After starting the 2022 season with a bang by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, all eyes are on Ferrari to see whether they can follow it up with another victory here at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Ferrari drew first blood as they recorded the team’s first win in over 910 days and it’s clear that they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
Meanwhile, Red Bull are off to a horrific start, while Mercedes somehow got lucky in Bahrain.
Just like in last year’s edition, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix promises to be a spectacle for Formula 1 fans. So for now, let’s look at the latest Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022 updates courtesy of SBOTOP.
All smiles for Ferrari
Ferrari’s victory in Bahrain makes you wonder on whether they’re for real or not. And by the looks of it, 2022 might be their best year yet.
It can be noted that the Prancing Horse somehow “tanked” last season in order to focus on developing their 2022 machine, and it has been going according to plan so far.
Charles Leclerc waited 45 Grands Prix to secure the victory in Bahrain. And of course, he was understandably excited with their awesome start to the season.
“I’m incredibly happy after the last two years, which have been very difficult for the team, for myself, and for Carlos. We had to work extremely hard and to finally prove all the work we did in the last two years is paying off felt amazing,” said Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc had a back-and-forth with Max Verstappen where they exchanged the top position. But in the end, it was the Monegasque driver who finished first, thanks to Ferrari’s blistering speed.
His teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. was trailing behind for the most part up until Max Verstappen suffered a DNF, which paved a way for him to claim P2. It was his fifth Ferrari podium, and now he’s on his way to sign a new contract extension to stay beyond the end of this season.
Team principal Mattia Binotto once declared that Ferrari have the best lineup in Formula 1. And heading into Jeddah, Ferrari have officially become the hunted instead of being the hunter.
Mercedes and Red Bull both have their work cut out for them
Mercedes and Red Bull are both in unfamiliar situations this season and the pressure is on them at Jeddah.
Toto Wolff admitted that the Silver Arrows had been punching above their weight as the W13 has been sub-optimal so far. In fact, if it weren’t for Red Bull’s collapse, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell would’ve finished P5 and P6 instead of P3 and P4.
“If I look at Bahrain as a single race weekend, we probably scored the maximum of points that we could have. If you look at the pecking order today, it seems a long shot to even be in contention for any of the championships,” bared the Mercedes principal.
Meanwhile, following their double-DNF last weekend, Red Bull boss Christian Horner is optimistic that his team will rebound after their dismal start.
“The positive side for us is that we clearly have a competitive car. I don’t think we quite had the pace, but there was some great racing between Max and Charles,” said Horner.
Red Bull’s double-DNF was caused by their cars’ reliability issues, which suggests that there may be a cause of concern moving forward – especially since Pierre Gasly’s Red Bull-powered car also retired last weekend.
History
This Sunday marks the second-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. During the inaugural edition of this race not too long ago, it was Lewis Hamilton who recorded the first pole and the first win.
Max Verstappen finished P2 behind the Mercedes star, while Valtteri Bottas gained the final podium at P3.
The said victory was big for Lewis Hamilton as it set up an all-or-nothing clash for the world championship in Abu Dhabi – to which Max Verstappen won, albeit in controversial fashion.
What are the odds?
Given their strong performance in Bahrain, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. is expected to gain the most here in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022 odds have Charles Leclerc at 1.45, while Carlos Sainz Jr. is at 1.85.
In terms of who will get P3, it’s up for grabs for either one of Red Bull or Mercedes’ drivers.
Lewis Hamilton – the winner of last year’s race – is favoured to get another podium spot as he’s priced at 2.02, while defending champion Max Verstappen isn’t far behind at 2.20.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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