iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Although the Dutch won 3-0 at the Feyenoord Stadium, with two goals from defender Nathan Ake, the coach made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Perez wins Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix
It's been two Red Bull wins, two 1-2 finishes, and an air of desperation from everyone else on the grid
Red Bull Racing's Mexican driver Sergio Perez celebrates on the podium. — AFP
Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen drove from 15th to second to give Red Bull a 1-2 finish on Sunday in what is shaping up to be a runaway season for the reigning Formula One champion.
And there have only been two races so far.
But it’s been two Red Bull wins, two 1-2 finishes, and an air of desperation from everyone else on the grid.
Fernando Alonso finished third for the second consecutive race – it was his 100th career podium, and he’s only the sixth driver to reach that mark. But even as the Spaniard enjoys a renaissance with his new Aston Martin team, he acknowledged he had little chance at beating Red Bull.
Verstappen won a record 15 races last season and a second consecutive F1 title, and Perez added another two victories as the 17 total wins in 23 races easily gave Red Bull the constructors title.
There have been no signs of an off-season drop in performance and George Russell, who finished fourth on Sunday, predicted after the season-opener that Red Bull would win every race this season.
Lewis Hamilton finished fifth as Mercedes went fourth and fifth just three days after the seven-time F1 champion said the team needed three other organisations not to finish a race for Mercedes to have a shot to win.
The show on Sunday was Verstappen, who overcame a mechanical problem in qualifying that forced him to start 15th and quickly work his way up the grid. The Dutchman set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to retain his hold atop the F1 points standings.
“Great recovery, Max, that was a really good drive at the end,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner radioed Verstappen.
Red Bull has now finished 1-2 in three consecutive races dating to last year’s finale.
It was the fifth career win for Perez, who started from the pole for the second consecutive year at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He was briefly leading the championship standings until Verstappen slipped ahead by logging the fastest lap.
More news from Sports
The former Germany and U.S. coach was appointed last month and his first match in charge was a 2-2 home draw with Colombia on Friday
IOC President Thomas Bach reiterated that the sanctions against "those responsible for the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments," must remain in place
Smith last played for the Delhi Capitals in the lucrative IPL in 2021 before he went unsold in the auction for the following season
The star batsman kept himself out of this season's mini-auction in December but can be picked up as an injury replacement by any team
The England Test captain had a cortisone injection in his troublesome left knee ahead of the Ashes
Nikhat received $100,000 winner's cheque after clinching the gold medal at the World Boxing Championship