By Gustavo Castilho
Mexican gets first victory in Formula 1 in a race full of surprises.
Sakhir’s GP may have been considered the most unpredictable of the season. The track is already the most different on the calendar, and the race followed the same path. Best for Sérgio Perez who for the first time took first place on the podium in the category. The Mexican passed 18th at the end of the first lap, due to a touch with Ferrari by Charles Leclerc, but he had a great recovery and stole the lead from George Russel of Mercedes, who was in place of Lewis Hamilton. The Englishman led practically the entire race, but crossed the finish line only in ninth after a clash of Mercedes in the pits and a flat tire when he came in second, almost reaching Pérez in the final laps. Mercedes’ clumsiness also compromised the performance of Valtteri Bottas, who had a slow change of the driver’s tires.
In addition to Pérez, the podium also featured another rookie: Esteban Ocon, from Renault, had the best race of the season and was second. Pancez’s Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll was third. McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. was fourth, followed by Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Alexander Albon of Red Bull and DaniilKvyat of AlphaTauri.
The last race of the season will be next Sunday (12/13), in Abu Dhabi, Middle East. With disputes over the drivers ‘second place and the constructors’ third place, the GP can be marked by twists and turns. In the case of the drivers, Mercedes ‘Valtter Bottas’ second place looks well underway. The Finn has 205 points against 189 for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
On the constructors’ side, Perez’s victory put Racing Point back in third place with 194 points. McLaren returned to fourth place now with 183 points, followed by Renault with 172. Ferrari, which previously tried to nip something, now no longer has a chance. With 131 points, the team will finish in sixth place in the overall classification, as AlphaTauri cannot reach it.
