Exciting Incidents Mark the Beginning of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The highly anticipated Saudi Arabian Grand Prix kicked off with a bang, as a collision between Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda necessitated a safety car intervention just one lap into the race. Polesitter Max Verstappen was also penalized for an incident during the opening lap.

First-Lap Collision Forces Early Retirements

Starting in eighth and ninth respectively, Tsunoda and Gasly came together at Turn 4 as Gasly attempted a daring outside pass on the Red Bull driver. The contact between Tsunoda’s front-right corner and Gasly’s left rear was reminiscent of a classic first-lap racing incident. This unfortunate collision sent Gasly’s Alpine into the barriers, effectively ending his race, and triggering the deployment of the safety car.

Despite managing to return to the pits, Tsunoda also had to retire due to significant damage to his car’s right-hand side.

Verstappen Faces Penalty for Track Infringement

Up front, Verstappen defended his lead against McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri at Turn 1, but only by veering off track. Piastri felt that Verstappen should have given back the position due to this infringement. Despite Red Bull and Verstappen feeling they were in the right, the stewards decided to penalize Verstappen with a five-second penalty. The world champion responded with a colorful comment over the team radio, saying “that is f***ing lovely.

Photos from Saudi Arabian GP – Race