Max Verstappen enjoyed his “tough” battle with Charles Leclerc but the stewards are investigating the final two laps of the race which was won by the Red Bull driver.
Double waved yellow flags were shown during the final two laps following a collision between Alexander Albon and Lance Stroll. Verstappen began the 50th and final lap leading Leclerc and complained on the radio his rival closed on him in the areas where yellow flags were shown.“How’d he close up?” Verstappen asked on the final lap. “That’s so unfair.”
A message from race control after the chequered flag announced “laps 49 and 50 – double yellow under investigation.”
Verstappen held Leclerc off to the line at the end of a race in which the pair exchanged the lead several times. “It was really tough but a good race,” said Verstappen after taking his first win of 2022.
“We were battling hard at the front and we just had to play the long game. They were really quick through the corners, we were quick on the straight.
“The tyres were wearing out quite quick around here. So you could see at the end, I think we just had a little more pace so I just tried to get by.”
On more than one occasion the pair braked heavily approaching the DRS detection point at the final, each wanting to be the last to reach it and therefore gain the benefit in the following activation zone.
“It wasn’t easy, playing smart tricks in the last corner but eventually managed to get ahead but even after that he was constantly in the DRS.
“[Then] with the yellow flags on the last lap just knowing how much you should lift and what is allowed or not, it was tough. But I’m really happy that we’ve finally kickstarted the season.”
Update: The stewards took no action over the events of the final two laps
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Jere (@jerejj)
27th March 2022, 20:02
Neither seemingly slowed down a lot.
erikje
27th March 2022, 20:08
Sainz and Perez are under investigation. No others as far as i know.
Nice battle though. Thats the way it should be done. And nice touch how both reacted on this battle.
Hard but fair drivers, the new generation.
Bradders (@bradders)
27th March 2022, 20:16
I’m sure both were “prepared to stop.”
The FIA really need to enforce this.
w0o0dy
27th March 2022, 20:21
There is also the matter of LeClerc driving over the pitlane entry with at least 2 wheels… Weird there wasn’t even a mention of that being looked at…
OOliver
27th March 2022, 20:24
For someone who spent the whole of last season driving others off track with tenacity, the way he was screaming about the crossing of the white line like a great injustice baffled me.
Chris (@cgturbo)
27th March 2022, 20:26
It’s called trying to gain an advantage
Mayrton
27th March 2022, 21:17
Yeah, who would think that an athlete pushing the limit would care or be so engaged?
Danny (@denny)
27th March 2022, 20:58
All races all drivers cuted the pit lane line and even on qualifying laps.
It was awkwardly putem there…
Johnny H.
27th March 2022, 20:28
So the fastest lap will be taken from Charles? How even to drive the fastest lap under yellow?
Palindnilap (@palindnilap)
27th March 2022, 20:38
That fastest lap was lap 48 unless I am very much mistaken.
erikje
27th March 2022, 20:40
thats an interesting take. Did not thought of that one.
But there was no mention of anything like that by the stewards..
anon
27th March 2022, 22:38
Johnny H., the answer is that Leclerc set the fastest lap of the race on lap 48, which would therefore be before the yellow flags were being shown – only one driver set their fastest lap during the yellow flag period, which would be Verstappen on lap 50.
hamiledon
27th March 2022, 20:56
Perez passed Sainz under SC period but gave postion back after race start which prevent Sainz to attack Max after restat.
Steve K
27th March 2022, 21:08
Bingo! This was ignored by Sky’s finest.
It seemed to me like Max gained a huge advantage in time after the last VSC.
Charles also ran over the pit entry line at least twice. It this a penalty or not?
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th March 2022, 21:08
Reports on twitter said FIA communicated it to the team after the restart
SteveM
27th March 2022, 22:27
Perez passed Sainz coming out of the pits, he didnt over take him on track.
Sainz couldnt pass Perez to regain position while behind the safety car, so Perez correctly let him pass after the SC had ended. Correct protocol was used there.
hamiledon
27th March 2022, 22:49
“Perez passed Sainz coming out of the pits, he didnt over take him on track.”
Nop he passed Sainz after the pit line exit. Sainz was in front of Perez when he joined the track from the pits. Overall RBR and Perez got an unfair advantage over Ferrari and Sainz and once again they escaped witout a proper penalty.
SteveM
27th March 2022, 22:58
Agree, but he was now in front of Sainz, incorrectly, i agree, but Sainz could not re-pass Perez while behind the SC, he had to wait until SC had come in.
Robbie (@robbie)
28th March 2022, 17:31
hamiledon What penalty? SP could not have known when it was happening whether or not he hit the line before or after Sainz. So he proceeded and ended up ahead of Sainz as Sainz was coming back onto the track. Of course I understand Sainz complaints as we were quickly given the info that indeed Sainz owned the place, but I think it is only natural that SP was not going to hand the position back until he was told to do so, as he would not have known in those few seconds as Sainz was coming back on track as to whether or not he crossed the line on time. Why would he hand a spot back if he didn’t have to bet the knowledge he had at that moment? And why would he hand back a spot when he wasn’t being directed to and when they were behind the safety car and there is no passing. Perez did nothing wrong here other than wait for further instruction, which he obeyed once instructed.
MacLeod (@macleod)
27th March 2022, 22:51
Very correct!
melanos
27th March 2022, 21:02
Slowing down to get an advantage. That’s the kind of consequences DRS brings.
Kerry Maxwell (@kerrymaxwell)
28th March 2022, 5:37
I enjoy the pursuit cycling element and the use of tactics.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th March 2022, 21:02
Maybe they lifted by 0.01% but they looked absolutely flat out…
Jockey Ewing
27th March 2022, 21:03
Leclerc once even had a minor cut when he was close to Verstappen during the endgame. Maybe a few meters only, but I am not sure whether he lost or gained on it. His momentum seemingly were quite well preserved. How the rules cover this? He was behind, and stayed behind, but he maybe gained a bit :) Doing such things can be intentional, and quite hard to police. Although I do not expect minor cuts like that being well and easily policed in the close future. Although now the rule enforcement seems to be a bit more strict, so maybe we will get there.
RocketTankski
27th March 2022, 21:07
“it’s called a motor race” as they say in Abu Dhabi
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
28th March 2022, 3:46
Indeed! We went car racing!
Craig Paaske
28th March 2022, 5:40
Max complaining “That’s so unfair”
I didn’t hear that complaint in the last race of last season.
Hmmmm
John Goslin
28th March 2022, 15:20
Wow, Max wingeing all the way to the chequered flag. Does the Red Bull team ever stop complaining. Imagine if a “human error” handed the race to Charles? What would the RB team have been saying then!! I really hope that Charles wins the drivers championship.