Scuderia Ferrari can be partially pleased with the outcome of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as the Maranello team is leading both the Drivers and the Constructors Standings after the first two round of the season. However, Ferrari missed the race win at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where details made all the difference in rewarding Max Verstappen at the end of another spectacular on track battle duel with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. First, the Virtual Safety Car canceled out the almost two-second lead that the Monegasque driver had managed to build up following the restart after the Safety Car. Then the yellow flag in the first sector shown for the collision between Lance Stroll and Alexander Albon prevented the Monegasque from opening the DRS on the finish straight when he had Verstappen’s Red Bull RB18 in his sights. The Ferrari driver consoles himself with the fastest lap of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and an impressive 45-point haul that gives him a 12 points advantage ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz after two rounds.
The 2022 Formula 1 season seems to be a battle only between Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull, with Mercedes currently unable to get close.
‘It’s not a defeat at all,’ headlines Il Resto del Carlino. “On the delirious Saudi circuit, the energy drink brand won, thanks to a Verstappen whose fresh world championship glory did not take away his appetite for victories. But Mattia Binotto’s Ferrari offered another great performance. Charles Leclerc, who never misses an opportunity to show he is able to match the level of his Dutch rival, remains firmly in command of the drivers’ championship, while the Maranello-based company has even more points than Mercedes and Red Bull combined in the manufacturers standings, “writes Italian journalist Leo Turrini.
The title of the editorial by Giorgio Terruzzi in Il Corriere della Sera, ‘Relentless challenge’, focuses on the duel between rivals Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. There have been sparks between the two even since 2019 and now that Ferrari has returned to being a top car, the fight between them can again provide us with exciting races: “What happened between Bahrain and Arabia composes an Oscar-winning manifesto. The performance of both is amazing, with no mistakes, driving on a permanent qualifying pace’ – we can read in the Italian newspaper – “the two do not love each other, but they esteem each other. They fight but don’t crash, at least for now “.
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The period of respect and mutual compliments between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, however, according to La Stampa, is not destined to last long. “At the end of the race, Charles went to congratulate Max and admitted that he deserved the success. The two respect each other, one would almost say that they love each other. It will not last long.” – concluded the report of Stefano Mancini. Even between Red Bull and Ferrari, peace will not last long, according to La Repubblica: “The time for fair play is over. It lasted just for one grand prix. Ferrari and Red Bull understood the mood and decided – both – that it is no longer time to turn the other cheek. Mercedes is not even taken into consideration, Ferrari and Red Bull are a lot ahead.”
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