The Saudi Grand Prix
(Dodge ‘Ems in Jeddah)
First Impressions: A labyrinth! A Maze! A tunnel of 27 turns, girt round with high wire fencing.
The width of the road is minimal for speeds designated to be perilous. There are no comparisons. Jeddah is longer than Monza. Monaco is as exciting but with all the beauty of this legendary city – Jeddah is a circuit without a heart, a place of foreboding and apprehension. Witness the congested layout of the pits and ultra squeezed starting grid. The first corner but yards away for an instant funnel for all who pass but the front two rows.
New to all and the first to assess the track are our trusty pundits – Brundle, Diresta and Hill. They are of one opinion..that turns 21,22,23 are truly daunting at 300KPH. Big trouble ahead.
Practice: Friday begins with all competitors taking a drive around the Grande Corniche. Each and every pilot warming tires and slowly investigating the undulating surface before them.
All eyes rest upon the World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and his arch rival Max Verstappen (Red Bull). The former is taking the way of the Fox (using guile ,caution, and seven seasons (?) of experience) The Max – addresses the track with brio, even a touch of swagger.
Coming up fast behind, the scarlet of Ferrari-Leclerc and Sainz. More sentient drivers Norrys, Riciardo, bide their time. Surprising is the pace of Yuki Sonoda (Alfa Tauri) who seems to be right at home. Valtteri Bottas throws caution to the winds shows off the Silver Arrows pace. The day is concluded by Charles Leclerc stuffing his Ferrari into the wall at turn 21.
It is to be wondered if there weren’t those who under the circumstances did not lose enthusiasm for their vocation. Aston-Martin, Haas and Team Williams lost luster.
Saturday Free Practice saw further hazards. Hamilton, now bit between the teeth, raises his speed on the difficult corners to rush almost into the lap of Nikita The Terrible (Marzipan) going at somewhat lesser rate of speed. A collision very narrowly averted! The Haas being neither alerted by radio of the impending Mercedes or Flag Marshall waved Mazepan who just escaped being skewered.
Qualification: Here fans were treated to fireworks! First Bottas, then Sergio, Perez, Gasly, Norris, all upped their game. Each advance brought new life to the spectacle! Alfonzo, Ocon, The French Alpine Team doing well. Antonio Giovinazzi for Alfa held firm.
And then the finale! Lewis clapped spurs to his mount to produce a searing lap. Max Verstappen bides his time. Sets his sights to equal Lewis and just pips his time only to miss the breaking point on lap 23, lock his right brake, to kiss the wall, coming to a complete stop. He is demoted to third place on the grid. A Mercedes lockout. Toto Woolf is ecstatic!
The Start: The grid is packed. Such are the confines that the bended knee for the race matters ceremonies has to be set in two columns opposite each other. The Saudi National anthem intoned by a live orchestra, a cue for all the lights to go out around the grid, and dancing girls light up the mammoth TV Screens while the oud (arab lute) throbs and cymbals clash…foreshadowing what is to come. Baffled mechanics labor in the semi-darkness.
The Race: From here on in Dear Reader, please refer to the admirable Andrew Benson (BBC Guru on all matters Formula One) whose considerable talents gathered together the rich harvest of pure chaos that followed. Was there ever such a race? Benson manages to weave a tapestry of perception in which all the nuances, actions, curses, options, forfeits, bargaining considerations, bad blood, and the smouldering copals of retribution - to conclude the state of play for the championship. Your humble scribe will contribute footnotes.
From red to green went the starter’s lights. The pack goes ballistic! Cars squirming under acceleration, tires rubbed rival rubber, tank slappers abound, Lewis makes a perfect start, Bottas in defense alignment and Max departs the track to straight line the run-off area to straight line the approaching corner having no need to brake there to emerge ahead of Hamilton!
Cut to the Mercedes pits as Toto throws his ear phones to the ground in fury! And this is the first turn of the race which has not completed a single lap!
Guess who stuffs it into Turn 21 - At the same exact spot as the Ferrari the previous day – Mick Schumacher! Red Flag!!!!!!
All return to the pits as the stewards box heaves with an avalanche of complaints! Max is charged with “unsportsmanlike behavior”. Restart positions are challenged. Here the statesman-like Benson weighs the options.
Race begins from grid. Max sent to the middle of the pack. Ocon of France, seen to be the just leader, is on pole then Mercedes behind, and then the smoldering Max.
Green light again and Verstappen rockets from Tourist to First Class in a lightning start, pure and legitimate, to lead the Saudi Grand Prix.
Red Flag once more! This time involving Perez, Marzipan, Tsunoda. Debris is strewn all over the track!
Another start! This time “Rolling”! With Max cursing the safety car for being too slow and allowing the Silver Arrows to heat their tires without losing impetus.
Away goes the safety car and now it is Verstappen Vs Hamilton! On display the full arsenal of weapons available to both drivers: Gamesmanship, determination, thinking on the limitations of the rules of racing.
Hamilton, in spite of most determined Verstappen, triumphs, and under highly contentious circumstances: Radio communication failures, and a cunning plan by Max to let Hamilton pass at the DRS marker which would give him advantage on the closing laps. Lewis wins. The podium spills over with animosity. What is yet to be resolved must wait seven days for conclusion.
Jeddah was witness to Mercedes win and Red Bull in second place bringing both drivers level in points won thus far this year.
And what will be written in the sands of Abu Dhabi? Should the race fail to break the tie – The victor and world Champion will be he who has won most victories! Inshallah.
