F1 2023, Sergio Perez wins Saudi Arabian GP: Key stats
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez held off defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday. Red Bull dominated the scenes once again for the second successive race this season, they brought home a one-two finish. 3rd-placed Fernando Alonso was handed a 10-second time penalty by the stewards and dropped down to fourth. Mercedes' George Russell got promoted.
79th podium for Verstappen
Verstappen fetched his 79th podium finish. He had won the season-opening Bahrain GP. Verstappen sealed a record 15 races in the 2022 season. His 15 Formula 1 race wins last season were the most by an individual in a single F1 campaign. He broke the previous record of 13 races held by Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) at the Mexican Grand Prix.
5th win for Perez; Alonso waits for his 100th podium
Perez claimed his 5th career F1 win and also secured his 28th podium finish. He had finished second in Bahrain. Notably, Perez managed 11 podium finishes in 2022, finishing third in the season behind Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Alonso had secured his 100th podium finish but moments after the race, the stewards gave him a second penalty.
Key details about the race
Verstappen fought up from 15th on the grid and moved to fourth place before a safety car closed up the field. He passed Russell and Alonso, but could not catch Perez. Lewis Hamilton took fifth and finished ahead of Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly followed suit. Haas driver Kevin Magnussen finished 10th.
Driver and Constructor standings
Verstappen leads the 2023 F1 season with 44 points from two races. Perez is second on 43. Alonso is placed 3rd with 30 points. Carlos Sainz and Hamilton follow suit with 20 points each. In terms of the Constructor standings, Red Bull lead the way with 87 points. Mercedes are second with 41 points and lead Aston Martin on third (35 points).
Why did Alonso drop to P4?
As per reports while serving his five-second penalty, the stewards ruled that the rear jack to lift Alonso's car for its subsequent tyre change had made contact with the AMR23 before the five-second penalty had been served. An additional post-race 10-second penalty was meted out, dropping Alonso to P4.
