Lap 11.
Dominik Corvinus was in P6, chasing the pink Alpine of Fernando Alonso.
In the commentary box, Gábor Wéber was managing the expectations of the Hungarian fans.
"Don't be disappointed, everyone. Dominik is nineteen. He is fighting a double World Champion. This is a classroom, and Alonso is the professor."
On track, the classroom was moving at 320 km/h.
"Switch to SOC 3," Gaëtan Jego ordered. "Bottas is 1.3 seconds behind. Alonso is 0.5 ahead. We have the pace. Try to take the position back."
"Understood," Dominik replied.
He felt the car stiffen as he adjusted the rotary switches. The FW44 was a muscle car—fast in a straight line, but clumsy in the corners. It was a sledgehammer trying to act like a scalpel.
He closed in on Alonso through the final sector. He navigated the tricky Turn 27 carefully, sacrificing entry speed for a clean exit.
He nailed it.
DRS Open.
The Williams roared, the rear wing slot gap opening. The blue car surged past the Alpine on the main straight before they even reached the braking zone.
Dominik moved back to the racing line. He adjusted his brake bias to 63%.
But he was carrying too much speed. The adrenaline—and the desire to clear Alonso—made him greedy.
He braked late. The front left tire locked up.
The car sailed past the apex of Turn 1. He cut across the chicane, bumping over the kerbs of Turn 2, and rejoined the track ahead of Alonso.
"He cut the track!" Alonso shouted immediately.
"Dominik, you need to give the position back," Gaëtan said, his voice flat. "Do it now before the Stewards get involved."
Dominik cursed under his breath. He lifted off on the approach to Turn 15, watching the pink Alpine sweep past him.
P6 lost. Again.
Lap 17.
The battle resumed. Dominik's battery was draining, and his tires were crying for mercy, but he refused to settle.
He attacked again on the main straight. DRS Open.
He braked late for Turn 1. This time, he made the apex. He was side-by-side with Alonso.
But Alonso knew exactly where to place his car. He hung on around the outside of Turn 1, which gave him the inside line for the switchback at Turn 2.
The Alpine parked on the apex of Turn 2, blocking Dominik's line perfectly.
Dominik had to swerve right to avoid a collision, running wide and cutting the corner again to avoid a crash. He had to lift massively to let Alonso back through.
While Dominik was recovering, Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo saw his chance. The Finn dove down the inside.
Dominik was passed.
P8.
"My tires are dead," Dominik reported, frustration bleeding into his voice. "I have no rear grip."
"Switch to Recharge Mode," Gaëtan said. "Conserve the tires in Sector 2. We are losing time."
Dominik watched Alonso and Bottas pull away. The gamble had failed. He had burned up his rubber fighting a battle he couldn't win.
Lap 18.
The race shifted gears.
Nicholas Latifi, Dominik's predecessor at Williams (in spirit, if not seat), spun his replacement Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) into the wall at Turn 27? No, it was Stroll fighting with Albon.
Wait.
Latifi crashed at Turn 27. Safety Car.
"Safety Car! Box, Box!" Gaëtan shouted.
Dominik dove into the pits. The Williams crew was ready. They serviced him in 2.7 seconds, fitting a set of hard-wearing White (Hard) tires.
He rejoined in P11.
The race neutralized. Dominik swerved to warm his tires, his mind resetting.
"Long run mode," Gaëtan reminded him. "The Hard tire needs to last to the end."
Lap 21.
Green flag.
Dominik settled into a rhythm. The chaos of the first stint was replaced by a lonely, disciplined drive. He managed the tires, hitting his delta times, waiting for the race to come back to him.
And come back it did.
Lap 36.
"No power! No power!" Fernando Alonso screamed over the radio.
The Alpine slowed to a crawl on the main straight. The engine had died.
Dominik swept past the stricken car. P10.
Lap 37.
Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren ground to a halt just before the pit entry. Engine failure.
Dominik moved up to P9.
Then, Valtteri Bottas pitted with overheating issues and retired the car.
Dominik moved up to P8.
"This is crazy," Dominik muttered. "Are they dropping like flies?"
"Stay focused," Gaëtan said. "Hamilton and Magnussen ahead have not stopped for new tires yet. You are effectively P6."
Lap 41.
Hamilton finally pitted. The pit lane entry was closed initially due to the stopped cars, ruining the Briton's strategy. When he finally came in, he emerged well behind Dominik.
Dominik was now P6.
He was in no man's land. The top 5 (Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, Russell) were miles ahead. The midfield was miles behind.
He cruised.
Lap 49.
"Yellow flag, Sector 1," Gaëtan said.
Dominik slowed. He saw a blue car limping with a punctured tire and broken front wing.
Alex Albon.
His teammate had tangled with Lance Stroll while fighting for P10.
"Is Alex okay?" Dominik asked.
"He is fine. He is bringing the car back. But his race is over."
Dominik sighed. A double points finish had been right there.
Final Lap.
Max Verstappen won the race after a titanic battle with Charles Leclerc.
Dominik crossed the line a minute later.
P6.
"P6, Dominik. P6," Gaëtan said, sounding exhausted but relieved. "That is 8 points. Solid drive. Way to survive."
Dominik didn't celebrate wildly. He was tired. His neck burned. He had made mistakes. He had been schooled by Alonso.
But he had survived.
"Copy," Dominik said, loosening his grip on the wheel. "Shame about Alex. But... we'll take the points."
He parked the car in Parc Fermé. He sat there for a moment, letting the adrenaline fade, listening to the fireworks exploding over the Jeddah circuit.
Two races. Two points finishes. P4 and P6.
The rookie was consistent. Even if today, he felt more lucky than good.