EAT, SLEEP, WIN, REPEAT… that’s what David Croft said as Max Verstappen took the chequered flag for the second time this season at the second time of asking from pole position at Jeddah. Alongside him, Charles Leclerc made a strong start, battling wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen into the first turn while Sergio Perez charged from behind, challenging Leclerc for position. However, the Red Bull of Perez managed to slip past him with the assistance of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) on lap two and that’s where the 1-2 for Red Bull was pretty much decided. Charles Leclerc however, didn’t have much to do after that as he was left to his own devices in the third position after overtaking Lando Norris, who didn’t pit during the Safety Car period.

In the end, the Ferrari driver did claim the final podium spot and the fastest lap of the race. During the post-race interviews, he explained how it was pretty much a lonely race for him with no one in front or behind. “We had quite a good pace, as I got the fastest lap at the end. I got a bit held by the DRS, but overall, the feeling was pretty good,” said the Monegasque. “It was a bit of a boring race as Red Bull were too quick and behind we had a gap, but we took the maximum points we could today, and that was the target so that’s great. All in all, it’s definitely one of the most physical race tracks of the season. It’s very warm but also with the neck [because of the high-speed corners].”