Sports - Formula 1 - Gossips
Updated: March 19, 2023

F1: Perez Wins Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen Leads Table

By Oladimeji Balogun
March 19, 2023
0

Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole position in a Red Bull one-two on Sunday with Max Verstappen staying top of the championship after racing from 15th to second with the fastest lap.

Double Formula One world champion Verstappen snatched the bonus point from Perez with a last-lap blast around Jeddah's floodlit Corniche street circuit that left him a point clear of the Mexican.

The result was Red Bull's second one-two in as many races this season but a reverse of the 5 March opener in Bahrain.

DRIVER STANDINGS

1-2 on track, 1-2 in the championship for Max and Checo ?#SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/AUqyWS1OXK
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2023

"That safety car again tried to take the victory away from us in Jeddah but not this time," said Perez, who started on pole last year but was caught out by a safety car deployment and ended up fourth.

"I was on for victory last year so finally I got it," added the Mexican, who now has five career wins and finished 5.355 seconds clear despite the safety car cutting his early advantage.

Verstappen now has 44 points, Perez 43 and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso 27.

Red Bull have 87 points in the constructors' standings with Mercedes moving up to second with 41.

Alonso was third at the chequered flag, in what would have been a 100th career podium for the 41-year-old double world champion, but the Spaniard was given a 10-second penalty after the podium celebrations and dropped to fourth.

We're getting used to seeing these three together in 2023! ??????#SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/KCUdhWnm87
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2023

"It doesn't hurt much, to be honest," said Alonso, who questioned why it took so long for the stewards to apply the second penalty.

"I was on the podium, I did the pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated with the champagne and now I have apparently three points less... okay, let's try to recover in Australia."

Alonso's loss was George Russell's gain, the Briton moving up to the podium for Mercedes with seven-time world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton fifth and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in sixth place.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was seventh with the Alpine pair of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly eighth and ninth and Kevin Magnussen taking the final point for Haas.

RESULTS:

1. Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) 1hr 21 min 14.894sec
2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) at 5.355
3. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 25.866
4. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 30.728
5. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 31.065
6. Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) 35.876
7. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 43.162
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 52.832
9. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 54.747
10. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:04.826
11. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:07.494
12. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 1:10.588
13. Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo) 1:16.060
14. Nyck de Vries (NED/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:17.478
15.Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:25.021
16. Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams-Mercedes) 1:26.293
17. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:26.445
18. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo) 1 lap