Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Max Verstappen received the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole place on March 9 as Red Bull continued their dominant begin to the Formula One season with a second one-two in as many races.
Mexican Sergio Perez was runner-up below the Jeddah Corniche floodlights, final 12 months’s winner taking the chequered flag 13.643 seconds behind his triple world champion crew mate.
It was the primary time Verstappen, winner of a file 19 of twenty-two races final 12 months, has received the primary two races of a season.
Charles Leclerc completed third for Ferrari, taking a bonus level for the quickest lap and incomes his first podium of the season.
The victory was a ninth in a row for Verstappen, relationship again to Japan final September, and 56th of the 26-year-old Dutch driver’s profession.
It was additionally his one centesimal profession podium whereas Red Bull’s one hundred and fifteenth win lifted them forward of Williams in fourth place on the all-time lists.
“Overall, a fantastic weekend for the whole team and myself. I felt really good with the car and it was the same in the race,” Verstappen mentioned.
Britain’s Oliver Bearman, making his F1 race debut as Ferrari’s youngest ever rookie at 18 years and 305 days previous after Spaniard Carlos Sainz was sidelined by appendicitis, completed seventh and was voted Driver of the Day.
“Today he’s been incredible,” mentioned Leclerc of his short-term crew mate. “It’s hugely impressive and I’m sure he’s extremely proud. Everybody has noticed how talented he is and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before he’s in F1.”
BRITISH DRIVERS
Oscar Piastri was fourth for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso fifth for Aston Martin and George Russell sixth for Mercedes and the primary of 4 British drivers following one another throughout the road.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was eighth and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton ninth for Mercedes with Nico Hulkenberg taking the ultimate level for Haas.
The security automobile was deployed on lap seven after Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll hit the wall after which crashed into the boundaries at flip 22.
The Canadian walked away unharmed as all however 4 drivers, together with Norris and Hamilton, dived into the pits.
Norris, who was later cleared of a suspected jumped begin off the grid, led when the brand new Aston Martin Vantage security automobile returned to the pits on lap 9 however Verstappen was again in entrance by lap 13 and pulling away.
Perez was handed a 5 second penalty for an unsafe launch from his first pitstop and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen collected a ten second penalty for inflicting a collision with Williams’ Alex Albon.
The Dane was later handed one other 10 second penalty for leaving the monitor and gaining a bonus however his predominant position was to create a ample hole behind Hulkenberg for the German to have the ability to pit and nonetheless end with a treasured level.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was advised to pit and park on the opening lap because of a suspected gearbox subject, changing into the primary retirement of the season in any case 20 automobiles completed the opener in Bahrain every week earlier.
