F1 | Mercedes, Andrew Shovlin: “We never expected a race like this”

The challenge for the world championship continues until the last race, where Hamilton and Verstappen arrive on equal points. The Jeddah race certainly marked a watershed moment in this championship, which in the last weekend was tainted with unfairness and incredible choices on the part of the riders and race management. Between red flags, negotiations, detection points and late penalties, it was Lewis Hamilton who took the victory and the additional point for the fastest lap, bringing himself exactly on par with his rival, Max Verstappen. The clash will take place in Abu Dhabi, but the final acts of this "war" have already begun in Saudi Arabia.

The clash also continues in the constructors' championship: Toto Wolff and Christian Horner have given us more than just spice in this world championship, and it is now Mercedes who are ahead in the championship, thanks to Valtteri Bottas who grabs the podium on a razor's edge.

"CWe were expecting a race full of events, but we never would have thought of this. First of all, congratulations to the team and drivers; It was one of the most complicated weekends in recent times, but it's great to come out of it with a victory and both riders on the podium. It was encouraging to see how strong the car was in the race, but we were a little disheartened after seeing Red Bull's pace in qualifying. In any case, it seems that the gap is back in our favor and Lewis was easily able to control the gaps in the first stint” explained Mercedes chief engineers Andrew Shovlin.

"The Safety Car, and the subsequent red flag, took us back and with all the interruptions we also lost temperature on the tires for the restart, but in the long runs the hard tire worked very well for Lewis, allowing him to attack until the end. Valtteri also did a fantastic job to take the podium at the very end, for him we chose the medium, which gave him more grip on the second restart, but he wasn't that strong in the race, and that's why that overtaking is even more spectacular. Now we focus on Abu Dhabi, but the Jeddah race reminded us how unpredictable this sport is and that we cannot rest on our laurels for next weekend. If we can make the car go as fast as in the last three races, then anything will be possible” Shovlin finished.