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Cheers for Max Verstappen

(Bild: AP, GEPA)

Even the mega chaos at Red Bull can't keep Max Verstappen calm! While there has been much speculation recently about the future of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, the Formula 1 driver raced to another victory in Jeddah on Saturday in impressive style.

The Dutchman won on Saturday at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in superior style ahead of his Mexican Red Bull team-mate and last year's winner Sergio Perez (+13.643 seconds). It was the second one-two victory in the second race of the season for the Austrian-British racing team. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc completed the podium with a respectful gap of 18.639 seconds.

Cheers for Max Verstappen

(Bild: AP, GEPA)

Here is the final result:

Unimpressed by the hullabaloo surrounding his discoverer and mentor Helmut Marko, whose future as Red Bull Racing's motorsport advisor had briefly been in doubt, Verstappen easily curved to his 56th Grand Prix victory and ninth success in a row over the course of the season.

Here is the championship standings:

"Another fantastic weekend," Verstappen radioed to the pits. For the first time in his career, the triple world champion won the first two races of a season.

Debutant scores points
However, Leclerc scored the extra point for the fastest race lap. Debutant Oliver Bearman (Ferrari), who stood in for Carlos Sainz (appendicitis), scored points in seventh place. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri finished fourth ahead of Aston Martin rookie Fernando Alonso. As in the opening race in Bahrain, the two Mercedes drivers George Russell (6th) and Lewis Hamilton (9th) had nothing to do with the battle for the podium places.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Giuseppe CACACE)

Verstappen started the floodlit race from pole position at the fourth Grand Prix on the high-speed circuit in Jeddah and defended his top position confidently right up to the first corner. Behind him, Leclerc and Perez battled for the chasing role, with the Ferrari initially holding off the Red Bull. However, the fun only lasted four laps before Perez gave the Austro racing team the double lead. Unlike his rivals, Bearman started on the softest tire compound and the debutant initially defended his eleventh position.

Stroll crashes into the barrier without braking
On the sixth of 50 laps, Lance Stroll unintentionally parked his Aston Martin in the wall after the Canadian took the corner too tightly. All the top drivers except for McLaren driver Lando Norris and Hamilton switched to the hard tires during the safety car phase, meaning Verstappen was out of the lead for the first time this season. Three laps after the restart, the familiar picture was restored. Meanwhile, Perez received a five-second penalty for a dangerous release during the pit stop, but this had no impact on the result.

Lance Stroll in the barriers

(Bild: Screenshot ORF)

At the front, Verstappen opened up a seven-second lead over Perez at the halfway point of the race, who had the same advantage over Norris, who was overtaken by Leclerc shortly afterwards. In the midfield, Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) and the two Williams drivers Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant fought thrilling battles for twelfth place. In the final phase, Bearman defended himself bravely against Norris and Hamilton, who were storming up the field on fresh tires.