prompting the safety car and the usual pit stops. Red Bull, Ferrari, and nearly everyone else followed suit. Upon restart, Norris continued at the front, managing to maintain his position on used medium tires, which also worked well for Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes. However, this fairytale didn't last long, as Verstappen's hard compounds warmed up, allowing him to regain the lead. And so began another mundane procession... During this period, we could only root for Bearman, the rookie, who was making his way towards his first Formula 1 points with great and composed driving.
Apart from him, only the identity of the last points scorer was questionable, as the podium positions had long been decided... Red Bull Racing took a dominant double victory, with Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc crossing the line in that order at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
