Comments from drivers in the top 10 of the 2021 F1 World Championship Round 21 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix final.
In the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was a turbulent event including two red flag interruptions, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) won the eighth consecutive victory of the season, with Max Verstappen (Red Bull Honda) and the drivers at the top of the ranking. They lined up at the same point in the championship.
Winner: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
“I’ve been racing for a long time and this time it was incredibly tough. I tried to be as wise and tough as possible on the track. Also, after years of experience I kept the car on the track and it was clean. I know how important it is to be. It was difficult, but I did my best as a team. I’m really proud of the whole team as I faced various adversities later this season. The crowd this weekend was really great. I’m glad I came here. I was able to show my strength this weekend. Valtteri (Bottus) did a good job today and got a lot of points for the team. Thanks. It was a great event! I felt welcomed here, the people are nice and the driving is a lot of fun. It’s physically and mentally tough, but this is F1. It’s a race! “
2nd place: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Honda)
“There was a lot of action today and a lot happened. I was told to return to position so I slowed down off the racing line and Lewis (Hamilton) was right behind me. Why did he pull out? I don’t understand if I didn’t go. I’m not convinced by the 5 second penalty, but I can’t help it, so I’m moving forward. I didn’t have the perfect pace in today’s race, so that’s for Abu Dhabi. It’s a challenge. We’re heading to the final round with a tie, but it should be the end of an exciting season. “
3rd place: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
“It wasn’t an easy day. It was a little tricky because there were many obstacles such as red flags and incidents. I kept pushing anyway. It was difficult to overtake today, but I finally finished 3rd on the last straight. It feels good to be on the podium like this. Today’s Esteban did a great run. It was difficult to overtake him, but I was struck by the exciting finish. It was great to score points and tie Lewis and Max. I had an incredible weekend in front of Abu Dhabi. “
4th place: Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
“I did my best today. I missed the podium a little later and I’m disappointed as an athlete, but I’m very proud of the team today. It’s a great result to be in 4th place. It’s important to be able to add another 12 points in the championship. I made the right decision in the race. I did everything I could at the right time on the track and strategically, and thanks to that I got a lot of points. I was in the best position to win. It was fun to start from the pole position. I haven’t raced with Lewis (Hamilton) or Max (Verstappen) since GP3 in 2015. But I had a chance today and I can look up and leave here with pride. I’m preparing to finish the season in a good way in Abu Dhabi and miss any chance I don’t want to
5th place: Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
“It felt like the longest race I’ve ever had. It felt like a long day already because the race started late, but it felt even longer with each restart. The start was good and the last I was able to raise my position until I stayed in 4th place. The hard tires I used to start the race didn’t work very well for restarts and I had to use medium tires. Hard tires are better. So I couldn’t catch Esteban (Ocon) completely and tried to suppress Valtteri (Bottus) as much as possible. I was surprised how long he could be suppressed, but after the tires were reset, I suppressed it. It was quite difficult. I was able to defend one lap and pull back again, but after that I was caught. I had a little trouble with the tires at the end, so I am happy to keep the top 5. I made up for yesterday. I’m sure it was done. “
6th place: Pierre Guthrie (Alpha Tauri Honda)
“I was very happy with the results today. I am very happy that I was able to finish in the top 6 before Ferrari and score a lot of points. It was a difficult race because it was my first circuit. I expected it to be, but this weekend’s performance was great and I was able to start from a good position. There were a lot of things during the race, it took a long time and it was a tough fight to stay focused. Also, it’s a difficult course to the first corner, so I was very nervous at the start I had three times during today’s race, but I think I was able to get a good result at the end without missing a chance. “
7th place: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
“I’m happy to have recovered from the crash on Friday, so it’s a shame to finish in 7th place. I could have done better. The first half of the race was really good and the pace was fast. After the start. When the safety car came out, I thought, “Luck has come. You should stop.” But after three laps, a red flag came out, which caused me to drop three positions. I tried not to take too much risk, but then I contacted the Czech Republic (Sergio Perez) and lost my position. The biggest loss to the race was the flat spot that occurred at that time, which led to the next restart. So it was really hard to get the hard tires to work and the front was locked. The pace came back towards the end, but today was a day when various factors didn’t give good results. “
8th place: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) / b>
“It was a fun race and I was able to start in 15th place and finish in 8th place, so it may not be a disappointing hindrance. I was able to get off to a good start and attack immediately with hard tires. I moved up a few positions. The tires were working very well. Unfortunately, the first safety car and the red flag came out too early for me. I knew I had to know 36 laps, The only option was to wear a medium. At the beginning of the second stint, it was a very strong napace, climbing to 7th place and catching up with the previous Guthrie (Alpha Tauri), but by the end the tires were completely over. I had no way to protect myself from the hard compound Charles. I regret yesterday’s qualifying because I’m sure I was able to finish higher, but I’m glad I got points again. I’m looking forward to finishing in a good mood! “
9th place: Antonio Jobinatti (Alfa Romeo)
“I’m really happy with today’s race. I’m happy with the overall performance as well as the results. I was already showing strength in yesterday’s qualifying and I managed to get into trouble today in the turmoil. I was able to move up a few places at each start, and I had the pace to keep up with the top 10. At the end, the two Ferraris were too fast compared to us. It was a tough race. However, it was quite physically difficult. This heat and humidity reminds me of Singapore, but in the end I got good results. We finished in 11th place, one step closer to the point over and over again. I think the result of 9th place is really worth it because I had something to do. I’m looking forward to the next Abu Dhabi and I want to fight for a good result and finish the season firmly. “
10th place: Lando Norris (McLaren)
“It was a very unlucky day. I think it deserved a better result today. The team did a good job and I think I had a good race. But the red flag has a chance to change everything and get a good result. I was unlucky anyway. It was a long race after that. I’m disappointed. On the positive side, I got one point again, but I feel it deserves a better result. ”
Category: Category: F1 / F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix / F1 driver
