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The Saudi Arabian GP is now done and dusted. Charles Leclerc leads the championship but Max Verstappen opened his account for the season with a well-earned win.
The race brought a smile to the faces of many around the paddock, however, it was not all smooth sailing for everyone as some had a rather average evening. So, who are the winners and losers of the Saudi Arabian GP? Let's take a look!
2022 F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Winners and Losers
Winner
The budding Max Verstappen/Charles Leclerc rivalry
The 2021 F1 season ended with a lot of vitriol between both Mercedes and Red Bull, as well as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Some of it has even carried forward into this season as well.
This season, at least for now, Mercedes are not in contention for the wins and we have Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc fighting it out for the top honors.
The battle has been intense in both races and has seen top-notch quality driving from both drivers. The battle has taken over from the one Verstappen and Hamilton had last season. What should be looked at as a compliment is that in no way did it lack the quality or intensity of last season. We are looking at the future of F1 right now and it sure looks brilliant.
Loser
Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz
The second race of the season was a stark reminder of the gulf there is between the very best talents in F1 and the ones that are just marginally below that. Sergio Perez nailed his qualifying and grabbed pole position on Saturday. After the misfortune of the safety car, however, he was never able to make his way back into even podium contention as he finished fourth behind Sainz.
Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, faced the cruel reality that dawns on some of the most hardworking drivers in the history of F1 – that they might just not be fast enough to beat their elite teammates. The two are losing out to some of the best talents in F1 and fear falling into a supporting role very soon.
Winner
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon nailed it in qualifying by placing Alpine in 5th. The race was more of a hassle for the Frenchman as he lost to his teammate after a see-saw battle between the two. While other drivers fell by the wayside due to reliability issues, Ocon kept his nose clean and fended off Lando Norris to finish 6th in the race.
In terms of pace, it did appear that Ocon was lagging a bit, but the grittiness shown against Fernando Alonso, of all people, will go a long way in him asserting himself in a team that has Oscar Piastri waiting in the wings.
Loser
Mercedes
Mercedes are getting one reality check after another this season. The team realized that their car is closer to the midfield than the front of the grid in the Saudi Arabian GP. It also realized that there seems to be a power deficit that it needs to work on.
And finally, they might have realized that the championship challenge might be out of reach if they can't unlock whatever potential there is in that car. It was a sobering weekend for the team and probably the reality check that was needed before the Australian GP.
Winner
The Jeddah Circuit
Momentum is an important part of the sport and the Saudi Arabian GP had all the momentum in the world going against it. First, the missile attacks near the track, then Mick Schumacher's rather violent crash, and then the underwhelming accident-ridden F2 sprint race left the track with so many question marks over its future.
While some of them remain, the race featured action of the highest quality and produced an iconic duel between Leclerc and Verstappen. For a while, everyone forgot what had happened in the build-up to the Saudi Arabian GP and enjoyed an epic race.
Loser
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has arguably a regular top-10 contender on its hands this season and it might be in a position to challenge for fourth in the championship. What it doesn't have in its favor, however, is reliability. That car has broken down in every event this year. Be it in Barcelona, be it in Bahrain pre-season test or the race, or now in the Saudi Arabian GP.
The team lost out on valuable points this weekend and unless it sorts out the reliability, it's going to underachieve significantly in the championship.
Also Check Out: F1 2022 Results
