The test had been resumed from the grid – after a first red flag, on the Jeddah street circuit, due to the accident of the German Mick Schumacher – it was again interrupted, this time due to accidents – again without major consequences physical- of the other Haas, that of the Russian Nikita Mazepin, who attacked the Englishman George Russell (Williams); and that of the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), with the abandonment of all three.
Initially, a safety car had been decreed after the first accident, Mick’s, which both Mercedes took advantage of, those of the Englishman Lewis Hamilton – who was leading the race – and the Finn Valtteri Bottas, second, to change tires. The Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), leader of the World Cup, with eight points over Hamilton, who was third, did not do it; so he was the main beneficiary of the first interruption, because he was able to change compounds during the stop and faced the resumption of the test first, ahead of the two drivers of the Brackley team.
In the highlight, Hamilton overtook Verstappen, who passed him leaving the limits of the track, for which the Dutchman was forced to return position to the English, in a race interrupted when the Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) had passed both . Ocon will start first at the restart, ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen, third on the grid.
To ‘Checo’, who had stopped to change tires while the safety car entered the track, was played from behind in the highlight by the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), so the pilot from Guadalajara had an accident and had to leave.