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Max Verstappen revealed playing the longer game and preserving his tires helped clinch the win at the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP. The Dutchman enjoyed the dueling with Charles Leclerc and emerged victorious from an enthralling battle.
Summarizing his race, the Red Bull driver said:
“It was a tough one. It is not easy specially beginning to follow is quite difficult. It was very easy to open up the tyre but you have no performance anymore. But we swapped to the hard tyre and actually it went well. I think we played the long game on the tyres. And specially after the last VSC, we had good tyre grip and we could make the most from that.”
Although the Dutchman started in fourth place, a good start, followed by timely overtaking and a well-thought strategy, placed him behind Charles Leclerc towards the end of the race. While the two drivers produced some exciting wheel-to-wheel battles, Max Verstappen revealed preserving the hard compound tires towards the end played a key role in saving performance for a feisty duel.
Commenting on the battle with Leclerc, the Dutchman said:
“So yeah tough battle, I really enjoyed it with Charles. It was not easy to get past him and in the end we did it. We can be really proud.”
The reigning champion was congratulated by the Monegasque driver over the radio. The two had a feisty duel in Bahrain, where the latter emerged victorious. Verstappen, however, believes it wasn’t easy to pass the superior Ferrari in the closing laps of the race. The Ferrari driver also revealed he enjoyed duels with the Red Bull driver in the season opener and Saudi Arabia, hoping for similar fair racing in the future.
Max Verstappen empathized with Sergio Perez's disappointment in the Saudi Arabian GP
Sergio Perez, who started on pole, lost his chances of winning when a Safety Car came out after Nicholas Latifi’s crash and ended up finishing fourth. The Mexican further lost his chances for a podium finish when he had to give up third place to Carlos Sainz for a Safety Car infringement after his final pitstop. Empathizing with Perez, Max Verstappen felt there would be opportunities in the long season to make up for the disappointment.
Commenting on his team-mate’s performance, Verstappen said:
“Unlucky for Checo today with the first Safety Car. I am sure we have plenty of races to make up for that.”
After a double retirement in Bahrain, a win and a fourth-place finish were redemptions for the Red Bull F1 team. While there are 21 more races left on the calendar, the team will be able to make up ground for their teething issues and slow start to the season.
