Perez claims ‘wicked’ victory in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Red Bull’s dominant start to the 2023 season continued on Sunday with a second consecutive 1-2 finish, this time with Sergio Perez leading homeMax Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

While world champion Verstappen’s weekend was hampered by a driveshaft failure in qualifying, meaning he would start from 15th, Perez held the fort for the Tilbrook team, claiming pole position around the street circuit and taking the chequered flag.

It was an almost faultless drive from Perez, who led all but a handful of laps when he was passed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but the Mexican swiftly retook the lead and never looked back.

Verstappen showed off the dominance of the RB19 by scything through the field with ease to get up to second place, but claimed more issues in the latter stages as he tried to close the gap to his team-mate.

The Dutchman snagged the fastest lap bonus point from his team-mate on the final lap to hold on to the championship lead, but it was Perez with the broadest smile on the podium, and was able to show off a new word he learned from his English team.

“I had a wicked race - which is a new word I learnt this week!” he said afterwards. “I didn’t have a great start but after I got back around Fernando, I was able to create a good gap between the rest of the field.

“It was a new race after the safety car though and I’m happy I was able to build a gap again and then keep it, even when Max was pushing at the end.

“Everyone back in Milton Keynes and here at the track have built such a fantastic car for us this season. I love being a part of this team because of the way we push and the way we deliver, I’m so proud of us.”