Motorsports enthusiasts were in for an exciting Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this Sunday as reigning world champion Max Verstappen started from P15 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Sergio Perez. Photo: Courtesy of F1
While the Dutch driver finished second, his teammate Sergio Perez converted his pole position to a win, marking the first time the Mexican racer has led a one-two finish for Red Bull.
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Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took the podium for the second time this season, coming in third place despite an initial five-second penalty for lining up outside his grid box. Stewards later noted that the penalty had been served incorrectly, which meant that additional 10 seconds would be added to his time, making him drop to P4 and Mercedes’s George Russell take his place. However, after further review and Aston Martin’s petition to the FIA, Alonso’s P3 was reinstated and the Spaniard retained his 100th F1 career podium finish.
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Seven-time world champion Lewis Champion finished fifth after starting at P7 and overtaking—among others—Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr who came in sixth, ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. Esteban Ocon collected his first points of the season at P8 and Pierre Gasly rounded out both Alpines in the top 10 with P9. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen won the final point at P10 after a wheel-to-wheel battle with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
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After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the fight for the 2023 world championship is on between Verstappen and Perez as the Dutch won a point over his teammate after clocking the fastest lap of the race moments before the chequered flag.
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