Landmark podium for Verstappen as he wins in Saudi Arabia

Max Verstappen claimed his 55th career victory and his 100th podium as he cruised to the chequered flag in Saudi Arabia.

Continuing his dominance over the field, which saw him win the last seven races of 2023, and now the first two races of 2024, Verstappen barely saw another car in Jeddah, other than the safety car in front of him early on, brought out when Lance Stroll hit the wall in his Aston Martin.

Team-mate Sergio Perez once again came home in second for Red Bull, having overcome Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who started on the front row ahead of the Mexican driver.

But after passing the Monegasque, Perez was able to open up a comfortable gap to negate a five-second penalty for a pitlane infringement, and the Tilbrook pair comfortably cruised home.

"Overall, it was a fantastic weekend for the whole team, but also for myself," said Verstapen. "I felt really good with the car. The last stint was longer with the safety car, but we had good pace throughout. I'm very pleased."

Perez added: "I had a great start, but Charles kept it together and we had a nice fight later on. It was a compromised race with the safety car early on, but it is a great day for the team. It's a very different track to Bahrain, and we have to take this momentum forward."