What did you think of today’s race? Share your verdict on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
RaceFans has held polls on every F1 race since 2008 to find out which fans thought of each round of the season.
Join in the latest poll and give your verdict on the race: 10 being the highest and 1 the lowest. Please vote based on how entertaining and exciting you thought the race was, not on how your preferred driver or team performed.
What were the best and worst moments of the race? What was the main thing you’ll remember about it? Rate the race out of ten and leave a comment below:
Rate the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix out of 10
- 10 (13%)
- 9 (29%)
- 8 (34%)
- 7 (14%)
- 6 (4%)
- 5 (1%)
- 4 (0%)
- 3 (0%)
- 2 (0%)
- 1 (5%)
Total Voters: 272
Loading ...1 = ‘Terrible’, 10 = ‘Perfect’
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glynh (@glynh)
27th March 2022, 19:30
9. A spectacular track that’s quickly become one of my favourites. Great overtakes and action throughout. I think the new cars are a success with the close fighting.
CashNotClass (@cashnotclass)
27th March 2022, 20:06
It’s positive that the cars seem able to follow better, but unfortunately there was still little to no fighting outside the DRS zones. Part of that is because the FIA put so many of them around each circuit to combat the aero effects on the awful pre-2022 cars. But at the same time it’s starting to drag down the 2022-spec.
Hopefully the FIA will soon limit the DRS zones to 1 per track, and then get rid of them entirely.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
27th March 2022, 21:09
frankly there was no space to fight outside the drs zones. cars followed pretty well. the race to the drs line is pretty dumb. I’d have a more serene race without drs but real racing. anyway we are leagues ahead of where we were. f1 is back after 12 years.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
27th March 2022, 19:30
Excellent battle at the front. Verstappen and Leclerc are always spectacular when they’re close to each other.
petebaldwin (@)
27th March 2022, 19:31
Gave it a 9. Really fun race. I love watching Verstappen and Leclerc battle – may it continue all season!
Really unlucky for Checo. He drove well and got incredibly unlucky with the SC.
The Alpine battle was good fun as well.
Jere (@jerejj)
27th March 2022, 19:31
Good race. Battles pretty much throughout the field.
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
27th March 2022, 19:32
Despite the feeling that we probably shouldn’t be racing here, that was a cracking race. Really feel for Sergio. Gave it a 9. I think the high-speed corners showed the cars can definitely follow more closely as hoped. It’s been a while since we’ve seen genuine laps-long duels for the lead!
sumedhvidwans (@sumedhvidwans)
27th March 2022, 19:32
What a race!! Wow!
I feel strong about Ferrari’s chances now. This seemed very much like a Red Bull track with fast corners, very low importance to low speed traction. But still, Ferrari did very very well.
Ferrari may have been slightly hampered by reduced hard tyre running on Friday
melanos
27th March 2022, 19:35
Probably Charles would have won without the late yellow flag
sumedhvidwans (@sumedhvidwans)
27th March 2022, 19:39
It did look like Charles was going to do some magic then, didn’t it?
Hope he has some smarts up his sleeve like that :)
Gabriel (@naylamp)
27th March 2022, 19:41
I don’t know. Maybe he would’ve passed VER but in the next lap VER would’ve done the same. Good finish though.
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 19:33
Not a great race, not a fan of the circuit and one that should be removed…
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 19:35
I will add that the battle between LeClerc and Verstappen was brilliant, however, I still feel this circuit is a tragedy in waiting..l
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
27th March 2022, 19:39
Yeah, either someone is getting seriously hurt, or the place gets bombed
Illusive (@illusive)
27th March 2022, 19:49
Agree, this track is dangerous and the country too.
jff
27th March 2022, 19:55
Not just the battle between the two of them, but between many more.
PS It’s Rate the Race, not Rate the Circuit or Rate the Country.
PPS A big thank you to Ross Brawn for getting us these cars.
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 20:16
4 half decent laps does not a good race make!
Coventry Climax
28th March 2022, 0:20
Which battles? You mean the DRS passes we saw? Has anyone counted yet how many passes in total and how many with DRS. 95% DRS? That’s not racing, it sucks.
jff
28th March 2022, 9:42
A battle is not just the pass, but the whole chasing, positioning, attacking and defending.
I cannot help you if you didn’t see that.
Hosford90
27th March 2022, 19:37
Of course Saudi Arabia is awful and this track is unsafe but how on Earth was that ‘not a great race’? What does it take then?
Perhaps this F1 thing isn’t for you.
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 19:43
I’ve likely been following F1 for more years than you’ve been alive. 7/10 is how I rated the race, I just feel the circuit is terrible.
G
27th March 2022, 19:46
Also a Hamilton fan? :)
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 20:09
Max actually!
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 20:12
lol
G
27th March 2022, 20:48
@MaddMe
You are a Max fan and didn’t enjoy that race?? You must be hard to please.
David (@nvherman)
27th March 2022, 20:00
So, how many years is that then? That’s a very large assumption you’re making about someone you don’t know on the internet
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 20:12
@nvherman using the 90 as a birth year on said persons name, commonly used from the year of birth, I can safely say longer than they’ve been alive, hence my response!
Don’t like it leave your keyboard alone and find someone else to attack!
David (@nvherman)
27th March 2022, 20:16
@maddme you’re still making assumptions: what if it’s the house number they live at?
So, how long have you been watching F1 then?
MaddMe (@)
27th March 2022, 20:43
More than many and less than a few…
Josh (@canadianjosh)
27th March 2022, 19:33
8 for the race, great battle. 0 for the moron who kept replaying every single pass or slip up or whatever during the last 10 laps.
melanos
27th March 2022, 19:34
Way too much DRS effect
I do love this track, only it should be in Monaco. SA may have the Monegasque track instead
Josh (@canadianjosh)
27th March 2022, 19:36
8 for the race. 0 for the tv director who played 1000 replays especially in the last 3 laps. I can watch replays tomorrow on YouTube, show the f n race!
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
27th March 2022, 19:39
@canadianjosh
True. Even more frustrating was switching to the crowd in the stands when the fight was on.
LosD (@losd)
27th March 2022, 19:45
@canadianjosh Totally agree. I was yelling at my TV to get back to the continuing action instead of showing the part we JUST SAW.
Ridiculous crowdshots and showing the cruise ship of a sponsor again and again just made it worse.
Not totally at Monaco levels of terribleness, but close… And cost more action since Monaco has almost none to show anyway.
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
27th March 2022, 19:49
@losd
Monaco is great when it rains, though.
LosD (@losd)
27th March 2022, 19:54
@exeviolthor Fair point.
baasbas
27th March 2022, 20:04
Ugh. I’m sure it’s a hard job. And missing some action here and there is bound to happen. Fine.
But you see a move, than immediately cut to crowds and miss the (possible) switch back on the track is inexcusable in my opinion.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
27th March 2022, 19:36
Unlucky for Perez, but it was good fun. Tense towards the end of not knowing who was going to win.
LUCA (@luca)
27th March 2022, 19:43
it wasn’t luck, even the commentators said it wasn’t good to pit perez in that moment because he was gonna get stuck behind George, good one on the red bull strategist.
Broke1984 (@broke1984)
27th March 2022, 19:37
7 Pretty decent but DRS is too heavy, time for it to go
Newfangled (@newfangled)
27th March 2022, 19:39
8. Would be a 9 were it not for the VSC affecting the running order.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
27th March 2022, 19:39
well, at least nobody died
Ipsom
27th March 2022, 19:40
Sat on the edge of my seat the entire time. Great clean racing all over the grid with no crashes.
Perez, Alonso, and Riciardo’s misfortunes put a slight damper though
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
27th March 2022, 19:41
7/10 from me as I just don’t like how DRS is still as powerful as it is, I don’t like how all of the overtaking is still so reliant on DRS or how easy it makes a lot of the moves. And I especially don’t like it when you have the 2 zones next to each other resulting in the DRS passing/repassing & where you see them playing games trying not to be ahead at the detection point.
I like that the new cars can follow closer & I like that the tyres seem better able to hold upto been pushed for longer. But i’m just so disappointed that the overtaking is still reliant on DRS & that probably 95% or more of the overtaking is as a result of DRS.
I’m just really frustrated that after sitting through 10 years of been told we need DRS because the old cars can’t race & that the next generation cars will be better only to get to the next generation of cars only to find that while they can race closer we still have DRS that is working the same way & producing the same sort of racing (If not a bit worse) that i’ve spent the last 10 years disliking & hoping we would finally be rid of.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
27th March 2022, 19:56
@stefmeister Yes I completely agree!
baasbas
27th March 2022, 20:07
Fully agreed. The gaming on the DRS line might seem amusing to some, I thought it was a horrible element we shouldn’t see at a track
Ju88sy (@)
27th March 2022, 21:26
Completely agree, compelling entertainment, but DRS nonsense spoilt it as a racing spectacle. Two brilliant drivers in different but closely matched cars.
The TV direction was appalling, total overuse of the new (very cool) helmet cams, what was the director doing flipping to the helmet cam view in the last few laps.
DRS nonsense + Helmet cam obsession brings a -2, giving a 6 overall. Overall I hope (hope, hope, hope) this battle goes on all season, we could be in for two back-to-back vintage seasons of F1.
Coventry Climax
28th March 2022, 0:28
Thank you. I feel the same and can’t understand people raving about how great it all is. I can only conclude they have no clue as to what racing really used to be. And should be again, in order to call it F1.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 19:45
Nice race from the paper champ. Maybe he can reach a legit WDC this year. It should help that RBR currently has the quickest car, though Ferrari is pretty close.
Unfortunate for Perez, as he was quickest til the SC destroyed his win. Ferrari pushed them to pit that early, as the undercut was a severe danger.
Also Hamilton was pretty unlucky with the pit closed when he needed it. Could have been P6 at best.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
27th March 2022, 19:48
Some might say HAM was pretty lucky with a SC period in the 1st place and with the significant number of retirements.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 19:52
What did the 1st SC do for HAM? And how many positions did he gain by retirements?
MG1982 (@mg1982)
28th March 2022, 7:51
My bad. Did not watch HAM’s performance closely and got confused thinking he was behind BOT, ALO and RIC when they retired.
melanos
28th March 2022, 1:02
The 7-timer paper champ had a pretty poor quali & race
RomTrain (@romtrain)
28th March 2022, 5:27
The true champ of last year had a bad qualy and was unfortunate with his pitstop, we can agree to that.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
27th March 2022, 19:46
7 from me.
Great battle in the last part of the race. Thumbs up for both drivers.
Let it pour with comments how Sainz is better than Leclerc! BTW, Sainz obviously needs to up his game for his own good 1st, then there were really big chances LEC would have won had Sainz kept his place at the start. Some might say it’s too early to say who are the drivers with most chances to fight for the WDC from both teams…. but I guess it’s obvious before the season started it’s between VER and LEC.
Nuckley Brake
27th March 2022, 19:53
So far Sainz has been more consistent than Leclerc, while Leclerc is obviously the faster one.
Can Leclerc keep it up? Then the WDC is his.
jff
27th March 2022, 20:04
You’re probably right but:
– at least Perez is a lot closer than he’s ever been in the RBR (and without Latifi he would have outscored #33 today);
– Sainz isn’t that far behind, and I’m not convinced that Leclerc can keep it at this level the whole season (based on his 2021 up and down performance);
– and even today it’s a lot closer within the leading teams than it has been most of the previous seasons.
baasbas
27th March 2022, 20:15
Although the crash shuffled the cars unfortunately for Perez, we saw Leclerc and Verstappen pushing and opening a big gap in not that many laps when the racing resumed. No excuses, they were all on the same tires. We’ll see across the season if Sainz can up his game and bring it to Leclerc. . But at the moment Leclerc can do something extra
CashNotClass (@cashnotclass)
27th March 2022, 20:10
Agreed mostly on Sainz. Losing 3rd at the start put Verstappen right on Leclerc’s back throughout the race. He also wasn’t able to put any pressure on Verstappen afterwards, and seemed to lose quite a bit of time throughout the VSC.
That said, he should have been third after the SC restart but the race director messed that up. There was no reason to allow Pérez to overtake under the SC and then have him cover for Verstappen at the restart.
Toncho
27th March 2022, 20:19
Watch the start again , Sainz made a strong start but Leclerc forced him against the wall so without place to go he lost momentum and eventually was overtaken. I wouldn’t write off Sainz just yet.
Coventry Climax
28th March 2022, 0:32
That was after 15 seconds. Most don’t have an attention span or memory that long anymore.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
27th March 2022, 19:46
Great race, crazy track, awful country.
Patrick (@anunaki)
27th March 2022, 19:46
Great race, ridiculous tv coverage
RatSack
28th March 2022, 7:30
My main problem with the coverage lately is the over reliance on the helmet cam. I know alot of people love it and it would be okay to use on occasion but to use it during key battles is really annoying. It’s looks terrible with all the reflections, car vibrations and being off centre with the halo blocking the view, it’s not even representative of what the driver sees. Can we not just watch the overtake from an outside angle where we enjoy the benefits of being a spectator and get to see everything.
David BR (@david-br)
27th March 2022, 19:46
1. The actual race was a 9 in terms of entertainment. But the race shouldn’t have been held this year, or any until Saudi Arabia loses its barbaric dictatorship.
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 20:05
@david-br Oh dear, we agree.
David BR (@david-br)
27th March 2022, 20:22
@neiana Maybe there wasn’t so much reason for us to disagree in the first place? Maybe a 9 will seem generous by the end of the season with such close racing every race. Just now it’s fantastic to watch. And TBH the circuit is a good one, albeit dangerous.
albo94
27th March 2022, 21:12
You are asked to rate the race, not the event as a whole.
Coventry Climax
28th March 2022, 0:34
The actual entertainment was a 3 in terms of racing.
But agree on SA as a location to go to in the first place.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th March 2022, 19:47
It was a good race, I liked it. But, just like last year, those DRS games suck… I understand that it’s porbably happened in a way before.. chosing where to overtake to use the full advantage of slipstreaming, like in lower formulas or Mazda cups… but it feels weird seeing it in F1 to this extent… DRS is way too powerful and with this current crop of cars, we can even call it absolutely unnecessary now
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th March 2022, 19:50
Ah… and the TV director… can he please focus on what’s happening on the track? they don’t seem to learn…
Overtake? show fans! Nailbitting last lap? show Stroll clashing with Albon over and over…
Josh (@canadianjosh)
27th March 2022, 19:48
As much as I dislike the idea of DRS, I honestly believe instead of voting 8, I would have voted 6 without it. It makes the racing closer. Not purer but definitely closer.
Josh (@canadianjosh)
27th March 2022, 19:49
Was supposed to be a reply to Fer no.65
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th March 2022, 19:51
I understand that, tho, but playing chicken with it seems wrong…
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
27th March 2022, 20:03
@canadianjosh Well I gave it a 6 primarily because of DRS. Just don’t like it & don’t think any of the fake racing it creates is all that exciting.
But since all F1 cares about now is the low attention span people who want constant drama regardless of how artificial it is & the only metric is quantity over quality I think the silly gimmick is sadly here to stay despite Ross Brawn, Stefano & the rest of the gang all promising us it would be gone.
They should just come out & admit they lied the past decade & that DRS is going to stay so that we can at least know that its time to find something else to do on weekends rather than sticking around waiting for the day we never have to see the silly flap open again.
G
27th March 2022, 19:48
Excellent race, 2 in a row in fact.
Hopefully we get this all season with maybe Checko and Sainz getting involved too.
Big respect between Charles and Max, starts to make you wonder what the problem was last year….
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 19:50
Mad max was the problem. Easy to see
David (@nvherman)
27th March 2022, 20:03
Clearly wrong. If Verstappen was the problem last year, how come when he’s up against Leclerc the racing is completely clean between both drivers?
No, the problem, as usual, was Hamilton.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
27th March 2022, 20:08
@nvherman Pretty sure that over the years there have been many more drivers raising concerns about Max’s driving than Hamilton’s.
I think all of them did at one point or another & let us not forget that the FIA ended up making several clarifications regarding driving standards as a result of those criticism’s.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 20:09
At least VER didnt braketest his opponent this time. Maybe he learned to drive a little bit more progessionell.
Coventry Climax
28th March 2022, 0:37
Oh guck off. It was no braketest.
melanos
28th March 2022, 1:07
Calling VER’s action in Jeddah 21 a braketest is like calling VET’s intentional wheel contact under the SC (Baku 2017) an assassination attempt. BTW, VET then declared that HAM had just braketested him.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
28th March 2022, 5:22
2.4g, 69 bar – its about facts, not your biased opinions
Neiana (@neiana)
27th March 2022, 20:19
@nvherman I think it’s easier to believe the problem was both Hamilton and Max as a unit, regardless of whether it was because of Max’s attitude or Hamilton’s, but I suspect a pinch of both with a huge dose of team management on both sides.
If it was Max vs. Hamilton this year instead of Max vs. Leclerc, I actually think 1) Hamilton would be whining a lot about Max’s driving and 2) Max would drive exactly the same as he did against Leclerc in early days.
Let’s see what happens in 3-6 years when Max has been driving F1 machinery toe to toe with Charles, and losing.
erikje
27th March 2022, 20:34
still a sour boy i see.
It will be a bad year for you, again ;)
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 21:15
A blinded Max fan judging my last year. How childish.
Hopefully the paper champ doesnt mess up this year, when he has the fastest car. So we can then agree on him, winning a real WDC.
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
27th March 2022, 20:11
Give it time. I think the Silverstone contact was the turning point last year. No doubt these two will make contact at some point if the first 2 races are anything to go by!
erikje
27th March 2022, 20:36
always possible. But the main difference is they fight hard and fair.
The last part is missing by lewis at least since his Silverstone attack. He always should have been black flagged for that action.
RomTrain (@romtrain)
27th March 2022, 21:12
Max did crash himself at silverstone, and he should have been black flagged for his unprofessionell braketest, plus given a penalty for his assault in Monza.
melanos
28th March 2022, 1:10
After #44 had served a life sentence for Silverstone
RomTrain (@romtrain)
28th March 2022, 5:24
Why? Cause overaggressive Max searched for contacts numerous times throughout half a lap, til he took himself out?
G
27th March 2022, 20:56
@Tommy C
I thought that too. Lewis is a lot more cunning the way he goes about things whereas Max is more hotheaded and easy to blame when it kicks off.
Only time will tell if this battle with Max and Charles will turn sour or not, but so far so good.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
27th March 2022, 19:54
Solid 9/10 for me. The Ocon/Alonso and the Leclerc/Verstappen battles were great. The DRS was maybe a bit too powerful in this race, but the straight-line speed difference between the Red Bull and the Ferrari was also a big reason why. The DRS looked overpowered when Max was chasing Leclerc, but not vice versa.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
27th March 2022, 19:55
I shall give it a 6 primarily because of the Dumb Racing System. I just cannot stand that flappy wing & don’t consider any of the push of a button highway passes it produced to be real racing or that exciting.
Can we please, please, please just get it off the cars already so we can get back to some pure, organic racing!!!!!!
If not then i’m sorry but it just shows that either the new regulations have failed to produce cars that can race without silly artificial gimmicks or brings about the sad fact that as was predicted a decade ago F1 has become so reliant on it & the quantity over quality non-racing that is produces that we will sadly never be rid of it & that fans have been lied to & misled for a decade.
#BanDRS #MajorityOfFansDislikeDRS #WeWantRealRacing #NoToDRS #DumbRacingSystem #RacingWithoutGimmicksPlease!
CashNotClass (@cashnotclass)
27th March 2022, 20:19
The longer they keep the DRS on these cars, the more it seems to confirm that for all the work put into them, the 2022 F1 cars aren’t meeting their stated ‘raceability’ targets.
Sham (@sham)
27th March 2022, 19:58
The nonsense with the drs line ruined it for me. The sooner they get rid of it, the better. But that’s been the case for years now.
Without that nonsense, it was a decent race – though, I hate the track and think it’s only a matter of time until a serious injury or death.
Max’s constant whining even annoying his engineer in the end was funny, too.
F1 frog (@f1frog)
27th March 2022, 20:02
Simon Lazenby described it as ‘a game of chicken with the DRS line.’ Perfectly said. I thought it was a great race and gave it an 8, although I was disappointed Leclerc didn’t win as I thought he had outsmarted Verstappen twice and deserved it, particularly with that great flooring the throttle when they both locked up. The new cars are great, so much better than last year’s, but I wonder if they are good enough to get rid of DRS, as exciting as that was we don’t want to see every race about a game of chicken with the DRS line, and the cars really allow us to have closer racing without it.
Scotty (@rockonscotty)
27th March 2022, 20:24
So there was a radio call from Sainz talking about a misshift. Then the next on board showed him going down the straight in 7th on the limiter. Did he do the rest of the race without 8th gear?
Solaris
27th March 2022, 20:29
DRS was way too powerful.
Outside the DRS zones, not much to talk about….
GoldenGaeTea (@retroka)
27th March 2022, 20:52
Everybody complains about overpowered DRS but with new regs they always have a chance to fight to get back for previous positsion. Not realistic but more exciting than if there is not any fight. 9. Last year was more chaotic but in this year have more battle between drivers.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
27th March 2022, 21:04
happy to see f1 back after 12 years. another great race.
grapmg (@)
27th March 2022, 21:34
Wow one of the best races in years even better than last week. Hope we will keep this kind of level for the rest of the year. As everybody on this site I hate DRS but I’m not going to let it ruin my race. Hope they will eventually terminate DRS in F1 but I’m affraid the (artificial) spectacle will be a reason to keep DRS in the game. Fun part this year is that we at least see cars fighting back after a DRS overtake.
hamiledon
27th March 2022, 22:06
racing was good but i gave 0 to this track overall. f1 should consider never return back to this bizarre place.
BlueChris (@bluechris)
27th March 2022, 22:52
I really want Mercedes to sort out their problems and be on par with the 2 front running teams. If this huppent i suppose we will vote contant 10’s all together :)
Either way it was a 8 to 9 from me but i gave it a 9.
DRS needs reduction or ellimination also soon.
Ed (@emfar)
27th March 2022, 23:01
Good race. But what was with the world feed constantly cutting to replay in middle of the action? And while the helmet cams are cool, you can’t really see much, especially with the visor in the way and that made for disrupted viewing too.