Enlarge image
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon
Photo:
Zak Mauger / imago images / Motorsport Images
In the premiere race in Saudi Arabia with crashes, safety car phases and interruptions, Lewis Hamilton prevented Max Verstappen's premature World Cup victory.
This means that there will be a duel for the title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, with both drivers going into the final race of the Formula 1 season with the same number of points.
The international press writes about the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:
Great Britain
"The Times":
"Hamilton brushes down 'crazy' Verstappen after a chaotic victory.
(...) For the first time since 1974, the two title favorites will compete in the last race of the season, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, with the same number of points. "
»Sun«
: »Rowdy Arabia.
Hamilton thinks his rival Verstappen is pushing the limit.
And he narrowly escaped a catastrophe when Verstappen suddenly braked.
Braking bath.
When the rockets lit the Jeddah sky, it was a foretaste of more fireworks to come. "
Guardian
: “After chaos, pinpricks, misunderstandings and an absolutely uncompromising race, it took a cool head.
With his win, Hamilton made sure that everything is open before the season finale.
He is now level on points with Verstappen after a race full of complexity and confusion that might fit into a season that was impossible to predict. "
"Daily Mail"
: "At the end of one of the most chaotic, dirtiest and most confusing Formula 1 races in history, Hamilton and Verstappen go tied for the final in Abu Dhabi in their unforgettable duel."
Italy
“Gazzetta dello Sport”:
“Great tensions after the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, which Hamilton won before Verstappen.
There was no shortage of contacts, insults on the team radio, skirmishes and a crash in the final phase of the race.
The 2021 World Cup is at stake - and the two protagonists are under pressure. "
»Corriere dello Sport«:
»Formula Wild West.
The final race is completely open, a duel down to the last meter.
The Grand Prix in Jeddah is a concentration of excitement.
Hamilton is the best because he makes the most of the favorable opportunities.
He has conquered everything in his career, but he drives with the motivation of a driver who has not yet won anything.
That is his strength. "
»Tuttosport«
: »Hamilton wins a crazy Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia.
There are interruptions, red flags and pile-ups in Jeddah that reward Hamilton in the end.
Now everything will be decided next Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
A whole season will depend on a single race. "
»La Repubblica«:
»A World Cup without brakes.
The race is like a boxing match.
Formula 1 has not seen anything like this since the Regazzoni-Fittipaldi duel in 1974.
Who knows whether the fastest, the best driver or the most solid car will win. "
»Corriere della Sera«:
»The penultimate episode of this tough novel is a Russian roulette, a bullfight.
Formula 1 is experiencing the toughest and craziest race of the modern era. "
Spain
“Marca”
: “Hamilton wins a battle.
Verstappen should have seen the black flag because of an unfair brake test.
The rivalry between the World Cup contenders has now mutated into a hateful duel.
A one for Hamilton, a six for Verstappen.
Hamilton drives in world championship mode.
Verstappen is not allowed to trample the regulations. "
'As':
' Hamilton beats Verstappen in a dirty race with dangerous maneuvers by both pilots.
It's a cockfight in a race full of incidents.
Mad Max is more mad than ever. "
"Sport":
"Historic arm wrestling between Hamilton and Verstappen.
The race wasn't for those with heart disease.
Verstappen gets away with a black eye.
Both drivers are in war mode.
The enmity between the British and the Dutch is latent. "
»El Mundo Deportivo«:
»It is burning brightly between the World Cup favorites, it was a race full of incidents and a lot of theater.
A mad battle for the title.
Simply historical.
Only fate would have it that there were no serious incidents during the race.
It remains the final battle in Abu Dhabi, it will be the same or even more violent.
Max went nuts.
He got off lightly with the ten-second time penalty. "
Switzerland
»Blick«
: »This GP in Jeddah is still hotly debated.
Verstappen doesn't look good. "
mon / dpa / sid
