Amid chatter on the Formula 1&nbsp;circuit to have more races, after the induction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix this year,&nbsp;FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has had his say on the matter.&nbsp;Sulayem is of the view that F1 should have more teams and fewer races, which might hint at the possibility of&nbsp;US-based Andretti joining the F1 bandwagon.&nbsp;

It was only last week that FIA approved Andretti's application and sent it to Liberty Media-owned&nbsp;Formula One Management (FOM) for commercial discussions.&nbsp;

Sulayem said he was optimistic that the American company which has joined forces with General Motors' renowned&nbsp;Cadillac brand&nbsp;will become the 11th team to enter the F1 grid.&nbsp;

"Saying no to a team which has been approved by the FIA - it's very hard," Sulayem was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"You can call me optimistic, I'm always optimistic. I think yes," he added when asked whether he thought Andretti would prevail.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/f1-sergio-perez-alleges-nationality-bias-points-to-russells-crash-at-singapore-gp-642525">Also read |&nbsp;F1: Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias; points to Russell's crash at Singapore GP</a>

<h2>FIA should be begging OEMs</h2>

The Emirati revealed his future plans to expand the sport and asserted that reaching the complete set of 12 teams was his goal. F1's rules allow for up to 12 teams.&nbsp;

"The FIA should be asking, begging, OEMs [car manufacturers] to come in. We should not just say no to them," he said.

"If you say what is my dream, it is to fill up the 12 [slots] and to have one US team from an OEM and a PU [power unit] and a driver from there driving. And then go to China maybe and ask for the same thing and do it."

Currently, the F1 paddock has space for 10 teams with team bosses not enthusiastic about the prospect of another team on the grid. They are of the view that the introduction of new F1 teams would eat into their profit shares.&nbsp;

Notably, any new entrant is required to cough out a $200m (£164m) anti-dilution fee to current teams to compensate for the loss in prize money. However, teams insist that the current sum is insufficient, especially since F1 under Liberty Media has enjoyed renewed success in recent years. The teams are demanding that instead of $200 million, the new entrant furnish $1 billion to make up for the losses.&nbsp;

Beginning 2024, the F1 calendar will have 24 races, two mid-season breaks, four doubleheaders, two tripleheaders, and the return of the Chinese Grand Prix.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Amid chatter on the Formula 1 circuit to have more races, after the induction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix this year, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has had his say on the matter.

Amid chatter on the Formula 1 circuit to have more races, after the induction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix this year, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has had his say on the matter. Sulayem is of the view that F1 should have more teams and fewer races, which might hint at the possibility of US-based Andretti joining the F1 bandwagon. It was only last week that FIA approved Andretti's application and sent it to Liberty Media-owned Formula One Management (FOM) for commercial discussions. Sulayem said he was optimistic that the American company which has joined forces with General Motors' renowned Cadillac brand will become the 11th team to enter the F1 grid. "Saying no to a team which has been approved by the FIA - it's very hard," Sulayem was quoted as saying by Reuters. "You can call me optimistic, I'm always optimistic. I think yes," he added when asked whether he thought Andretti would prevail. Also read | F1: Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias; points to Russell's crash at Singapore GP FIA should be begging OEMs The Emirati revealed his future plans to expand the sport and asserted that reaching the complete set of 12 teams was his goal. F1's rules allow for up to 12 teams. "The FIA should be asking, begging, OEMs [car manufacturers] to come in. We should not just say no to them," he said. "If you say what is my dream, it is to fill up the 12 [slots] and to have one US team from an OEM and a PU [power unit] and a driver from there driving. And then go to China maybe and ask for the same thing and do it." Currently, the F1 paddock has space for 10 teams with team bosses not enthusiastic about the prospect of another team on the grid. They are of the view that the introduction of new F1 teams would eat into their profit shares. Notably, any new entrant is required to cough out a $200m (£164m) anti-dilution fee to current teams to compensate for the loss in prize money. However, teams insist that the current sum is insufficient, especially since F1 under Liberty Media has enjoyed renewed success in recent years. The teams are demanding that instead of $200 million, the new entrant furnish $1 billion to make up for the losses. Beginning 2024, the F1 calendar will have 24 races, two mid-season breaks, four doubleheaders, two tripleheaders, and the return of the Chinese Grand Prix. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

FIA boss says F1 should have more teams but fewer races

Carlos Sainz was ruled out of starting Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix for Ferrari after suffering a fuel-system problem on his car.&nbsp;

The Italian team confirmed his absence from the grid in a statement that followed a frantic effort by his mechanics, on the grid, before the race.

In the end, the team decided with barely an hour to go that his SF-23 would not be ready in time to occupy his disappointing 12th spot on the grid for the race.

The statement said: "Due to a fuel system issue on his car, Carlos will not take part in the Qatar GP."

Sainz claimed victory for Ferrari at the Singapore Grand Prix last month, ending a 10-race winning streak for world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/f1-sergio-perez-alleges-nationality-bias-points-to-russells-crash-at-singapore-gp-642525">Also read |&nbsp;F1: Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias; points to Russell's crash at Singapore GP</a>

His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc will carry their hopes from fifth on the grid.

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will start the race from the pit lane due to car changes following his crash with Alpine's Esteban Ocon in Saturday's sprint race.

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Carlos Sainz was ruled out of starting Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix for Ferrari after suffering a fuel-system problem on his car. The Italian team confirmed his absence from the grid in a statement that followed a frantic effort by his mechanics, on the grid, before the race.

Carlos Sainz was ruled out of starting Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix for Ferrari after suffering a fuel-system problem on his car. The Italian team confirmed his absence from the grid in a statement that followed a frantic effort by his mechanics, on the grid, before the race. In the end, the team decided with barely an hour to go that his SF-23 would not be ready in time to occupy his disappointing 12th spot on the grid for the race. The statement said: "Due to a fuel system issue on his car, Carlos will not take part in the Qatar GP." Sainz claimed victory for Ferrari at the Singapore Grand Prix last month, ending a 10-race winning streak for world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Also read | F1: Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias; points to Russell's crash at Singapore GP His Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc will carry their hopes from fifth on the grid. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will start the race from the pit lane due to car changes following his crash with Alpine's Esteban Ocon in Saturday's sprint race. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Unfortunate Carlos Sainz sits out Qatar Grand Prix due to fuel problems

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has claimed there is a nationality bias in the media, pointing to the recent crash involving&nbsp;George Russell.&nbsp;

During the Singapore Grand Prix, the British driver had an awful crash on the last lap of the race which pushed him from third place to last.&nbsp;Perez explained there was not much noise around the crash but if the same happened to him, the media platforms would instantly make stories and&nbsp;speculate about drivers underperforming and their seats being in danger.

“We saw it with Russell. He crashed from third place on the last lap, but you don’t hear anyone talking about it. If something like that happens at Red Bull, you immediately have three hundred media channels on your roof telling you that you have to leave,” he told Spanish publication Marca.

"This kind of thing happens a lot in F1 and that's how it works in a team environment, but I think it also has a lot of influence that I am Mexican," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>Other instances of bias against Perez</h2>

Perez insinuating of a subconscious bias in the media and on the F1 grid regarding his Mexican heritage&nbsp;is not without reasons. Last month,&nbsp;Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko was forced to apologise for his offensive remarks where he blamed Perez's fluctuating form on his 'cultural heritage'.&nbsp;

“We know that he has problems in qualifying, he has fluctuations in form, he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] is or as Sebastian [Vettel],” Marko said then.

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After receiving extreme backlash for his rather innate comments, the 80-year-old Austrian, who is an adviser to Red Bull, issued a formal statement.&nbsp;

“I would like to apologise for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity."

Meanwhile, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has already hinted about Perez's contract extension being in jeopardy, especially if he underperforms.&nbsp;

"Checo is in the hot seat at the moment and will obviously be keen to extend. We’ll see how Daniel does; we’ll see how Yuki does and in the background we’ll see what Liam’s capable of in the test-and-reserve role," he told Sky Sports.

While Perez struggles to emulate the performance of his teammate Max Verstappen, he remains in the second spot in the driver standings, maintaining a lead of 33 points over third-place Lewis Hamilton.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has claimed there is a nationality bias in the media, pointing to the recent crash involving George Russell. During the Singapore Grand Prix, the British driver had an awful crash on the last lap of the race which pushed him from third place to last.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has claimed there is a nationality bias in the media, pointing to the recent crash involving George Russell. During the Singapore Grand Prix, the British driver had an awful crash on the last lap of the race which pushed him from third place to last. Perez explained there was not much noise around the crash but if the same happened to him, the media platforms would instantly make stories and speculate about drivers underperforming and their seats being in danger. “We saw it with Russell. He crashed from third place on the last lap, but you don’t hear anyone talking about it. If something like that happens at Red Bull, you immediately have three hundred media channels on your roof telling you that you have to leave,” he told Spanish publication Marca. "This kind of thing happens a lot in F1 and that's how it works in a team environment, but I think it also has a lot of influence that I am Mexican," he added. Other instances of bias against Perez Perez insinuating of a subconscious bias in the media and on the F1 grid regarding his Mexican heritage is not without reasons. Last month, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko was forced to apologise for his offensive remarks where he blamed Perez's fluctuating form on his 'cultural heritage'. “We know that he has problems in qualifying, he has fluctuations in form, he is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] is or as Sebastian [Vettel],” Marko said then. Watch | ICC World Cup 2023: 1996 WC-winning coach Dav Whatmore picks game-changers for WC × After receiving extreme backlash for his rather innate comments, the 80-year-old Austrian, who is an adviser to Red Bull, issued a formal statement. “I would like to apologise for my offensive remark and want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any country, any race, any ethnicity." Meanwhile, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has already hinted about Perez's contract extension being in jeopardy, especially if he underperforms. "Checo is in the hot seat at the moment and will obviously be keen to extend. We’ll see how Daniel does; we’ll see how Yuki does and in the background we’ll see what Liam’s capable of in the test-and-reserve role," he told Sky Sports. While Perez struggles to emulate the performance of his teammate Max Verstappen, he remains in the second spot in the driver standings, maintaining a lead of 33 points over third-place Lewis Hamilton. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

F1: Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias; points to Russell's crash at Singapore GP

Max Verstappen helped Red Bull clinch the Formula One constructors' championship and took a giant step towards his third straight drivers' title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Runaway championship leader Verstappen finished ahead of McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and can lift the title at next month's Qatar Grand Prix.

Verstappen's win helped Red Bull clinch their second straight constructors' title even though teammate Sergio Perez retired from the race.

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"You have built a rocket ship of a car," he told his team over the radio after crossing the line.

Nearest challengers Mercedes were unable to stay in contention, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and George Russell placing seventh.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth, while teammate Carlos Sainz was sixth.

Verstappen was back to his breathtaking best after a disappointing fifth-place finish at last week's Singapore Grand Prix.

He held off a double challenge from McLaren to take the lead ahead off Norris at the first turn.

First the Dutchman veered right to squeeze out Piastri, who was starting from second on the grid, then moved left to stop Norris from darting through the gap.

The safety car came out soon after, with Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu taking damage at the start of the race.

Perez got into trouble when he picked up a five-second penalty for a safety car infringement.

The Mexican retired from the race a few laps later, telling his team "the car doesn't feel right".

He later came back out, ensuring that he would not have to serve his time penalty at the next race.

Russell and Hamilton tried to chase Leclerc but Sainz got himself in the mix by going past Russell late on.

Bottas, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Williams pair Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant failed to finish the race.

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Max Verstappen helped Red Bull clinch the Formula One constructors' championship and took a giant step towards his third straight drivers' title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

Max Verstappen helped Red Bull clinch the Formula One constructors' championship and took a giant step towards his third straight drivers' title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. Runaway championship leader Verstappen finished ahead of McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and can lift the title at next month's Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen's win helped Red Bull clinch their second straight constructors' title even though teammate Sergio Perez retired from the race. Also Read: Tennis: Maria Sakkari beats Caroline Dolehide in Guadalajara Open for second WTA title "You have built a rocket ship of a car," he told his team over the radio after crossing the line. Nearest challengers Mercedes were unable to stay in contention, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and George Russell placing seventh. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth, while teammate Carlos Sainz was sixth. Verstappen was back to his breathtaking best after a disappointing fifth-place finish at last week's Singapore Grand Prix. He held off a double challenge from McLaren to take the lead ahead off Norris at the first turn. First the Dutchman veered right to squeeze out Piastri, who was starting from second on the grid, then moved left to stop Norris from darting through the gap. The safety car came out soon after, with Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu taking damage at the start of the race. Perez got into trouble when he picked up a five-second penalty for a safety car infringement. The Mexican retired from the race a few laps later, telling his team "the car doesn't feel right". He later came back out, ensuring that he would not have to serve his time penalty at the next race. Russell and Hamilton tried to chase Leclerc but Sainz got himself in the mix by going past Russell late on. Bottas, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Williams pair Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant failed to finish the race. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull clinch constructors' championship

Max Verstappen hit back at Mercedes&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;team boss Toto Wolff on Thursday after the Austrian said the Red Bull driver's record run of 10 wins in a row was irrelevant and just for Wikipedia. Wolff made his comments after this month's Italian Grand Prix, where Mercedes were beaten by both Ferraris as well as the two Red Bulls.

Asked at the Singapore Grand Prix for his reaction, Verstappen said he was not disappointed. "They had a pretty shit race, so probably he was still pissed off with their performance," the 25-year-old Dutch driver told a news conference ahead of a race that could bring his team a 16th successive victory. "He almost sounds like he’s an employee of our team sometimes, but luckily not."

Verstappen, who is 145 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez in the championship and set for a third title well before the end of the season, suggested Wolff should focus on his own team. "That’s what we did in the past as well, when we were behind them and when they were dominating," he said. "I think you should be able to appreciate when a team is doing really well. Which I think we’ve done&nbsp;in the past, because it worked also as a kind of inspiration. To see someone&nbsp;that dominant, it was very impressive at the time.

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"We knew that we just had to work harder, try to be better and try to get to that level. And now that we are there, we are very happy of course that we are there and we are enjoying the moment."

Mercedes won a record eight constructors' titles in a row between 2014 and 2021, with Lewis Hamilton taking six of his seven championships with the team. Hamilton is currently fourth in the standings, 200 points behind Verstappen. The Briton's team mate and compatriot George Russell, the last non-Red Bull driver to win a race, is seventh and 255 points off the lead.

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Max Verstappen hit back at Mercedes Formula One team boss Toto Wolff on Thursday after the Austrian said the Red Bull driver's record run of 10 wins in a row was irrelevant and just for Wikipedia.

Max Verstappen hit back at Mercedes Formula One team boss Toto Wolff on Thursday after the Austrian said the Red Bull driver's record run of 10 wins in a row was irrelevant and just for Wikipedia. Wolff made his comments after this month's Italian Grand Prix, where Mercedes were beaten by both Ferraris as well as the two Red Bulls. Asked at the Singapore Grand Prix for his reaction, Verstappen said he was not disappointed. "They had a pretty shit race, so probably he was still pissed off with their performance," the 25-year-old Dutch driver told a news conference ahead of a race that could bring his team a 16th successive victory. "He almost sounds like he’s an employee of our team sometimes, but luckily not." Verstappen, who is 145 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez in the championship and set for a third title well before the end of the season, suggested Wolff should focus on his own team. "That’s what we did in the past as well, when we were behind them and when they were dominating," he said. "I think you should be able to appreciate when a team is doing really well. Which I think we’ve done in the past, because it worked also as a kind of inspiration. To see someone that dominant, it was very impressive at the time. Also read: Women's World Cup winners Aitana Bonmati, Jenni Hermoso among FIFA Best nominees "We knew that we just had to work harder, try to be better and try to get to that level. And now that we are there, we are very happy of course that we are there and we are enjoying the moment." Mercedes won a record eight constructors' titles in a row between 2014 and 2021, with Lewis Hamilton taking six of his seven championships with the team. Hamilton is currently fourth in the standings, 200 points behind Verstappen. The Briton's team mate and compatriot George Russell, the last non-Red Bull driver to win a race, is seventh and 255 points off the lead. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Max Verstappen slams Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff over 'Wikipedia' remark

Max&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;wrote his name in Formula One's history books on Sunday after winning a record-breaking 10th straight race, coming out on top at the Italian Grand Prix in another show of force from Red Bull.

The reigning world champion dominated on a beautiful day in northern Italy which left Ferrari fans disappointed, with&nbsp;Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez finishing second ahead of home hope and pole-sitter Carlos Sainz.

Red Bull hailed a "stroll in the park" after a brilliant one-two which extended&nbsp;Verstappen's lead on Perez at the top of the drivers' standings to 145 points and also maintained a perfect team record of 14 wins from as many GPs this season.

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"I never thought at the beginning of the season that something like this was possible. Very proud, but also just very happy with the race in general,"&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;told reporters.&nbsp;

"At one point Carlos had a little lock up which gave me a little run at turn two, and once I got into the lead I could just focus on my own pace."

Spaniard Sainz crossed more than 11 seconds behind&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;despite a valiant performance in an exciting race.

The red sea of home fans loudly chanted "Carlos, Carlos" in appreciation of Sainz's first podium finish of the year, just ahead of fellow Ferrari man Charles Leclerc who was the last Scuderia driver to win at Monza in 2019.

"Very happy because P3 at Monza in front of the 'tifosi' is as good as it can get, at least for this weekend because Red Bull were in the end quite a bit quicker than us as we expected," said Sainz.

"It was a day to try and I did everything I could to keep them behind."

Verstappen&nbsp;has now won 12 of this season's races and is all but certain to claim his third consecutive F1 title after breaking a record he shared with Sebastian Vettel by winning in Zandvoort last weekend.

<h2>Record breaker</h2>

He needs four more wins from the season's remaining eight GPs to break his own record for victories in one year and is 90 points away from the all-time highest tally of 454 he accumulated in 2022.

The Dutch driver made it 10 in a row in a race which was delayed by 20 minutes and cut to 51 laps after Yuki Tsunoda's AlphaTauri car suffered a power-unit failure during the pre-race formation lap.

Sainz knew he had to keep&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;at bay in the opening two corners just after lights out and he drew a massive cheer from the stands once he was round the third Biassono turn and still ahead.

Verstappen&nbsp;was practically attached to Sainz's rear with Leclerc pursuing close behind in support of his teammate.

But Sainz's resistance ended at the start of lap 15 when&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;pounced on a slow exit from the first corner and surged into the lead.

Verstappen&nbsp;was back in front 10 laps later after a round of pit stops, blowing past former title rival Lewis Hamilton and showing the rest of the field a clean pair of heels.

With first place all-but sewn up Ferrari battled to keep the two other podium spots but Perez slipped past Sainz at the start of lap 45 to demonstrate Red Bull's dominance.

All that was left was for Ferrari's pair to do battle for a spot on the podium, with Sainz just holding on after another race in which no-one could handle Red Bull's power.

Red Bull's closest challenger Fernando Alonso fell 194 points behind&nbsp;Verstappen&nbsp;after finishing ninth, with Lewis Hamilton looming over his fellow veteran's shoulder in the overall standings following a creditable sixth spot.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, 38, trails Alonso by six points despite a difficult weekend in his Mercedes, with whom he confirmed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.

Last season Hamilton failed to win or claim pole position at any GP for the first time in his career and he looks a long way from adding to his record 103 race victories.

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Max Verstappen wrote his name in Formula One's history books on Sunday after winning a record-breaking 10th straight race, coming out on top at the Italian Grand Prix in another show of force from Red Bull.

Max Verstappen wrote his name in Formula One's history books on Sunday after winning a record-breaking 10th straight race, coming out on top at the Italian Grand Prix in another show of force from Red Bull. The reigning world champion dominated on a beautiful day in northern Italy which left Ferrari fans disappointed, with Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez finishing second ahead of home hope and pole-sitter Carlos Sainz. Red Bull hailed a "stroll in the park" after a brilliant one-two which extended Verstappen's lead on Perez at the top of the drivers' standings to 145 points and also maintained a perfect team record of 14 wins from as many GPs this season. Also Read: Tennis: Coco Gauff ends Wozniacki's dream run, Novak Djokovic enter last eight in US Open "I never thought at the beginning of the season that something like this was possible. Very proud, but also just very happy with the race in general," Verstappen told reporters. "At one point Carlos had a little lock up which gave me a little run at turn two, and once I got into the lead I could just focus on my own pace." Spaniard Sainz crossed more than 11 seconds behind Verstappen despite a valiant performance in an exciting race. The red sea of home fans loudly chanted "Carlos, Carlos" in appreciation of Sainz's first podium finish of the year, just ahead of fellow Ferrari man Charles Leclerc who was the last Scuderia driver to win at Monza in 2019. "Very happy because P3 at Monza in front of the 'tifosi' is as good as it can get, at least for this weekend because Red Bull were in the end quite a bit quicker than us as we expected," said Sainz. "It was a day to try and I did everything I could to keep them behind." Verstappen has now won 12 of this season's races and is all but certain to claim his third consecutive F1 title after breaking a record he shared with Sebastian Vettel by winning in Zandvoort last weekend. Record breaker He needs four more wins from the season's remaining eight GPs to break his own record for victories in one year and is 90 points away from the all-time highest tally of 454 he accumulated in 2022. The Dutch driver made it 10 in a row in a race which was delayed by 20 minutes and cut to 51 laps after Yuki Tsunoda's AlphaTauri car suffered a power-unit failure during the pre-race formation lap. Sainz knew he had to keep Verstappen at bay in the opening two corners just after lights out and he drew a massive cheer from the stands once he was round the third Biassono turn and still ahead. Verstappen was practically attached to Sainz's rear with Leclerc pursuing close behind in support of his teammate. But Sainz's resistance ended at the start of lap 15 when Verstappen pounced on a slow exit from the first corner and surged into the lead. Verstappen was back in front 10 laps later after a round of pit stops, blowing past former title rival Lewis Hamilton and showing the rest of the field a clean pair of heels. With first place all-but sewn up Ferrari battled to keep the two other podium spots but Perez slipped past Sainz at the start of lap 45 to demonstrate Red Bull's dominance. All that was left was for Ferrari's pair to do battle for a spot on the podium, with Sainz just holding on after another race in which no-one could handle Red Bull's power. Red Bull's closest challenger Fernando Alonso fell 194 points behind Verstappen after finishing ninth, with Lewis Hamilton looming over his fellow veteran's shoulder in the overall standings following a creditable sixth spot. Seven-time world champion Hamilton, 38, trails Alonso by six points despite a difficult weekend in his Mercedes, with whom he confirmed a two-year contract extension on Thursday. Last season Hamilton failed to win or claim pole position at any GP for the first time in his career and he looks a long way from adding to his record 103 race victories. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins record-breaking 10th straight race with Italian Grand Prix victory

F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live streaming:&nbsp;Formula 1 is back with its 15th round for the season Italien Grand Prix. The final race is scheduled to be held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. The circuit length of the track is 5.793km with 53 laps. The series began on September 1, 2023, with two practice matches for the day. One additional practice match and qualifying match will be played on September 2 and then comes the final race on Sunday, September 3.&nbsp;

<h2>Here’s everything you need to know about F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix</h2>

<h2>When is the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race scheduled?- Date</h2>

The final race of the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, September 3 2023.&nbsp;

<h2>When will the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race start?- Time</h2>

The F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race will begin at 6:30 pm IST.&nbsp;

<h2>Where will the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race be held? Place</h2>

The F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race is set to be held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy

<h2>F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live-streaming details</h2>

<h2>Where to watch F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race&nbsp;live in India</h2>

Unlike last season, India is not broadcasting the 15th season of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix race on television. The race is not streaming on any third-party OTT platform well.&nbsp; 
For fans to enjoy the race, Formula 1 is promoting its own OTT video platform named F1 TV in India.&nbsp;

Indian fans can live-stream the F1 final race of the 2023 Italian Grand Prix after purchasing a subscription of F1 TV Pro. The subscription is currently priced at $29.99 or Rs. 2477 INR.&nbsp;

<h2>Live-streaming details of other countries</h2>

Italy: Sky Italia 
Africa: SuperSport 
France: Canal+ 
Honk Kong: beIN SPORTS 
USA: ESPN:&nbsp;ESPN Deportes

<h2>F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix 15th Season Full Schedule according to IST</h2>

September 1, Friday 
Practice 1: 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm 
Practice 2: 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm&nbsp;

September 2, Saturday 
Practice 3: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm&nbsp; 
Qualifying Race: 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm&nbsp;

September 3, Sunday&nbsp; 
Final Race: 6:30 pm

With inputs from agencies 
&nbsp;

F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live streaming: Formula 1 is back with its 15th round for the season Italien Grand Prix. The final race is scheduled to be held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy.

F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live streaming: Formula 1 is back with its 15th round for the season Italien Grand Prix. The final race is scheduled to be held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. The circuit length of the track is 5.793km with 53 laps. The series began on September 1, 2023, with two practice matches for the day. One additional practice match and qualifying match will be played on September 2 and then comes the final race on Sunday, September 3. Here’s everything you need to know about F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix When is the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race scheduled?- Date The final race of the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, September 3 2023. When will the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race start?- Time The F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race will begin at 6:30 pm IST. Where will the F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race be held? Place The F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race is set to be held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live-streaming details Where to watch F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix final race live in India Unlike last season, India is not broadcasting the 15th season of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix race on television. The race is not streaming on any third-party OTT platform well. For fans to enjoy the race, Formula 1 is promoting its own OTT video platform named F1 TV in India. Indian fans can live-stream the F1 final race of the 2023 Italian Grand Prix after purchasing a subscription of F1 TV Pro. The subscription is currently priced at $29.99 or Rs. 2477 INR. Live-streaming details of other countries Italy: Sky Italia Africa: SuperSport France: Canal+ Honk Kong: beIN SPORTS USA: ESPN: ESPN Deportes F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix 15th Season Full Schedule according to IST September 1, Friday Practice 1: 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Practice 2: 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm September 2, Saturday Practice 3: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Qualifying Race: 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm September 3, Sunday Final Race: 6:30 pm With inputs from agencies

F1 2023 Italian Grand Prix Live streaming: Date, India Time, venue, live all you need to know about Italian GP

Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari's army of fans hope of a good showing at the Italian Grand Prix after topping the times in Saturday's final practice session ahead of qualifying.

Spaniard Sainz clocked one minute 20.912 seconds at Monza to claim top spot in two straight practice runs, this time 0.086 ahead of Red Bull's record hunter Max Verstappen.

Reigning world champion and runaway leader Verstappen is chasing a 10th straight GP win after equalling Sebastian Vettel's record of nine at his home Dutch GP last weekend.

Red Bull have won every one of this year's 13 races so far with Verstappen claiming 11 and Sergio Perez winning the other two.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-pakistan-pacer-shaheen-afridi-stuns-india-with-wickets-of-rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-watch-631760">Asia Cup: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi stuns India with wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli - WATCH</a>

Sainz trails Verstappen by a whopping 237 points in the drivers' championship and is yet to claim a podium finish this season.

But the 29-year-old's displays on home turf have been impressive so far this weekend, suggesting he could challenge Red Bull's supremacy in qualifying which starts at 1400 GMT.

Ferrari will also be boosted by more trouble for Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who crashed out of Friday's second session and missed some of the session on Saturday due to an oil leak.

Lewis Hamilton was just over half a second back in third, a whisker ahead of Sainz's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Mercedes announced on Thursday that seven-time F1 champion Hamilton had signed a new deal until 2025 which will extend his career beyond his 40th birthday.

Hamilton, 38, is convinced he can win more GPs and world championships with the Silver Arrows, although he is 183 points behind Verstappen this season.

The Briton relinquished his position as the number one driver in F1 in 2021 when he was controversially beaten to the drivers' title by Verstappen on the final day of the season.

Last season Hamilton failed to win or claim pole position at any GP for the first time in his career, while this year he is yet to add to his record 103 race victories.

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Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari's army of fans hope of a good showing at the Italian Grand Prix after topping the times in Saturday's final practice session ahead of qualifying.

Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari's army of fans hope of a good showing at the Italian Grand Prix after topping the times in Saturday's final practice session ahead of qualifying. Spaniard Sainz clocked one minute 20.912 seconds at Monza to claim top spot in two straight practice runs, this time 0.086 ahead of Red Bull's record hunter Max Verstappen. Reigning world champion and runaway leader Verstappen is chasing a 10th straight GP win after equalling Sebastian Vettel's record of nine at his home Dutch GP last weekend. Red Bull have won every one of this year's 13 races so far with Verstappen claiming 11 and Sergio Perez winning the other two. Also Read: Asia Cup: Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi stuns India with wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli - WATCH Sainz trails Verstappen by a whopping 237 points in the drivers' championship and is yet to claim a podium finish this season. But the 29-year-old's displays on home turf have been impressive so far this weekend, suggesting he could challenge Red Bull's supremacy in qualifying which starts at 1400 GMT. Ferrari will also be boosted by more trouble for Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who crashed out of Friday's second session and missed some of the session on Saturday due to an oil leak. Lewis Hamilton was just over half a second back in third, a whisker ahead of Sainz's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Mercedes announced on Thursday that seven-time F1 champion Hamilton had signed a new deal until 2025 which will extend his career beyond his 40th birthday. Hamilton, 38, is convinced he can win more GPs and world championships with the Silver Arrows, although he is 183 points behind Verstappen this season. The Briton relinquished his position as the number one driver in F1 in 2021 when he was controversially beaten to the drivers' title by Verstappen on the final day of the season. Last season Hamilton failed to win or claim pole position at any GP for the first time in his career, while this year he is yet to add to his record 103 race victories. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Ferrari fans hopeful after Carlos Sainz shows speed in Monza ahead of Italian Grand Prix

Seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes and will continue to partner compatriot George Russell in 2024 and 2025, the team said on Thursday. No financial details were given, although media reports have suggested the deal could be worth 50 million pounds a year ($63.41 million) for Hamilton.

The 38-year-old Briton last won a race in 2021, with Red Bull and double world champion Max Verstappen now dominant after ending Mercedes's record run of eight successive constructors' world titles.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-to-snub-premier-league-adopted-absurd-new-stoppage-time-rules-in-european-competitions-officials-630862">UEFA to snub Premier League-adopted 'absurd' new stoppage-time rules in European competitions - Officials</a>

Hamilton, the sport's most successful driver, joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 and has taken six titles and 82 of his 103 career victories with the team.

The announcement came as no surprise, with both sides keen to continue, although the contract negotiations dragged on longer than expected.

"We have never been hungrier to win," said Hamilton in a team statement. "We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again.

"I'm grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn't finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won't stop until we do."

Russell joined the Mercedes lineup last season as replacement for Valtteri Bottas and took his first victory in Brazil -- the last time Red Bull were beaten.

<h2>'Strongest pairing'</h2>

"Continuing with our current driver lineup was a straightforward decision," said team boss and co-owner Toto Wolff. "We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward. The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success.

"Our partnership with Lewis is one of the most successful in the sport's history. It was always a formality that we would continue together, and it's energising for us all to be confirming that publicly."

The Austrian said Hamilton's leadership qualities would be crucial for Mercedes but his influence went well beyond the sporting arena.

"As F1's biggest global star he has also played a key role in shaping our commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability that will be foundations for our success in the years ahead," said Wolff.

The team boss praised Russell, 25, for his speed and tenacity

"He brings, too, an intelligence and attention to detail that will help him to continue to grow, develop and improve further. He is a natural fit to the team and we are delighted to have extended the relationship for the coming years."

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Seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes and will continue to partner compatriot George Russell in 2024 and 2025, the team said on Thursday.

Seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes and will continue to partner compatriot George Russell in 2024 and 2025, the team said on Thursday. No financial details were given, although media reports have suggested the deal could be worth 50 million pounds a year ($63.41 million) for Hamilton. The 38-year-old Briton last won a race in 2021, with Red Bull and double world champion Max Verstappen now dominant after ending Mercedes's record run of eight successive constructors' world titles. ALSO READ: UEFA to snub Premier League-adopted 'absurd' new stoppage-time rules in European competitions - Officials Hamilton, the sport's most successful driver, joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 and has taken six titles and 82 of his 103 career victories with the team. The announcement came as no surprise, with both sides keen to continue, although the contract negotiations dragged on longer than expected. "We have never been hungrier to win," said Hamilton in a team statement. "We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again. "I'm grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn't finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won't stop until we do." Russell joined the Mercedes lineup last season as replacement for Valtteri Bottas and took his first victory in Brazil -- the last time Red Bull were beaten. 'Strongest pairing' "Continuing with our current driver lineup was a straightforward decision," said team boss and co-owner Toto Wolff. "We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward. The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success. "Our partnership with Lewis is one of the most successful in the sport's history. It was always a formality that we would continue together, and it's energising for us all to be confirming that publicly." The Austrian said Hamilton's leadership qualities would be crucial for Mercedes but his influence went well beyond the sporting arena. "As F1's biggest global star he has also played a key role in shaping our commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability that will be foundations for our success in the years ahead," said Wolff. The team boss praised Russell, 25, for his speed and tenacity "He brings, too, an intelligence and attention to detail that will help him to continue to grow, develop and improve further. He is a natural fit to the team and we are delighted to have extended the relationship for the coming years." WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Formula One: Lewis Hamilton signs new two-year deal with Mercedes

New Zealander Liam Lawson will continue to race for AlphaTauri until Australian Daniel Ricciardo is fit to return, the Red Bull-owned&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;team said on Monday. Ricciardo had surgery in Spain on Sunday after breaking his left hand in a crash in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday, with reserve driver Lawson drafted in for his&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;race debut.

The next race, round 14, is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. Singapore follows on Sept. 17 and Japan on Sept. 24. "We are delighted that Daniel’s surgery went well and that he is now on the road to recovery," AlphaTauri said in a statement. "We hope to see him at the track again very soon, but until he is fully fit, we can confirm that Liam, who did a good job in difficult circumstances in Zandvoort, will continue to drive alongside Yuki (Tsunoda), starting from our home race this weekend in Monza." Lawson, 21, finished 13th in the Dutch Grand Prix, with Tsunoda 16th.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-guarantee-kaif-concerned-over-kl-rahuls-fitness-as-india-batter-set-to-miss-kandy-leg-of-asia-cup-630486">'No guarantee...': Kaif concerned over KL Rahul's fitness as India batter set to miss Kandy leg of Asia Cup</a>

<h2>APPLAUSE CONTINUE FOR SUPERSTAR MAX VERSTAPPEN</h2>

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen as "simply untouchable" after he secured a record-equalling ninth win in a row on Sunday and even his closest rivals were inclined to agree. Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished second for Aston Martin at Zandvoort in a race that went from dry to wet and back again, said the 25-year-old Dutch driver was operating on a higher level.

"It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving," Alonso, also a double&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;world champion but whose 32nd and last win was with Ferrari in 2013, told reporters. "I think you need to enter in a mood, in a state that you are connected with a car.

"Today, I felt that I was at my best and have been giving 100% of what I felt and my abilities on a racing car, but maybe in Spa I was not at that level or in Austria or something like that. "I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any of the drivers, so that's why he's dominating."

Verstappen has won 11 of the season's 13 races, 20 of the last 24, and the only lingering doubt about his third world championship is where he will secure it and with how many rounds to spare.

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New Zealander Liam Lawson will continue to race for AlphaTauri until Australian Daniel Ricciardo is fit to return, the Red Bull-owned Formula One team said on Monday.

New Zealander Liam Lawson will continue to race for AlphaTauri until Australian Daniel Ricciardo is fit to return, the Red Bull-owned Formula One team said on Monday. Ricciardo had surgery in Spain on Sunday after breaking his left hand in a crash in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday, with reserve driver Lawson drafted in for his Formula One race debut. The next race, round 14, is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. Singapore follows on Sept. 17 and Japan on Sept. 24. "We are delighted that Daniel’s surgery went well and that he is now on the road to recovery," AlphaTauri said in a statement. "We hope to see him at the track again very soon, but until he is fully fit, we can confirm that Liam, who did a good job in difficult circumstances in Zandvoort, will continue to drive alongside Yuki (Tsunoda), starting from our home race this weekend in Monza." Lawson, 21, finished 13th in the Dutch Grand Prix, with Tsunoda 16th. Also read: 'No guarantee...': Kaif concerned over KL Rahul's fitness as India batter set to miss Kandy leg of Asia Cup APPLAUSE CONTINUE FOR SUPERSTAR MAX VERSTAPPEN Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen as "simply untouchable" after he secured a record-equalling ninth win in a row on Sunday and even his closest rivals were inclined to agree. Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished second for Aston Martin at Zandvoort in a race that went from dry to wet and back again, said the 25-year-old Dutch driver was operating on a higher level. "It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving," Alonso, also a double Formula One world champion but whose 32nd and last win was with Ferrari in 2013, told reporters. "I think you need to enter in a mood, in a state that you are connected with a car. "Today, I felt that I was at my best and have been giving 100% of what I felt and my abilities on a racing car, but maybe in Spa I was not at that level or in Austria or something like that. "I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any of the drivers, so that's why he's dominating." Verstappen has won 11 of the season's 13 races, 20 of the last 24, and the only lingering doubt about his third world championship is where he will secure it and with how many rounds to spare. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: New Zealander Liam Lawson to race for AlphaTauri until Daniel Ricciardo can return

Max Verstappen shrugged off a storm to top an action-packed third practice at his home Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday.

Red Bull's double world champion coped best with a Zandvoort circuit hit by heavy rain forcing his thousands of fans to don their plastic ponchos.

Verstappen, 25, seeking to match Sebastian Vettel's record of nine consecutive wins on Sunday, was just under fourth tenths of a second quicker than George Russell for Mercedes, with Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull in third.

Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin, and Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes completed the top five.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nfl-san-francisco-49ers-trade-qb-trey-lance-to-dallas-cowboys-for-fourth-round-pick-629488">San Francisco 49ers trade QB Trey Lance to Dallas Cowboys for fourth-round pick</a>

McLaren's Lando Norris, who had bettered Verstappen in Friday second practice, came in 10th, one place behind Charles Leclerc, the fastest of the two Ferraris.

The storm had eased off before third practice got underway but showers and squally conditions returned, rendering the unforgiving seaside track even more treacherous.

The final session before qualifying later was only a handful of minutes old before the fourth red flag of the weekend came out.

And it was the troublesome turn three that was the centre of attention again as Kevin Magnussen spun his Haas on an 'out lap' at the same spot where Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand on Friday.

The well-positioned crane, already called into action to remove the cars of Ricciardo, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg on Friday, extricated Magnussen's stricken vehicle with the action resuming.

It didn't last long though with Zhou Guanyu the next driver to stop the session, his Alfa Romeo coming to rest in safety gravel at turn 13.

"I'm beached guys, it as really wet there," the Chinese driver told his team.

As Zhou's car was removed the timesheets told a familiar tale with the man for all seasons Verstappen leading Norris, fastest in Friday second practice, and Leclerc.

The stop-start session resumed with Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz's car taking exception to turn one, the Spaniard doing well after locking up to avoid the gravel.

With the rain letting up Norris went quickest, Verstappen briefly the filler in a McLaren sandwich as Piastri went third.

The third red flag of the session came when Alpha Tauri's reserve driver Liam Lawson, called up to replace the injured Ricciardo, ended up facing the wrong way after a spin but the New Zealander did well to just brush the barrier to keep his car going to return to the pits for a mechanical medical.

The green light came on with eight minutes to go,&nbsp;drivers emerging just as the rain relented as the times tumbled and Verstappen rose to the top.

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Max Verstappen shrugged off a storm to top an action-packed third practice at his home Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday. Red Bull's double world champion coped best with a Zandvoort circuit hit by heavy rain forcing his thousands of fans to don their plastic ponchos.

Max Verstappen shrugged off a storm to top an action-packed third practice at his home Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday. Red Bull's double world champion coped best with a Zandvoort circuit hit by heavy rain forcing his thousands of fans to don their plastic ponchos. Verstappen, 25, seeking to match Sebastian Vettel's record of nine consecutive wins on Sunday, was just under fourth tenths of a second quicker than George Russell for Mercedes, with Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull in third. Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin, and Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes completed the top five. Also Read: San Francisco 49ers trade QB Trey Lance to Dallas Cowboys for fourth-round pick McLaren's Lando Norris, who had bettered Verstappen in Friday second practice, came in 10th, one place behind Charles Leclerc, the fastest of the two Ferraris. The storm had eased off before third practice got underway but showers and squally conditions returned, rendering the unforgiving seaside track even more treacherous. The final session before qualifying later was only a handful of minutes old before the fourth red flag of the weekend came out. And it was the troublesome turn three that was the centre of attention again as Kevin Magnussen spun his Haas on an 'out lap' at the same spot where Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand on Friday. The well-positioned crane, already called into action to remove the cars of Ricciardo, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg on Friday, extricated Magnussen's stricken vehicle with the action resuming. It didn't last long though with Zhou Guanyu the next driver to stop the session, his Alfa Romeo coming to rest in safety gravel at turn 13. "I'm beached guys, it as really wet there," the Chinese driver told his team. As Zhou's car was removed the timesheets told a familiar tale with the man for all seasons Verstappen leading Norris, fastest in Friday second practice, and Leclerc. The stop-start session resumed with Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz's car taking exception to turn one, the Spaniard doing well after locking up to avoid the gravel. With the rain letting up Norris went quickest, Verstappen briefly the filler in a McLaren sandwich as Piastri went third. The third red flag of the session came when Alpha Tauri's reserve driver Liam Lawson, called up to replace the injured Ricciardo, ended up facing the wrong way after a spin but the New Zealander did well to just brush the barrier to keep his car going to return to the pits for a mechanical medical. The green light came on with eight minutes to go, drivers emerging just as the rain relented as the times tumbled and Verstappen rose to the top. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Red Bull's Max Verstappen takes pole at Dutch Grand Prix after action-packed final practice

Max Verstappen cruised to another majestic victory on Sunday, reeling off a record 12th&nbsp;straight win for Red Bull as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix with a textbook drive from lights to flag.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The defending double world champion grabbed the lead from pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton at the start and remained in control for his seventh successive victory, his ninth in 11 races this year and the 44th of his career.

More significantly, it was Red Bull's 12th&nbsp;consecutive win, breaking a 35-year-old record they had shared with McLaren, who won 11 straight races in 1988 with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna as their driver pair.

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Verstappen came home a massive 33.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in third.

"For the team 12 wins in a row is incredible. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going for a long time," said Verstappen.

Verstappen's seventh straight win stretched the double world champion's lead over Perez to 110 points in the championship.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who started the race from a record 104th&nbsp;pole position, was outpaced at the start and finished fourth for Mercedes ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc, however, took a five-second penalty, and was 'passed' by George Russell in the second Mercedes with Carlos Sainz finishing eighth in the second Ferrari ahead of the Aston Martin paid two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.&nbsp;

"What an unbelievable race," said Verstappen on his cool-down lap.

"It was good to drive, so enjoyable. It was unbelievable and thank-you everyone."

He added: "I had a good start and had good 'bite'. I had the inside, so I knew the corner was mine and it all worked out well. Then, it was my race and the car was fantastic."

<h2>- Hamilton swamped -</h2>

Norris said: "It was a tough race and it wasn’t easy to hold off Checo at the end when he was catching up. But it's another podium for me and for the team. We’re making great progress."

The race began in hot conditions with an air temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and the track at 54, factors sure to affect tyre performance. Verstappen wore an ice-packed vest on the grid under a parasol.&nbsp;

Hamilton made a strong initial start, but was swamped at Turn One, Verstappen squeezing through on the inside and both McLarens taking advantage to push him down to fourth.

Gifted the lead, Verstappen took control as Hamilton, so delighted by his record 104th&nbsp;pole position, apologised. "It's a long race," Mercedes reminded him.&nbsp;

On a busy opening lap Russell, from 18th on the grid, moved up to 13th&nbsp;as the two Alpines collided and retired, Zhou Guanyu having pushed the returning Daniel Ricciardo into Esteban Ocon who hit his teammate Pierre Gasly. The Chinese driver was given a five-second penalty.&nbsp;

Red Bull pitted Verstappen for hard tyres on lap 23 without him losing his lead.

Perez, in the mood, passed Piastri forcefully at Turn Two on lap 48 as Leclerc was penalized for speeding in the pit-lane before Hamilton made a second stop for mediums.&nbsp;

He re-joined fifth, close to a minute behind Verstappen who led imperiously ahead of Norris, Perez and Piastri with 20 laps remaining,&nbsp;the Dutchman afforded a luxurious 2.6 seconds stop on lap 51 before clocking the fastest lap as he surged to the flag.

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Max Verstappen cruised to another majestic victory on Sunday, reeling off a record 12th straight win for Red Bull as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix with a textbook drive from lights to flag.

Max Verstappen cruised to another majestic victory on Sunday, reeling off a record 12th straight win for Red Bull as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix with a textbook drive from lights to flag. The defending double world champion grabbed the lead from pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton at the start and remained in control for his seventh successive victory, his ninth in 11 races this year and the 44th of his career. More significantly, it was Red Bull's 12th consecutive win, breaking a 35-year-old record they had shared with McLaren, who won 11 straight races in 1988 with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna as their driver pair. Also Read: Tennis: Novak Djokovic withdraws from Toronto ATP Masters Verstappen came home a massive 33.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in third. "For the team 12 wins in a row is incredible. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going for a long time," said Verstappen. Verstappen's seventh straight win stretched the double world champion's lead over Perez to 110 points in the championship. Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who started the race from a record 104th pole position, was outpaced at the start and finished fourth for Mercedes ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Leclerc, however, took a five-second penalty, and was 'passed' by George Russell in the second Mercedes with Carlos Sainz finishing eighth in the second Ferrari ahead of the Aston Martin paid two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. "What an unbelievable race," said Verstappen on his cool-down lap. "It was good to drive, so enjoyable. It was unbelievable and thank-you everyone." He added: "I had a good start and had good 'bite'. I had the inside, so I knew the corner was mine and it all worked out well. Then, it was my race and the car was fantastic." - Hamilton swamped - Norris said: "It was a tough race and it wasn’t easy to hold off Checo at the end when he was catching up. But it's another podium for me and for the team. We’re making great progress." The race began in hot conditions with an air temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and the track at 54, factors sure to affect tyre performance. Verstappen wore an ice-packed vest on the grid under a parasol. Hamilton made a strong initial start, but was swamped at Turn One, Verstappen squeezing through on the inside and both McLarens taking advantage to push him down to fourth. Gifted the lead, Verstappen took control as Hamilton, so delighted by his record 104th pole position, apologised. "It's a long race," Mercedes reminded him. On a busy opening lap Russell, from 18th on the grid, moved up to 13th as the two Alpines collided and retired, Zhou Guanyu having pushed the returning Daniel Ricciardo into Esteban Ocon who hit his teammate Pierre Gasly. The Chinese driver was given a five-second penalty. Red Bull pitted Verstappen for hard tyres on lap 23 without him losing his lead. Perez, in the mood, passed Piastri forcefully at Turn Two on lap 48 as Leclerc was penalized for speeding in the pit-lane before Hamilton made a second stop for mediums. He re-joined fifth, close to a minute behind Verstappen who led imperiously ahead of Norris, Perez and Piastri with 20 laps remaining, the Dutchman afforded a luxurious 2.6 seconds stop on lap 51 before clocking the fastest lap as he surged to the flag. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Max Verstappen takes Red Bull to record 12th consecutive win at Hungarian Grand Prix

A property tycoon in Singapore, who is known for bringing Formula One races to the city-state, was arrested this week in a rare high-level graft investigation. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Friday (July 14), the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that Ong Beng Seng, the managing director of Hotel Properties and Singapore's Transport Minister S.

A property tycoon in Singapore, who is known for bringing Formula One races to the city-state, was arrested this week in a rare high-level graft investigation. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Friday (July 14), the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that Ong Beng Seng, the managing director of Hotel Properties and Singapore's Transport Minister S. Iswaran were arrested on Tuesday and subsequently released on bail. Transport Minister Iswaran's passport has been impounded but Ong was allowed to travel out of Singapore on Friday. "CPIB assessed and acceded to Ong’s request to travel overseas. Ong’s bail quantum was also increased to S$100,000. Upon his return, Ong is required to report to CPIB and surrender his passport to the bureau," the CPIB said. Probe details not yet known, minister told to go on leave The details of the investigation have not been disclosed by the anti-corruption bureau yet. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he ordered Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the investigation was over. And a day later, the Prime Minister's Office said that the transport minister was not allowed to leave Singapore during the investigation and he would not have access to any official resources or government buildings. No charges filed against Ong, says his company In a statement, Singapore-listed Hotel Properties said that no charges had been filed against Ong and he was asked by the CPIB to provide information on his interactions with Iswaran. As per London Stock Exchange's Refinitiv Eikon, Ong's company has around 38 hotels and resorts operating under brands that include COMO, Four Seasons, Hard Rock Hotels and Concorde. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Singapore tycoon, who brought F1 races to city-state, arrested in high-level graft probe

Max Verstappen claimed his first British Grand Prix victory on Sunday to deliver a record-equalling 11th consecutive win for his Red Bull team and his sixth in successive races. In a race of attrition, interrupted by safety cars and influenced by tyre-wear, the Dutchman came home almost four seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris who held off Mercedes’ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale.

It was Verstappen’s 43rd career win and his eighth in 10 races this year as he increased his lead ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship to 99 points.

Norris's McLaren team-mate Australian rookie Oscar Piastri finished fourth ahead of George Russell, Perez, two-time champion Fernand Alonso of Aston Martin and Williams' Alex Albon.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/spains-only-ballon-dor-winning-striker-luis-suarez-dies-at-88-613601">Spain's only Ballon d'Or winning player Luis Suarez dies at 88</a>

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz came home ninth and 10th, a disappointing result for the Italian team after they had started from fourth and fifth on the grid.

For Norris, who led the opening laps after beating Verstappen at the start, it was his best result since finishing second at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix while for Hamilton, a record eight-time winner at his home race, it was a 14th British podium.

"Yes, a good race," said Verstappen. "The last stint was more difficult than I would have liked on these tyres, but a great job by the team again.

"Eleven in a row! That’s pretty crazy. Well done everyone."

<h2>- Hollywood twist -</h2>

Red Bull drew level with McLaren who reeled off 11 wins in 1988.

The race began in warm and dry conditions, following light rain, as Norris, from second on the grid, took advantage of a sluggish start by Verstappen who held off Piastri to retain second.

The pre-event pomp and ceremony had been given a unique Hollywood twist with film star Brad Pitt joining the drivers for Damian Lewis’s rendition of the British anthem, standing close to Verstappen, who may have been distracted.

The Dutchman recovered his poise and when Drag Reduction System (DRS) was initiated, he swept past the Briton on lap five to lead while Hamilton, after a difficult start, climbed from ninth to seventh.

By lap 15, Verstappen’s lead was 3.1 seconds as a light drizzle began. Further back, Perez was carving through the field from 15th, following his fifth consecutive qualifying flop.

Leclerc was the first leading contender to pit after 19 laps, switching from mediums to hards and re-joining 12th. Spotting this, on a trackside big screen, Verstappen quizzed his team for reaction only to be told it was of "no concern".

It was a clear signal of spare performance capacity. He responded with a series of fastest laps to stretch his lead to 6.5 sec by half-distance on lap 26 when Sainz pitted for hards.

Ferrari's strategy handed fourth and fifth to the Mercedes duo, behind the two McLarens, with Alonso sixth, six seconds adrift before Russell, Perez and Piastri came in, shaking up the top order.

Leclerc and Russell were soon engaged in an exciting scrap for seventh before Kevin Magnussen pulled up his Haas with an engine failure on Wellington Straight.

A virtual safety car was deployed, followed by a full one offering 'cheap' pit stops for Albon and Leclerc followed by Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton and Alonso.

In the confusion, it worked perfectly for Hamilton who came out third behind the top duo and ahead of Piastri, Russell and Alonso.

Intriguingly, Verstappen and Hamilton were on used softs while Norris and Piastri took hards, as did Ferrari, for the final 14 laps’ sprint.

Norris was unimpressed with his team's cautious decision and reacted slowly when Verstappen darted clear. Hamilton attacked but his compatriot defended brilliantly before DRS was re-introduced.

With 10 laps to go, Verstappen led by 3.2 seconds while Perez climbed to seventh and, astonishingly Albon sliced past Sainz for sixth.

On the day Williams celebrated their 800th Grand Prix, it was a timely thrill and, with McLaren shining, a throwback to another era.

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Max Verstappen claimed his first British Grand Prix victory on Sunday to deliver a record-equalling 11th consecutive win for his Red Bull team and his sixth in successive races.

Max Verstappen claimed his first British Grand Prix victory on Sunday to deliver a record-equalling 11th consecutive win for his Red Bull team and his sixth in successive races. In a race of attrition, interrupted by safety cars and influenced by tyre-wear, the Dutchman came home almost four seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris who held off Mercedes’ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finale. It was Verstappen’s 43rd career win and his eighth in 10 races this year as he increased his lead ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship to 99 points. Norris's McLaren team-mate Australian rookie Oscar Piastri finished fourth ahead of George Russell, Perez, two-time champion Fernand Alonso of Aston Martin and Williams' Alex Albon. ALSO READ: Spain's only Ballon d'Or winning player Luis Suarez dies at 88 Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz came home ninth and 10th, a disappointing result for the Italian team after they had started from fourth and fifth on the grid. For Norris, who led the opening laps after beating Verstappen at the start, it was his best result since finishing second at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix while for Hamilton, a record eight-time winner at his home race, it was a 14th British podium. "Yes, a good race," said Verstappen. "The last stint was more difficult than I would have liked on these tyres, but a great job by the team again. "Eleven in a row! That’s pretty crazy. Well done everyone." - Hollywood twist - Red Bull drew level with McLaren who reeled off 11 wins in 1988. The race began in warm and dry conditions, following light rain, as Norris, from second on the grid, took advantage of a sluggish start by Verstappen who held off Piastri to retain second. The pre-event pomp and ceremony had been given a unique Hollywood twist with film star Brad Pitt joining the drivers for Damian Lewis’s rendition of the British anthem, standing close to Verstappen, who may have been distracted. The Dutchman recovered his poise and when Drag Reduction System (DRS) was initiated, he swept past the Briton on lap five to lead while Hamilton, after a difficult start, climbed from ninth to seventh. By lap 15, Verstappen’s lead was 3.1 seconds as a light drizzle began. Further back, Perez was carving through the field from 15th, following his fifth consecutive qualifying flop. Leclerc was the first leading contender to pit after 19 laps, switching from mediums to hards and re-joining 12th. Spotting this, on a trackside big screen, Verstappen quizzed his team for reaction only to be told it was of "no concern". It was a clear signal of spare performance capacity. He responded with a series of fastest laps to stretch his lead to 6.5 sec by half-distance on lap 26 when Sainz pitted for hards. Ferrari's strategy handed fourth and fifth to the Mercedes duo, behind the two McLarens, with Alonso sixth, six seconds adrift before Russell, Perez and Piastri came in, shaking up the top order. Leclerc and Russell were soon engaged in an exciting scrap for seventh before Kevin Magnussen pulled up his Haas with an engine failure on Wellington Straight. A virtual safety car was deployed, followed by a full one offering 'cheap' pit stops for Albon and Leclerc followed by Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton and Alonso. In the confusion, it worked perfectly for Hamilton who came out third behind the top duo and ahead of Piastri, Russell and Alonso. Intriguingly, Verstappen and Hamilton were on used softs while Norris and Piastri took hards, as did Ferrari, for the final 14 laps’ sprint. Norris was unimpressed with his team's cautious decision and reacted slowly when Verstappen darted clear. Hamilton attacked but his compatriot defended brilliantly before DRS was re-introduced. With 10 laps to go, Verstappen led by 3.2 seconds while Perez climbed to seventh and, astonishingly Albon sliced past Sainz for sixth. On the day Williams celebrated their 800th Grand Prix, it was a timely thrill and, with McLaren shining, a throwback to another era. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

F1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen reels off sixth straight win at Silverstone

The usually glitzy and shiny Las Vegas lit up in an unusual style on Tuesday night when a 366-foot-tall orb situated in the heart of the city, was switched on for the first time. Developed at a cost of $2 billion by Sphere Entertainment, the orb was made by using 1.2 million LEDs that were lit up simultaneously.&nbsp;

The sphere was illuminated to celebrate the Amerian day of Freedom, the Fourth of July. During the show, the 580,000 square foot fully-programmable LED exterior – the largest LED screen on earth shone in its full glory.&nbsp;

It displayed a welcome "Hello World" message followed by fireworks and stars-and-stripes animation. As the show continued, the LED canvas showed underwater scenes as well as&nbsp;highly-detailed lunar surfaces, which instantly went viral on social media platforms.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” said&nbsp;one of the executives associated with the creative development of the sphere.

“Last night’s show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.”

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The MSG Sphere is scheduled to officially open September 29, but on the Fourth of July, Las Vegas got a preview of what this next-generation entertainment venue is capable of on its exosphere 
 
[full video, read more: <a href="https://t.co/ql9mcd0QwV">https://t.co/ql9mcd0QwV</a>]<a href="https://t.co/vhhy4ZrMYu">pic.twitter.com/vhhy4ZrMYu</a>
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1676898128593661952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Official opening in September&nbsp;</h2>

Although the sphere is yet to open officially, it will continue to light up on the outside, the sphere’s parent company, MSG Entertainment informed. Pop band U2 will kick off proceedings with the very first show at&nbsp;the venue this September.&nbsp;

With Formula 1 coming to the Las Vegas strip for the first time, the sphere is expected to be one of the biggest crowd-pullers. According to reports, during the Grand Prix in November, the Exosphere will feature race-related content, activations, and advertising.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/zuckerberg-launches-twitter-copycat-threads-app-to-outfox-elon-musk-at-microblogging-game-612460">Also read |&nbsp;Zuckerberg launches Twitter copycat Threads app to outfox Elon Musk at microblogging game</a>

To develop the Exosphere, Sphere Studios partnered with&nbsp;Montreal-based SACO Technologies, to design and manufacture the unique LED display.&nbsp;7thSense, a creative software and technology company specialising in high-profile media-based attractions was roped in to deliver the Exosphere's programming.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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The usually glitzy and shiny Las Vegas lit up in an unusual style on Tuesday night when a 366-foot-tall orb situated in the heart of the city, was switched on for the first time.

The usually glitzy and shiny Las Vegas lit up in an unusual style on Tuesday night when a 366-foot-tall orb situated in the heart of the city, was switched on for the first time. Developed at a cost of $2 billion by Sphere Entertainment, the orb was made by using 1.2 million LEDs that were lit up simultaneously. The sphere was illuminated to celebrate the Amerian day of Freedom, the Fourth of July. During the show, the 580,000 square foot fully-programmable LED exterior – the largest LED screen on earth shone in its full glory. It displayed a welcome "Hello World" message followed by fireworks and stars-and-stripes animation. As the show continued, the LED canvas showed underwater scenes as well as highly-detailed lunar surfaces, which instantly went viral on social media platforms. WATCH | UK: AI-'encouraged' Windsor Castle intruder's plot was to kill Queen | World News | WION × “The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard – it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” said one of the executives associated with the creative development of the sphere. “Last night’s show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.” The MSG Sphere is scheduled to officially open September 29, but on the Fourth of July, Las Vegas got a preview of what this next-generation entertainment venue is capable of on its exosphere [full video, read more: https://t.co/ql9mcd0QwV]pic.twitter.com/vhhy4ZrMYu — Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 6, 2023 × Also read | 800 tattoos and counting: Mother of two barred from tattoo shops, pubs, and school due to extreme appearance Official opening in September Although the sphere is yet to open officially, it will continue to light up on the outside, the sphere’s parent company, MSG Entertainment informed. Pop band U2 will kick off proceedings with the very first show at the venue this September. With Formula 1 coming to the Las Vegas strip for the first time, the sphere is expected to be one of the biggest crowd-pullers. According to reports, during the Grand Prix in November, the Exosphere will feature race-related content, activations, and advertising. Also read | Zuckerberg launches Twitter copycat Threads app to outfox Elon Musk at microblogging game To develop the Exosphere, Sphere Studios partnered with Montreal-based SACO Technologies, to design and manufacture the unique LED display. 7thSense, a creative software and technology company specialising in high-profile media-based attractions was roped in to deliver the Exosphere's programming. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WATCH | Giant sphere with 1.2 million LEDs lights up for first time in Las Vegas

Defending champion Max Verstappen continued his relentless charge towards a third world title on Sunday when he claimed a record fourth Austrian Grand Prix victory in emphatic style on Sunday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 25-year-old Dutchman finished 5.155 seconds clear of a revived Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, in second, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, showing revitalised form, taking a battling third after starting 15th on the grid.

In a race of attrition, punctuated by Safety Cars and influenced by a high number of drivers’ receiving penalties for exceeding track limits, Verstappen’s unbroken run of laps led ended on 249, when he pitted.

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But it was only a pause in his serene progress to a fifth consecutive victory, seventh in nine races this year and 42nd of his career, extending his lead ahead of Perez in the title race to 81 points.

It followed the Dutchman's success in Saturday's sprint and with the fastest lap gave him a maximum points haul from the weekend.

"That is the full sweep, classy Max, very very classy," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner over the team radio.

"The car was on fire!" replied Verstappen after his 42nd career win.

Despite a third title being his to lose Verstappen said he preferred to take it one race at a time.

"I don't like to think about that yet,” he said.

"I am just enjoying driving this car and racing for this team. The sprint weekend can be very stressful so I'm just glad it all went to plan."

His win total lifted him to fifth in the all-time list of winners and clear of Ayrton Senna, with whom he had shared 41 victories since winning in Canada.

Including a triumph in the 2022 Styrian Grand Prix, run during the Covid pandemic, this was Verstappen’s fifth win at the Red Bull Ring circuit overall.

Leclerc and Perez were also pleased with their performances.

"We have maximised what we have," he said. "It was just yesterday that I was off it a bit. The upgrades have worked as expected, but there is still a lot of work to do."

Perez said: "It’s been a rough patch for me so I hope we are back now and we can keep some consistency.”

Leclerc's second place earned Ferrari their 800th podium finish as team-mate Carlos Sainz finished fourth ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, two-time champion Fernando Alonso and the Mercedes of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Pierre Gasly was ninth for Alpine and Lance Stroll 10th in the second Aston Martin.

The race was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Dutch racer Dilano van't Hoff, 18, who was killed racing in heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday.

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Defending champion Max Verstappen continued his relentless charge towards a third world title on Sunday when he claimed a record fourth Austrian Grand Prix victory in emphatic style on Sunday.

Defending champion Max Verstappen continued his relentless charge towards a third world title on Sunday when he claimed a record fourth Austrian Grand Prix victory in emphatic style on Sunday. The 25-year-old Dutchman finished 5.155 seconds clear of a revived Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, in second, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, showing revitalised form, taking a battling third after starting 15th on the grid. In a race of attrition, punctuated by Safety Cars and influenced by a high number of drivers’ receiving penalties for exceeding track limits, Verstappen’s unbroken run of laps led ended on 249, when he pitted. Also Read: Ashes 2023: Australia win second Test at Lord's despite Ben Stokes' masterclass But it was only a pause in his serene progress to a fifth consecutive victory, seventh in nine races this year and 42nd of his career, extending his lead ahead of Perez in the title race to 81 points. It followed the Dutchman's success in Saturday's sprint and with the fastest lap gave him a maximum points haul from the weekend. "That is the full sweep, classy Max, very very classy," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner over the team radio. "The car was on fire!" replied Verstappen after his 42nd career win. Despite a third title being his to lose Verstappen said he preferred to take it one race at a time. "I don't like to think about that yet,” he said. "I am just enjoying driving this car and racing for this team. The sprint weekend can be very stressful so I'm just glad it all went to plan." His win total lifted him to fifth in the all-time list of winners and clear of Ayrton Senna, with whom he had shared 41 victories since winning in Canada. Including a triumph in the 2022 Styrian Grand Prix, run during the Covid pandemic, this was Verstappen’s fifth win at the Red Bull Ring circuit overall. Leclerc and Perez were also pleased with their performances. "We have maximised what we have," he said. "It was just yesterday that I was off it a bit. The upgrades have worked as expected, but there is still a lot of work to do." Perez said: "It’s been a rough patch for me so I hope we are back now and we can keep some consistency.” Leclerc's second place earned Ferrari their 800th podium finish as team-mate Carlos Sainz finished fourth ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, two-time champion Fernando Alonso and the Mercedes of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Pierre Gasly was ninth for Alpine and Lance Stroll 10th in the second Aston Martin. The race was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Dutch racer Dilano van't Hoff, 18, who was killed racing in heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen extends lead with victory in Austrian Grand Prix

World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix.&nbsp;

The 25-year-old defending double champion and series leader led from lights to flag as he came home 9.570 seconds ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with Lewis Hamilton finishing third for Mercedes for his team's 100th F1 win.&nbsp;

It was Verstappen’s second win at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, his sixth in eight races this year and his 41st&nbsp;overall, leaving him behind only four-time champions Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53), seven-time champions Michael Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103).&nbsp;

"It's amazing to get the team's 100th&nbsp;win here. I never expected to be on these kind of numbers for myself so we have to just keep enjoying it and working hard, but this is a great day for us," said Verstappen.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nations-league-spain-beat-croatia-on-penalties-to-clinch-title-605870">Nations League: Spain beat Croatia on penalties to clinch title</a>

For Red Bull, this comprehensive victory was their eighth this year and 10th&nbsp;in succession &nbsp;– statistics that make the prospect of an invincible season appear ever more likely.&nbsp;

Alonso's podium was his sixth of the season as he continued to deliver competitive and revived form, aged 41.

Alonso said he was managing a brake issue at the end of the race.&nbsp;

"We hoped to challenge a bit more, but we lost a place to Lewis at the start and then battled all race. It was like 70 qualifying laps," he said.

Hamilton said: "It's been a great weekend here for us and we are chipping away and making progress. It's an honour to be here on the podium with these two world champions."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Charles Leclerc came home fourth ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull with Alex Albon taking an excellent seventh in his revamped Williams.&nbsp;

Esteban Ocon was eighth for Alpine ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who dropped to 13th&nbsp;with a five-second time penalty, and local hero Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin.&nbsp;

Perez recorded the fastest lap of the race to take a bonus point, but is now 69 points behind his team-mate in the drivers title race.&nbsp;

After Saturday's rain-swept qualifying, the race began in warm sunshine with Verstappen and Hamilton enjoying perfect starts, the Mercedes man firing past Alonso to take second.&nbsp;

The Aston Martin pushed to recover, holding off Russell, but by lap five Verstappen was 1.8 seconds clear of Hamilton with Alonso 2.7 adrift in third, having banged the wall at Turn Four.&nbsp;

Russell was fourth ahead of Ocon and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, who started fifth, before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant pulled up and retired his Williams.&nbsp;

<h2>'I'm so sorry'</h2>

Hulkenberg made an early pit-stop after 12 laps, shortly before Russell smacked the wall at the exit of the chicane at Turn Nine causing a full Safety Car deployment on lap 13.&nbsp;

Russell limped back to the Mercedes pits for a new front wing and fresh tyres, the leaders all having dived in to switch to hard rubber, Hamilton and Alonso almost colliding as they exited their pits.

Racing resumed on lap 16, the leading trio scrapping immediately without positional changes before Verstappen pulled clear.&nbsp;

The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz had worked through to fourth and fifth, on mediums, ahead of Perez, but they struggled for outright pace.&nbsp;

On lap 23, having stalked his foe, Alonso attacked and passed Hamilton with the aid of Drag Reduction System (DRS) going into the final chicane.&nbsp;

Russell, from last, fought back to eighth before he retired on lap 55.&nbsp;

"I'm so sorry everyone," said Russell. "Nothing more to say. Sorry."

Perez pitted from sixth after 40 laps, taking mediums, but was unable to make an impression on the top five and chose a late burst on softs to take fastest lap.

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World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix.

World champion Max Verstappen drew alongside Ayrton Senna in the Formula One record books with his 41st victory on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a flawless triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old defending double champion and series leader led from lights to flag as he came home 9.570 seconds ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with Lewis Hamilton finishing third for Mercedes for his team's 100th F1 win. It was Verstappen’s second win at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, his sixth in eight races this year and his 41st overall, leaving him behind only four-time champions Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53), seven-time champions Michael Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103). "It's amazing to get the team's 100th win here. I never expected to be on these kind of numbers for myself so we have to just keep enjoying it and working hard, but this is a great day for us," said Verstappen. Also Read: Nations League: Spain beat Croatia on penalties to clinch title For Red Bull, this comprehensive victory was their eighth this year and 10th in succession – statistics that make the prospect of an invincible season appear ever more likely. Alonso's podium was his sixth of the season as he continued to deliver competitive and revived form, aged 41. Alonso said he was managing a brake issue at the end of the race. "We hoped to challenge a bit more, but we lost a place to Lewis at the start and then battled all race. It was like 70 qualifying laps," he said. Hamilton said: "It's been a great weekend here for us and we are chipping away and making progress. It's an honour to be here on the podium with these two world champions." Charles Leclerc came home fourth ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull with Alex Albon taking an excellent seventh in his revamped Williams. Esteban Ocon was eighth for Alpine ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who dropped to 13th with a five-second time penalty, and local hero Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin. Perez recorded the fastest lap of the race to take a bonus point, but is now 69 points behind his team-mate in the drivers title race. After Saturday's rain-swept qualifying, the race began in warm sunshine with Verstappen and Hamilton enjoying perfect starts, the Mercedes man firing past Alonso to take second. The Aston Martin pushed to recover, holding off Russell, but by lap five Verstappen was 1.8 seconds clear of Hamilton with Alonso 2.7 adrift in third, having banged the wall at Turn Four. Russell was fourth ahead of Ocon and Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, who started fifth, before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Logan Sargeant pulled up and retired his Williams. 'I'm so sorry' Hulkenberg made an early pit-stop after 12 laps, shortly before Russell smacked the wall at the exit of the chicane at Turn Nine causing a full Safety Car deployment on lap 13. Russell limped back to the Mercedes pits for a new front wing and fresh tyres, the leaders all having dived in to switch to hard rubber, Hamilton and Alonso almost colliding as they exited their pits. Racing resumed on lap 16, the leading trio scrapping immediately without positional changes before Verstappen pulled clear. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz had worked through to fourth and fifth, on mediums, ahead of Perez, but they struggled for outright pace. On lap 23, having stalked his foe, Alonso attacked and passed Hamilton with the aid of Drag Reduction System (DRS) going into the final chicane. Russell, from last, fought back to eighth before he retired on lap 55. "I'm so sorry everyone," said Russell. "Nothing more to say. Sorry." Perez pitted from sixth after 40 laps, taking mediums, but was unable to make an impression on the top five and chose a late burst on softs to take fastest lap. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen equals Ayrton Senna with Canadian Grand Prix victory

Max Verstappen wrote another piece of Red Bull history on Sunday with a 39th win that sent him past Germany's now-retired Sebastian Vettel as the driver with most victories for the Formula One team.

Vettel is still ahead of the Dutchman 4-2 on championships won but Verstappen, 25, has plenty of time on his side to match or surpass that mark with a third title surely on its way this season.

Verstappen is 39 points ahead of Mexican team mate and closest rival Sergio Perez after winning four of six rounds with 16 remaining to be raced.

"If you have a good car for a while you can break these kinds of numbers," the champion said when reminded about the team record. "But yeah, it's great. I mean, I would have never thought that I would be in this position in my career. When I grew up I wanted to be a Formula One driver and winning these races is amazing.

"It's better than I could have ever imagined, for sure."

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Verstappen joined Red Bull mid-season in 2016, after 23 races for sister team Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), and took his first win on his debut in Barcelona.

Vettel won 53 races in total -- one of them with Toro Rosso and 14 with Ferrari.

Verstappen's victory on Sunday was his second in three years on the streets of Monaco and Red Bull's third in a row, but the seeds were sown with a qualifying lap on Saturday that will rank as one of the sport's greatest.

In the end, he led all the way -- a normal state of affairs in Monaco where overtaking is a rare feat -- and took the chequered flag 27.921 seconds clear of Aston Martin's second-placed Fernando Alonso.

"With that victory he becomes the most winningest Red Bull driver," said team boss Christian Horner. "He passes Sebastian's record which is an incredible achievement.

"He's obviously at the top of his game and driving incredibly well."

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Max Verstappen wrote another piece of Red Bull history on Sunday with a 39th win that sent him past Germany's now-retired Sebastian Vettel as the driver with most victories for the Formula One team.

Max Verstappen wrote another piece of Red Bull history on Sunday with a 39th win that sent him past Germany's now-retired Sebastian Vettel as the driver with most victories for the Formula One team. Vettel is still ahead of the Dutchman 4-2 on championships won but Verstappen, 25, has plenty of time on his side to match or surpass that mark with a third title surely on its way this season. Verstappen is 39 points ahead of Mexican team mate and closest rival Sergio Perez after winning four of six rounds with 16 remaining to be raced. "If you have a good car for a while you can break these kinds of numbers," the champion said when reminded about the team record. "But yeah, it's great. I mean, I would have never thought that I would be in this position in my career. When I grew up I wanted to be a Formula One driver and winning these races is amazing. "It's better than I could have ever imagined, for sure." ALSO READ: Formula One: Max Verstappen extends lead with dominant victory in Monaco rain Verstappen joined Red Bull mid-season in 2016, after 23 races for sister team Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), and took his first win on his debut in Barcelona. Vettel won 53 races in total -- one of them with Toro Rosso and 14 with Ferrari. Verstappen's victory on Sunday was his second in three years on the streets of Monaco and Red Bull's third in a row, but the seeds were sown with a qualifying lap on Saturday that will rank as one of the sport's greatest. In the end, he led all the way -- a normal state of affairs in Monaco where overtaking is a rare feat -- and took the chequered flag 27.921 seconds clear of Aston Martin's second-placed Fernando Alonso. "With that victory he becomes the most winningest Red Bull driver," said team boss Christian Horner. "He passes Sebastian's record which is an incredible achievement. "He's obviously at the top of his game and driving incredibly well." WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Formula One: Max Verstappen goes past Sebastian Vettel with most wins for Red Bull

Seven-time world champion and lone Black driver of Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has come out in support of Brazilian Vinicius Jr. for speaking against the racism the latter experienced at a recent soccer match in Spain.

“It’s devastating to think that in 2023 we’re still seeing these things and hearing these things,” said Hamilton on Thursday ahead of Monaco Grand Prix.&nbsp;

“It really brings up emotions about things that I experienced, whether it’s back in the UK or whether it was when I was racing in Italy or in France or in Spain," he added. "It can be so hurtful the things that people say."

<h2>Vinicius Jr. racism case</h2>

The Brazilian signed with La Liga club Real Madrid in 2018 and has, on multiple occasions, been subjected to racist chants including 'mono' which is Spanish for Monkey. The most recent case where the soccer player faced the racist abuse what during Real Madrid's &nbsp;0-1 loss to Valencia on Sunday.

The game was stopped for several minutes after the player complained about he behaious of crowd. He then shared a long post on Instagram, describing his ordeal and calling Spain a racist country.

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"Death wishes, hanged dolls, criminal screams... This is not football. This is inhuman," wrote the Brazilian in his social media post a day after the incident.

Hamilton also shared the post on his Instagram with the caption "standing with you," alongside a Black fist bump emoji. The racer also said that he eventually hopes to visit and support the soccer player at a match.

<h2>No room for discrimination</h2>

Hamilton emphasized on need of doing more about the issue in sports as the 'society has no place for discrimination.' &nbsp;&nbsp;

“There is no room for discrimination in society today. Sports need to do more, we all need to continue to do more. If we see it, hear it – we need to do something about it," said the racer.

"I think it’s amazing what so many of these (athletes) that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall and standing strong," Hamilton added. "Continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when moving forward because they know lots of young kids are watching."

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Seven-time world champion and lone Black driver of Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has come out in support of Brazilian Vinicius Jr. for speaking against the racism the latter experienced at a recent soccer match in Spain.

Seven-time world champion and lone Black driver of Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has come out in support of Brazilian Vinicius Jr. for speaking against the racism the latter experienced at a recent soccer match in Spain. “It’s devastating to think that in 2023 we’re still seeing these things and hearing these things,” said Hamilton on Thursday ahead of Monaco Grand Prix. “It really brings up emotions about things that I experienced, whether it’s back in the UK or whether it was when I was racing in Italy or in France or in Spain," he added. "It can be so hurtful the things that people say." Vinicius Jr. racism case The Brazilian signed with La Liga club Real Madrid in 2018 and has, on multiple occasions, been subjected to racist chants including 'mono' which is Spanish for Monkey. The most recent case where the soccer player faced the racist abuse what during Real Madrid's 0-1 loss to Valencia on Sunday. The game was stopped for several minutes after the player complained about he behaious of crowd. He then shared a long post on Instagram, describing his ordeal and calling Spain a racist country. Also Read: 'Impossible to keep rhythm,' says Nuggets coach Michael Malone ahead of NBA Finals "Death wishes, hanged dolls, criminal screams... This is not football. This is inhuman," wrote the Brazilian in his social media post a day after the incident. Hamilton also shared the post on his Instagram with the caption "standing with you," alongside a Black fist bump emoji. The racer also said that he eventually hopes to visit and support the soccer player at a match. No room for discrimination Hamilton emphasized on need of doing more about the issue in sports as the 'society has no place for discrimination.' “There is no room for discrimination in society today. Sports need to do more, we all need to continue to do more. If we see it, hear it – we need to do something about it," said the racer. "I think it’s amazing what so many of these (athletes) that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall and standing strong," Hamilton added. "Continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when moving forward because they know lots of young kids are watching." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton comes out in support of Vinicius Jr. for speaking against racism

High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw".

This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

The tie up, announced on Wednesday, comes in the run-up to this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with Aston Martin a surprise second to world champions Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

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That lofty position is in no small part down to Fernando Alonso, the two-time former champion who has made the podium in four of this season's five races as he revels in his switch from Alpine.

Hailing the Honda link-up, Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: "Our future works partnership with Honda is one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula One."

Aston will continue to be powered by Mercedes power units until 2026 when there is a sizeable shift in F1's technical landscape.

"One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

"Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the Championship title."

From 2026 Red Bull and AlphaTauri are linking up with Ford when the existing hybrid power units will rely more on electric energy using 100 percent sustainable fuel.&nbsp;

Audi are also joining the F1 grid from 2026 in a deal to power the Sauber team, currently racing as Alfa Romeo. The other constructors are Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault (Alpine).

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High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw". This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

High-flying Aston Martin will be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is "the last piece of the jigsaw". This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021 but retain links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The tie up, announced on Wednesday, comes in the run-up to this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with Aston Martin a surprise second to world champions Red Bull in the constructors' standings. Also Read: 2023 NBA East Finals: Tatum leads Celtics past Heat in Game 4 to keep series alive That lofty position is in no small part down to Fernando Alonso, the two-time former champion who has made the podium in four of this season's five races as he revels in his switch from Alpine. Hailing the Honda link-up, Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: "Our future works partnership with Honda is one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula One." Aston will continue to be powered by Mercedes power units until 2026 when there is a sizeable shift in F1's technical landscape. "One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. "Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the Championship title." From 2026 Red Bull and AlphaTauri are linking up with Ford when the existing hybrid power units will rely more on electric energy using 100 percent sustainable fuel. Audi are also joining the F1 grid from 2026 in a deal to power the Sauber team, currently racing as Alfa Romeo. The other constructors are Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault (Alpine). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula One: Honda engines to power Aston Martin from 2026

World champion Max Verstappen powered from ninth on the grid to beat team-mate Sergio Perez and extend Red Bull's all-conquering start to the season with victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

The win was&nbsp;Red Bull's fifth from five races this season and&nbsp;extends Verstappen's lead at the top of the standings to 14 points and follows his triumph in the inaugural Miami race last year.

The 1-2 for Red Bull is their fourth in five races so far this year as the team utterly dominate the sport leaving their rivals to battle for the third podium position.

Aston Martin's Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso took third for his fourth podium in five races this season as he continues to enjoy his late-career revival.

Verstappen had to work hard for his third victory of the campaign after his disappointing performance in Saturday's qualifying left him in the middle of the grid.

But the speed of the Red Bull car, combined with smart decisions on tyres, meant that the Dutchman was able to quickly get himself in contention and then produce a late surge to beat his team-mate Perez, who remains second in the standings.

Perez, starting on pole, made the perfect start, racing clear of his rivals but Verstappen, on hard tyres, quickly moved through the field and took just 15 laps to reach second place behind his team-mate.

'Very satisfying'

Perez pitted on lap 20 allowing Verstappen to take the lead but the Dutchman had to give that up when he went into the pits on lap 46, changing to the medium compound tyres and coming out 1.2 seconds behind.

It took just two laps for Verstappen, who won the inaugural Miami Grand Prix a year ago, to take advantage of his fresher tyres with better grip as, after a brief joust, he overtook the Mexican, on 25-lap-old tyres, to take the lead.

Verstappen's 38th win for Red Bull equals the team record set by Sebastian Vettel and is the first time a driver has won from exactly ninth on the grid since Niki Lauda at the French Grand Prix in 1984.

"I took the cars off one by one and then I could stay out really long on the hard tyres and that's where we I think made the difference," said Verstappen.

"For sure winning a race from P9 is always very satisfying," he said.

It was a disappointing day for Perez, who after his victory in Baku last week, had a great chance to win from pole but was left frustrated with the tyre choice.

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"I think the medium initially was really poor. It wasn't expected and that really compromised our pace," said Perez.

"Then, in all honesty, I think Max had tremendous pace on that hard tyre and I have got to analyse what happened today because we simply didn't have the pace," he added.

Mercedes had some consolation at the end of a difficult week with George Russell taking fourth place ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing sixth.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had described the car as a "nasty piece of work" after qualifying but Russell was delighted with his fourth.

"I am feeling pumped to be honest because it has been a while since we had a good race like that where we made overtakes stick," he said.

"I would have liked to have been three positions higher but we know the position we are as a team right now and P4 was the maximum today," he added.

Charles Leclerc, who crashed late in qualifying and started seventh on the grid, finished in seventh place on another disappointing day for Ferrari.

"There's really a lot of work to do," said Leclerc, "We have a car that has a good feeling under ideal conditions, but as soon as you get away a bit it gets complicated.&nbsp;We need a more consistent car especially in the race.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It's a very difficult situation because you can fight in qualifying, but then in the race you have to accept that you are passed."

The Alpine pair of French drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocan finished eighth and ninth with Dane Kevin Magnussen finishing tenth.

It was a tough debut in his homeland for American rookie Logan Sargeant of Williams who had to pit early after losing his front wing and ended last.

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World champion Max Verstappen powered from ninth on the grid to beat team-mate Sergio Perez and extend Red Bull's all-conquering start to the season with victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

World champion Max Verstappen powered from ninth on the grid to beat team-mate Sergio Perez and extend Red Bull's all-conquering start to the season with victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. The win was Red Bull's fifth from five races this season and extends Verstappen's lead at the top of the standings to 14 points and follows his triumph in the inaugural Miami race last year. The 1-2 for Red Bull is their fourth in five races so far this year as the team utterly dominate the sport leaving their rivals to battle for the third podium position. Aston Martin's Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso took third for his fourth podium in five races this season as he continues to enjoy his late-career revival. Verstappen had to work hard for his third victory of the campaign after his disappointing performance in Saturday's qualifying left him in the middle of the grid. But the speed of the Red Bull car, combined with smart decisions on tyres, meant that the Dutchman was able to quickly get himself in contention and then produce a late surge to beat his team-mate Perez, who remains second in the standings. Perez, starting on pole, made the perfect start, racing clear of his rivals but Verstappen, on hard tyres, quickly moved through the field and took just 15 laps to reach second place behind his team-mate. 'Very satisfying' Perez pitted on lap 20 allowing Verstappen to take the lead but the Dutchman had to give that up when he went into the pits on lap 46, changing to the medium compound tyres and coming out 1.2 seconds behind. It took just two laps for Verstappen, who won the inaugural Miami Grand Prix a year ago, to take advantage of his fresher tyres with better grip as, after a brief joust, he overtook the Mexican, on 25-lap-old tyres, to take the lead. Verstappen's 38th win for Red Bull equals the team record set by Sebastian Vettel and is the first time a driver has won from exactly ninth on the grid since Niki Lauda at the French Grand Prix in 1984. "I took the cars off one by one and then I could stay out really long on the hard tyres and that's where we I think made the difference," said Verstappen. "For sure winning a race from P9 is always very satisfying," he said. It was a disappointing day for Perez, who after his victory in Baku last week, had a great chance to win from pole but was left frustrated with the tyre choice. ALSO READ | Luka Modric to extend Real Madrid stay, set to sign new deal until 2024 "I think the medium initially was really poor. It wasn't expected and that really compromised our pace," said Perez. "Then, in all honesty, I think Max had tremendous pace on that hard tyre and I have got to analyse what happened today because we simply didn't have the pace," he added. Mercedes had some consolation at the end of a difficult week with George Russell taking fourth place ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing sixth. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had described the car as a "nasty piece of work" after qualifying but Russell was delighted with his fourth. "I am feeling pumped to be honest because it has been a while since we had a good race like that where we made overtakes stick," he said. "I would have liked to have been three positions higher but we know the position we are as a team right now and P4 was the maximum today," he added. Charles Leclerc, who crashed late in qualifying and started seventh on the grid, finished in seventh place on another disappointing day for Ferrari. "There's really a lot of work to do," said Leclerc, "We have a car that has a good feeling under ideal conditions, but as soon as you get away a bit it gets complicated. We need a more consistent car especially in the race. "It's a very difficult situation because you can fight in qualifying, but then in the race you have to accept that you are passed." The Alpine pair of French drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocan finished eighth and ninth with Dane Kevin Magnussen finishing tenth. It was a tough debut in his homeland for American rookie Logan Sargeant of Williams who had to pit early after losing his front wing and ended last. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Max Verstappen comes from ninth on grid to bag Miami GP; Perez, Alonso take podium

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen said victory in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix is "not impossible" despite him starting ninth on the grid.

Red Bull's Verstappen, who leads the driver's championship after picking up two wins from opening four races of the season, was unable to get his late fast lap after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed and qualifying was cut short with one minute 36 left.

The Dutchman's team-mate Sergio Perez, who is second in the standings just six points behind Verstappen, grabbed pole position after Saturday's qualifying.

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Despite the setback, Verstappen, who won the maiden Miami race last year, was not giving up hope of a strong result.

"A podium, for sure, but I want to win, so this is not great. (Winning is) not impossible, but it's not going to be easy," he said.

While Leclerc's crash didn't help, Verstappen had already made life difficult for himself by not getting his full fast lap in earlier.

He said he had only himself to blame for having to pull out of his earlier lap after a mistake.

"I was a little bit offline out of (turn) six into seven, I felt a bit of understeer, and I just couldn't get it back on the line. So I aborted my lap. It was definitely a mistake of mine trying to put it on the limit.

"Then of course, you need a bit of luck, hoping that there won't be a red flag. But of course, when you try to think like that, then it happens. So, it's a bit upsetting," he said.

But Verstappen, winner of the last two Formula One seasons, was keeping a sense of perspective.

"I've been in this position before, you have sometimes a few setbacks but that doesn't mean that it carries on for the rest of the year or whatever.

"It can't always be perfect, you hope that it's going to be perfect. Last year we had a tough start, but you still need to nail a few bits yourself. Today was not great," he said.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner questioned why the race was only stopped 20 seconds after Leclerc's crash.

"Had it been stopped immediately, you could have possibly got around," he told Sky Sports.

Horner has been happy to let Perez compete with Verstappen, with no heavy use of team orders as of yet, and the Mexican says he is relishing the inner-team competition.

"I'm enjoying it. I'm just thinking race by race. I will go out … for my team because they've done a tremendous job and see what happens tomorrow (Sunday)," he said.

"It is a new opportunity, starting from pole. We are the ones that have (something) to lose, but we will just go out there and try to enjoy this amazing crowd," he said.

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Formula One world champion Max Verstappen said victory in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix is "not impossible" despite him starting ninth on the grid. Red Bull's Verstappen, who leads the driver's championship after picking up two wins from opening four races of the season, was unable to get his late fast lap after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed and qualifying was cut short with one minute 36 left.

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen said victory in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix is "not impossible" despite him starting ninth on the grid. Red Bull's Verstappen, who leads the driver's championship after picking up two wins from opening four races of the season, was unable to get his late fast lap after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed and qualifying was cut short with one minute 36 left. The Dutchman's team-mate Sergio Perez, who is second in the standings just six points behind Verstappen, grabbed pole position after Saturday's qualifying. Also Read: Man City spoil Sam Allardyce's return to edge closer to title Despite the setback, Verstappen, who won the maiden Miami race last year, was not giving up hope of a strong result. "A podium, for sure, but I want to win, so this is not great. (Winning is) not impossible, but it's not going to be easy," he said. While Leclerc's crash didn't help, Verstappen had already made life difficult for himself by not getting his full fast lap in earlier. He said he had only himself to blame for having to pull out of his earlier lap after a mistake. "I was a little bit offline out of (turn) six into seven, I felt a bit of understeer, and I just couldn't get it back on the line. So I aborted my lap. It was definitely a mistake of mine trying to put it on the limit. "Then of course, you need a bit of luck, hoping that there won't be a red flag. But of course, when you try to think like that, then it happens. So, it's a bit upsetting," he said. But Verstappen, winner of the last two Formula One seasons, was keeping a sense of perspective. "I've been in this position before, you have sometimes a few setbacks but that doesn't mean that it carries on for the rest of the year or whatever. "It can't always be perfect, you hope that it's going to be perfect. Last year we had a tough start, but you still need to nail a few bits yourself. Today was not great," he said. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner questioned why the race was only stopped 20 seconds after Leclerc's crash. "Had it been stopped immediately, you could have possibly got around," he told Sky Sports. Horner has been happy to let Perez compete with Verstappen, with no heavy use of team orders as of yet, and the Mexican says he is relishing the inner-team competition. "I'm enjoying it. I'm just thinking race by race. I will go out … for my team because they've done a tremendous job and see what happens tomorrow (Sunday)," he said. "It is a new opportunity, starting from pole. We are the ones that have (something) to lose, but we will just go out there and try to enjoy this amazing crowd," he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: 'Not impossible,' says Ninth on grid Red Bull's Max Verstappen ahead of Miami Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc will start on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint race despite crashing on his final flying lap in qualifying on Saturday.

The Ferrari driver is joined by Sergio Perez's Red Bull on the front row for the first of Formula One's six sprints this season.

The Mexican's teammate Max Verstappen finished third with George Russell of Mercedes in fourth.

Leclerc is a master of qualifying on the streets of Baku, adding this to his pole from qualifying on Friday for Sunday's main event, for which he has now headed the grid for the past three years.

The sprint, introduced in 2021, has undergone a revamp this year.

The 100 kilometre dash now stands alone from Sunday's main race with its own new shorter form of qualifying called the 'Sprint Shootout'.

Leclerc created a footnote in F1 history by claiming the honours of the inaugural edition in entertaining style.

He topped the times with three minutes of qualifying to go but then slid his Ferrari into the barriers at his last throw of the dice.

But the Red Bulls weren't able to better Leclerc's time as he claimed his second pole in Azerbaijan inside 24 hours.

"The rear overheated and I lost it in Turn 5. In the end it doesn't have any consequence (for me)," said the man from Monaco who is trying to make up for lost time after a terrible start to 2023.&nbsp;

He suggested he will have his work cut out holding off the flying Red Bulls, who have won all three races so far in 2023.

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"We will go for it but we also need to be realistic, as of now, we've already been on the back foot during the race, especially the Red Bull seems to be a step ahead."

He added: "I will do everything for it and we are here for that, Ferrari needs to be on top and I will do everything I can to win."

His teammate Carlos Sainz came fifth to fill the third row with Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes.

Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris completed the top five rows of the grid for the 17-lap sprint due off later Saturday.

The sprint offers the winner eight points down to one for eighth.

Red Bull's double world champion Verstappen leads the championship on 69 points, 15 ahead of Perez.

Two retirements sandwiching a seventh place in Jeddah have left Leclerc lagging well behind with just half a dozen points.

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Charles Leclerc will start on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint race despite crashing on his final flying lap in qualifying on Saturday. The Ferrari driver is joined by Sergio Perez's Red Bull on the front row for the first of Formula One's six sprints this season.

Charles Leclerc will start on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint race despite crashing on his final flying lap in qualifying on Saturday. The Ferrari driver is joined by Sergio Perez's Red Bull on the front row for the first of Formula One's six sprints this season. The Mexican's teammate Max Verstappen finished third with George Russell of Mercedes in fourth. Leclerc is a master of qualifying on the streets of Baku, adding this to his pole from qualifying on Friday for Sunday's main event, for which he has now headed the grid for the past three years. The sprint, introduced in 2021, has undergone a revamp this year. The 100 kilometre dash now stands alone from Sunday's main race with its own new shorter form of qualifying called the 'Sprint Shootout'. Leclerc created a footnote in F1 history by claiming the honours of the inaugural edition in entertaining style. He topped the times with three minutes of qualifying to go but then slid his Ferrari into the barriers at his last throw of the dice. But the Red Bulls weren't able to better Leclerc's time as he claimed his second pole in Azerbaijan inside 24 hours. "The rear overheated and I lost it in Turn 5. In the end it doesn't have any consequence (for me)," said the man from Monaco who is trying to make up for lost time after a terrible start to 2023. He suggested he will have his work cut out holding off the flying Red Bulls, who have won all three races so far in 2023. ALSO READ | Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim submit final bids to buy Manchester United from Glazer family "We will go for it but we also need to be realistic, as of now, we've already been on the back foot during the race, especially the Red Bull seems to be a step ahead." He added: "I will do everything for it and we are here for that, Ferrari needs to be on top and I will do everything I can to win." His teammate Carlos Sainz came fifth to fill the third row with Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes. Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris completed the top five rows of the grid for the 17-lap sprint due off later Saturday. The sprint offers the winner eight points down to one for eighth. Red Bull's double world champion Verstappen leads the championship on 69 points, 15 ahead of Perez. Two retirements sandwiching a seventh place in Jeddah have left Leclerc lagging well behind with just half a dozen points. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc to start on pole despite crashing on final flying lap

Brazil's triple Formula One champion Nelson&nbsp;Piquet&nbsp;must pay 5 million Brazilian Reals ($953,050) in moral damages for racist and homophobic comments against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, a Brazilian court ruled on Friday (March 24).

In an interview in November 2021,&nbsp;Piquet&nbsp;used a racial slur referring to the seven-time world champion, when commenting on Hamilton's British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen.

Hamilton called for action to change "archaic mindsets" after footage of the interview surfaced on social media last June.&nbsp;Piquet, 70, apologised to the British driver and said his comments had been mistranslated.&nbsp;Piquet's daughter Kelly is Verstappen's partner.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virender-sehwag-says-he-didnt-believe-virat-kohli-will-reach-such-heights-in-international-cricket-575610">Virender Sehwag says he 'didn't believe' Virat Kohli will reach such heights in international cricket</a>

In another clip which surfaced later,&nbsp;Piquet&nbsp;used racist and homophobic language against Hamilton in a podcast interview when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton, who was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship last June, is the sport's only Black driver.

The charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted&nbsp;Piquet&nbsp;to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages.

In his decision, Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the amount of compensation was given "in the sense that one should not only appreciate the reparative function of civil liability but also (and perhaps mainly) the punitive function so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia".

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Brazil's triple Formula One champion Nelson Piquet must pay 5 million Brazilian Reals ($953,050) in moral damages for racist and homophobic comments against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, a Brazilian court ruled on Friday (March 24).

Brazil's triple Formula One champion Nelson Piquet must pay 5 million Brazilian Reals ($953,050) in moral damages for racist and homophobic comments against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, a Brazilian court ruled on Friday (March 24). In an interview in November 2021, Piquet used a racial slur referring to the seven-time world champion, when commenting on Hamilton's British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen. Hamilton called for action to change "archaic mindsets" after footage of the interview surfaced on social media last June. Piquet, 70, apologised to the British driver and said his comments had been mistranslated. Piquet's daughter Kelly is Verstappen's partner. Also Read: Virender Sehwag says he 'didn't believe' Virat Kohli will reach such heights in international cricket In another clip which surfaced later, Piquet used racist and homophobic language against Hamilton in a podcast interview when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg. Hamilton, who was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship last June, is the sport's only Black driver. The charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages. In his decision, Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the amount of compensation was given "in the sense that one should not only appreciate the reparative function of civil liability but also (and perhaps mainly) the punitive function so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia". WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Former champion Nelson Piquet ordered to pay $950K for racist comments against Lewis Hamilton

Red Bull's Sergio&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;flexed his street circuit muscles with dramatic effect on Sunday by storming to victory ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

While the top two were clear cut, the next two places remained in confusion long after the race had finished with Fernando Alonso first stripped of third place and then reinstated in the early hours of Monday morning. &nbsp;

Perez, a 33-year-old Mexican, came home 5.355 seconds clear of the defending double world champion as Red Bull reeled off a masterful one-two triumph, the Dutchman having stormed through the field from 15th on the grid.

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Verstappen also clocked the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to retain his lead of the embryonic drivers' championship, snatching it back from&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;as they duelled at high speed.

It was&nbsp;Perez's fifth career win having previously triumphed in Monte Carlo and Singapore to earn his reputation as a 'street fighter'.

"It turned out to be tougher than expected," he said. "The safety car tried to take the victory from us again here, but not this year! The team did a great job. Now we must keep pushing."

Verstappen was eliminated from qualifying after a drive-shaft failure.

"It wasn't easy to get through the field," he said. "We settled for second so it's a good recovery in the end."

Two-time world champion Alonso finished a stirring third on track for Aston Martin to claim a 100th podium finish on his record-extending 357th start.

That place was initially taken from him. He had received a five-second penalty for starting outside his grid position. When he tried to serve it during a pit stop, stewards ruled a jack had touched the car too soon and they hit Alonso with a 10-second penalty.

George Russell rose to third for Mercedes.&nbsp;

But Aston Martin requested a review and showed stewards videos of similar incidents that went unpunished. Stewards accepted that it was not clear the offence had broken Formula One rules and lifted the punishment.&nbsp;

Alonso was back to third followed by the two Mercedes cars of Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Next were the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who started 12th. Esteban Ocon and his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly occupied the next two places.&nbsp;

The race began under dazzling floodlights at the Jeddah Street Circuit in balmy conditions, ideal for spectators, drivers and cars.

<h2>Alonso dream start</h2>

Alonso made the best start, from his incorrect position too far to the left of his grid slot, as he surged past&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;to lead into turn one.

He was unable to retain it for long and was passed by&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;at turn one at the start of lap four. By then, he had been given a five-second penalty for his starting spot error.

Behind them, Leclerc, on soft tyres, began his climb from 12th and reached seventh by lap eight as Verstappen climbed from 15th to 10th while Russell and Stroll settled into third and fourth.

After an unexceptional start, Hamilton, one of only two drivers on hard tyres while the majority took mediums, was warned for weaving on the straight.

By lap 11, Hamilton was eighth, trapped between Leclerc and Verstappen.

The Dutchman passed Hamilton on lap 12 while&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;reeled off another fastest lap to pull three seconds clear of Alonso.

On lap 18, yellow flags waved as Stroll obeyed a team order to stop his Aston Martin on the track – resulting in a full safety car deployment and a rush to pit for&nbsp;Perez, Alonso, Russell, Verstappen and Hamilton.

Despite attempting to serve his penalty during the pit stop, Alonso stayed second behind&nbsp;Perez. Hamilton, sixth, was the only front-runner on mediums while the rest took hards.&nbsp;

Verstappen showed great pace as he pressed Russell, breezing past him for third on lap 24. When he&nbsp;passed Alonso, he had gone from 15th to second before half-distance.&nbsp;

With 10 laps remaining, Verstappen said his drive-shaft, which had caused his exit from qualifying on Saturday, was "running a bit rough".&nbsp;

He was pacified by the team as was&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;who complained of a "long brake pedal" before the final fast laps were completed.

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Red Bull's Sergio Perez flexed his street circuit muscles with dramatic effect on Sunday by storming to victory ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez flexed his street circuit muscles with dramatic effect on Sunday by storming to victory ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While the top two were clear cut, the next two places remained in confusion long after the race had finished with Fernando Alonso first stripped of third place and then reinstated in the early hours of Monday morning. Perez, a 33-year-old Mexican, came home 5.355 seconds clear of the defending double world champion as Red Bull reeled off a masterful one-two triumph, the Dutchman having stormed through the field from 15th on the grid. Also Read: La Liga: Barcelona take El Clasico 2-1, dent Real Madrid's chances of defending title Verstappen also clocked the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to retain his lead of the embryonic drivers' championship, snatching it back from Perez as they duelled at high speed. It was Perez's fifth career win having previously triumphed in Monte Carlo and Singapore to earn his reputation as a 'street fighter'. "It turned out to be tougher than expected," he said. "The safety car tried to take the victory from us again here, but not this year! The team did a great job. Now we must keep pushing." Verstappen was eliminated from qualifying after a drive-shaft failure. "It wasn't easy to get through the field," he said. "We settled for second so it's a good recovery in the end." Two-time world champion Alonso finished a stirring third on track for Aston Martin to claim a 100th podium finish on his record-extending 357th start. That place was initially taken from him. He had received a five-second penalty for starting outside his grid position. When he tried to serve it during a pit stop, stewards ruled a jack had touched the car too soon and they hit Alonso with a 10-second penalty. George Russell rose to third for Mercedes. But Aston Martin requested a review and showed stewards videos of similar incidents that went unpunished. Stewards accepted that it was not clear the offence had broken Formula One rules and lifted the punishment. Alonso was back to third followed by the two Mercedes cars of Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Next were the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who started 12th. Esteban Ocon and his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly occupied the next two places. The race began under dazzling floodlights at the Jeddah Street Circuit in balmy conditions, ideal for spectators, drivers and cars. Alonso dream start Alonso made the best start, from his incorrect position too far to the left of his grid slot, as he surged past Perez to lead into turn one. He was unable to retain it for long and was passed by Perez at turn one at the start of lap four. By then, he had been given a five-second penalty for his starting spot error. Behind them, Leclerc, on soft tyres, began his climb from 12th and reached seventh by lap eight as Verstappen climbed from 15th to 10th while Russell and Stroll settled into third and fourth. After an unexceptional start, Hamilton, one of only two drivers on hard tyres while the majority took mediums, was warned for weaving on the straight. By lap 11, Hamilton was eighth, trapped between Leclerc and Verstappen. The Dutchman passed Hamilton on lap 12 while Perez reeled off another fastest lap to pull three seconds clear of Alonso. On lap 18, yellow flags waved as Stroll obeyed a team order to stop his Aston Martin on the track – resulting in a full safety car deployment and a rush to pit for Perez, Alonso, Russell, Verstappen and Hamilton. Despite attempting to serve his penalty during the pit stop, Alonso stayed second behind Perez. Hamilton, sixth, was the only front-runner on mediums while the rest took hards. Verstappen showed great pace as he pressed Russell, breezing past him for third on lap 24. When he passed Alonso, he had gone from 15th to second before half-distance. With 10 laps remaining, Verstappen said his drive-shaft, which had caused his exit from qualifying on Saturday, was "running a bit rough". He was pacified by the team as was Perez who complained of a "long brake pedal" before the final fast laps were completed. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Sergio Perez wins Saudi Arabia GP in 1-2 win for Red Bull

Sergio Perez claimed pole position for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to salvage pride for Red Bull after Max Verstappen was forced out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure in Q2.

The 33-year-old Mexican clocked a best lap in one minute 28.265 seconds to beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who faces a 10-place grid penalty, by 0.155sec in a closely fought qualifying session.

It is Perez's second career pole and second in Saudi Arabia, while Verstappen will start from 15th.

"Good job guys," said Perez. "Hopefully, Max will be able to fight through in the race and we can enjoy a good result. We've got a good car and it's a good circuit for me."

As a result of Leclerc's penalty, two-time champion Fernando Alonso will start from the front row of the grid for Aston Martin alongside Perez after winding up third fastest ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and Carlos Sainz, who was fifth in the second Ferrari.

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Lance Stroll was sixth in the second Aston Martin ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and rookie Oscar Piastri of McLaren.

Pierre Gasly was 10th for Alpine.

"Red Bull are on a different planet," said Leclerc, who will set off from 12th on the grid.

The floodlit session began in cooler conditions than FP3 and Williams led the way.

Nyck de Vries, who had missed the earlier session due an engine change on his Alpha Tauri car, spun almost immediately at the first corner, but recovered. His tyres, however, were gone for a flying lap.

The Red Bulls were soon setting the pace again, Verstappen heading Perez by six-tenths on his first run, before Lando Norris brushed the wall at the final corner.

As the Ferraris showed sign of improvement, Aston Martin pushed in response and after 12 minutes, Alonso spun at Turn Two, retaining control without hitting any barriers and snatched fourth place.

Logan Sargeant was another spinner, the American rookie revolving his Williams at Turn 22 as McLaren's pit crew worked frantically to salvage Norris's car and hopes in vain.

The blur of busy and error-strewn Q1 action ended with Norris eliminated in 19th along with Sargeant, 20th, Yuki Tsunoda and his Alpha Tauri team-mate De Vries, and Alex Albon in the second Williams.

<h2>'Almost not accelerating'</h2>

The Q2 segment began with Alfa Romeo and Haas leading the queue ahead of the Aston Martins. Alonso immediately lit up the time screens in purple and set the pace in 1:28.757.

Verstappen, who had a sharp snap through Turns One and Two, soon reported a power problem. "It's an engine problem," he said, as he made slow progress. "It's almost not accelerating."

The Dutchman limped back to the pits and with five minutes remaining climbed out as his crew set to work. He left the garage, walked away to the weigh-room and out of qualifying as the team diagnosed a driveshaft problem.

This left Alonso on top ahead of Perez, who returned to try and restore some pride for Red Bull on a second run, clocking 1:26.635 to beat him by a tenth ahead of the two Ferraris.

The two Haas cars and both Alfa Romeos were eliminated along with Verstappen, creating the prospect of an unexpectedly open battle for pole with Alonso seeking his first pole in 11 years since the 2012 German Grand Prix.

"It happened at Turn 10," said Verstappen. "Very annoying because we were having such a good weekend. It will be tricky now to get to the front so have to concentrate on points, but anything is possible at this track."

With Leclerc facing a 10-place grid penalty, his rivals sensed a rare chance for pole, Alonso attacking his lap, Leclerc outpacing him and then Perez going top in 1:28.265 – half a second clear of the Ferrari.

Russell also dipped into the 1:28s to go third ahead of Alonso before the Aston Martins and Ferraris returned for their final flings.

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Sergio Perez claimed pole position for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to salvage pride for Red Bull after Max Verstappen was forced out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure in Q2.

Sergio Perez claimed pole position for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to salvage pride for Red Bull after Max Verstappen was forced out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure in Q2. The 33-year-old Mexican clocked a best lap in one minute 28.265 seconds to beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who faces a 10-place grid penalty, by 0.155sec in a closely fought qualifying session. It is Perez's second career pole and second in Saudi Arabia, while Verstappen will start from 15th. "Good job guys," said Perez. "Hopefully, Max will be able to fight through in the race and we can enjoy a good result. We've got a good car and it's a good circuit for me." As a result of Leclerc's penalty, two-time champion Fernando Alonso will start from the front row of the grid for Aston Martin alongside Perez after winding up third fastest ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and Carlos Sainz, who was fifth in the second Ferrari. Also Read: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans by 1 run to win back-to-back PSL titles Lance Stroll was sixth in the second Aston Martin ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and rookie Oscar Piastri of McLaren. Pierre Gasly was 10th for Alpine. "Red Bull are on a different planet," said Leclerc, who will set off from 12th on the grid. The floodlit session began in cooler conditions than FP3 and Williams led the way. Nyck de Vries, who had missed the earlier session due an engine change on his Alpha Tauri car, spun almost immediately at the first corner, but recovered. His tyres, however, were gone for a flying lap. The Red Bulls were soon setting the pace again, Verstappen heading Perez by six-tenths on his first run, before Lando Norris brushed the wall at the final corner. As the Ferraris showed sign of improvement, Aston Martin pushed in response and after 12 minutes, Alonso spun at Turn Two, retaining control without hitting any barriers and snatched fourth place. Logan Sargeant was another spinner, the American rookie revolving his Williams at Turn 22 as McLaren's pit crew worked frantically to salvage Norris's car and hopes in vain. The blur of busy and error-strewn Q1 action ended with Norris eliminated in 19th along with Sargeant, 20th, Yuki Tsunoda and his Alpha Tauri team-mate De Vries, and Alex Albon in the second Williams. 'Almost not accelerating' The Q2 segment began with Alfa Romeo and Haas leading the queue ahead of the Aston Martins. Alonso immediately lit up the time screens in purple and set the pace in 1:28.757. Verstappen, who had a sharp snap through Turns One and Two, soon reported a power problem. "It's an engine problem," he said, as he made slow progress. "It's almost not accelerating." The Dutchman limped back to the pits and with five minutes remaining climbed out as his crew set to work. He left the garage, walked away to the weigh-room and out of qualifying as the team diagnosed a driveshaft problem. This left Alonso on top ahead of Perez, who returned to try and restore some pride for Red Bull on a second run, clocking 1:26.635 to beat him by a tenth ahead of the two Ferraris. The two Haas cars and both Alfa Romeos were eliminated along with Verstappen, creating the prospect of an unexpectedly open battle for pole with Alonso seeking his first pole in 11 years since the 2012 German Grand Prix. "It happened at Turn 10," said Verstappen. "Very annoying because we were having such a good weekend. It will be tricky now to get to the front so have to concentrate on points, but anything is possible at this track." With Leclerc facing a 10-place grid penalty, his rivals sensed a rare chance for pole, Alonso attacking his lap, Leclerc outpacing him and then Perez going top in 1:28.265 – half a second clear of the Ferrari. Russell also dipped into the 1:28s to go third ahead of Alonso before the Aston Martins and Ferraris returned for their final flings. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Sergio Perez takes pole at Saudi Arabia GP, Verstappen to start at 15th place

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: The F1 circus will arrive in Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian GP, the second race of the 2023 season. Max Verstappen and Red Bull won the first race in Bahrain, securing a 1-2 finish.

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: The F1 circus will arrive in Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian GP, the second race of the 2023 season. Max Verstappen and Red Bull won the first race in Bahrain, securing a 1-2 finish. Since then, the F1 world has been in turmoil, with major revelations from the big teams one after the other. Mercedes and Ferrari appear to be having problems, and there has been no positive news from either camp. In the midst of all of this, we're looking forward to the third edition of the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The first race was chaotic at best, with Lewis Hamilton winning, while the second featured an all-race battle between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. The Grand Prix is officially known as the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023. The event is due to be held across the weekend of March 17- March 19. It will be the second round of the 2023 Formula One World Championship. Who is in form? It's difficult to see anyone but Red Bull. Everything is going well for the team right now. The car works in all conditions, tyre degradation is minimal, and Max Verstappen is at the top of his game. The team is well-equipped to succeed. Who is out of form? Mercedes has effectively abandoned the 2023 Formula One season. Toto Wolff and George Russell have both declared that Red Bull will win every race this season. F1 2023 CAR AND DRIVER LINE-UPS Team Driver 1 Driver 2 Red Bull Max Verstappen Sergio Perez Ferrari Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz Mercedes Lewis Hamilton George Russell Alpine Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Aston Martin Fernando Alonso Lance Stroll Alfa Romeo Valtteri Bottas Guanyu Zhou Alpha Tauri Yuki Tsunoda Nyck de Vries Haas Kevin Magnussen Nico Hülkenberg Williams Alex Albon Logan Sargeant Also Read : F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: Check schedule, weather update, championship standings- All you need to know Here are all the live-streaming details of the Formula One Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: When is the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 starting?- Date The F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 event is due to be held across the weekend of March 17- March 19. Where is the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023?- Venue The F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Where to watch the live-streaming of the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 in your country? India: The practice, qualifying, and race can be live-streamed on F1TV Pro in India. If you're lucky enough to live in Austria or Luxembourg then you can enjoy every second of the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix live stream for FREE. That's because the free-to-air RTL Zwee(opens in new tab) in Luxembourg will be showing every session of the Grand Prix, as well as ORF(opens in new tab) in Austria. US: The 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix live stream will be shown on ESPN. Coverage will be spread across ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNEWS, with the race itself on ESPN and ESPN Plus. UK: Sky Sports F1 will show the 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix live stream, and in up to 4K resolution. Canada: TSN has the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix live stream in Canada in English, while RDS has coverage in French. F1 TV Pro(opens in a new tab) also remains an option for fans. Australia: Fox Sports has the rights to the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix live stream in Australia, which means you can watch all the action online via Foxtel. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 live streaming: How to watch Saudi Arabia GP live on mobile in your country

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is all set to be held on 19 March 2023 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is all set to be held on 19 March 2023 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Grand Prix is officially known as the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023. The event is due to be held across the weekend of March 17- March 19. It will be the second round of the 2023 Formula One World Championship. Championship standings before the race Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen leads the World Drivers' Championship with 25 points, 7 points from his teammate Sergio Pérez, second, and 10 from Fernando Alonso, third. Red Bull Racing leads the Constructors' Championship from Aston Martin by 20 points and Mercedes by 27 points. New Entrants The drivers and teams are due to be the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race. Tyre choices Tyre supplier Pirelli will bring the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds (designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively) for teams to use at the event. Track changes The third DRS detection point was moved farther ahead, being positioned on the exit of turn 27. Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2: Full Schedule Day 1 March 17, Friday Session Local time Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East First Practice Session 12:40 - 13:25 FIA Formula 2 Practice Session 13:55 - 14:40 Paddock Club Paddock Club Track Tour 14:50 - 15:20 Paddock Club Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 14:50 - 15:50 FIA F1 Car Presentation 15:00 - 16:00 FORMULA 1 FIRST PRACTICE SESSION 16:30 - 17:30 FIA Formula 2 Qualifying Session 18:00 - 18:30 Formula 1 Teams' Press Conference 18:00 - 19:00 Paddock Club Paddock Club Track Tour 18:45 - 19:35 Paddock Club Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 18:45 - 19:35 FIA Formula 2 Press Conference 19:15 - 19:45 FORMULA 1 SECOND PRACTICE SESSION 20:00 - 21:00 Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East Second Practice Session 21:30 - 22:15 Day 2 March 18, Saturday Session Local Time Paddock Club Paddock Club Track Tour 13:05 - 14:00 Paddock Club Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 13:15 - 14:15 Formula 1 Team Pit Stop Practice 13:45 - 14:15 Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East Qualifying Session 14:45 - 15:15 FORMULA 1 THIRD PRACTICE SESSION 16:30 - 17:30 FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race (20 Laps or 45 Mins +1 Lap) 18:10 - 19:00 Paddock Club Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 19:10 - 19:40 Paddock Club Paddock Club Track Tour 19:10 - 19:40 FIA Formula 2 Press Conference 19:20 - 19:50 FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING SESSION 20:00 - 21:00 Formula 1 Press Conference 21:00 - 22:00 Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East First Race (11 Laps or 25 Mins) 22:05 - 22:35 F1 Experiences F1 Experiences Champions Club Grid Walk & Trophy Photo 22:50 - 23:50 Day 3 March 19, Sunday Session Local time Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East Second Race (11 Laps or 25 Mins) 15:00 - 15:30 FIA Formula 2 Feature Race (28 Laps or 60 Mins +1 Lap) 16:15 - 17:20 Paddock Club Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 17:40 - 18:55 Formula 1 Drivers' Parade 18:00 - 18:30 FIA Formula 2 Press Conference 18:30 - 19:00 Promoter Activity LED Truck Show 18:30 - 19:00 Formula 1 National Anthem 19:44 - 19:46 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX (50 LAPS OR 120 MINS) 20:00 - 22:00 F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: Weather update Jeddah does not typically have much rain and that looks set to continue this weekend. Meanwhile, temperatures are set to be high on all three days of racing, but the drivers can still expect to face some light to moderate winds out on track. Who won the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix? Red Bull's Max Verstappen was the driver who won the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, his first race victory of the season after he DNF'd on race day one in Bahrain. This race signalled the start of the Dutch star's domination of the field in 2022 as he went on to lift his second successive World Drivers' Championship title. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: Check schedule, weather update, championship standings- All you need to know

Red Bull Racing's defending world champion Max Verstappen won the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday in his 10th attempt and in doing so, he made it clear that Red Bull has the speed it needs to defend the title.&nbsp;

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez also got to the podium as the team finished one-two with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, a former world champion, taking the final spot.

The other big names, namely Ferrari and Mercedes have a lot to work on if they want to keep this season challenging. 
 
Meanwhile, here are three key takeaways from the 2023 Bahrain GP:

<h2>Red Bull show speed</h2>

Despite an ordinary showing in practice after a winter during which their wind tunnel time was trimmed severely, Red Bull dominated qualifying and the race to render any contest, in Sakhir at least, to a procession.

Having chosen to focus on race performance through most of all three practice sessions, and then outpacing the field in qualifying, the Red Bulls were in a class of their own.

Double world champion Verstappen led from lights to flag and was in cruise control as he sealed his first season-opening win and first in Bahrain, at the 10th attempt.

Rival George Russell of Mercedes declared afterwards that Red Bull had both championships "sewn up" already as his team, and Ferrari, failed to show any improvement on last year and were outpaced by Aston Martin.

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1-red-bulls-max-verstappen-wins-2023-season-opener-bahrain-grand-prix-568990">Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins 2023 season-opener Bahrain Grand Prix</a>

Typically, the Dutchman warned against any kind of early complacency and called for continuous development of the car with special attention paid to the team's slow start to the weekend's work.

After coming home almost 12 seconds clear of Perez, Verstappen made clear he did not expect it to be easy in the upcoming races in Jeddah and Melbourne.

"We have to make sure we keep developing," he said. "And we must investigate what went a bit wrong at the beginning of the weekend. Then I’m sure we will be even stronger.

"It’s obviously a top start for us, but as you saw last year, things can turn around very quickly."

<h2>Alonso, Aston Martin confirm pace</h2>

At the age of 41, Fernando Alonso showed he remains one of the fastest and most daring drivers as he confirmed Aston Martin have a car with the pure pace and performance to challenge the leaders.

The two-time champion Spaniard slipped back to seventh at the start before charging though to beat the Mercedes and Ferraris and finish a storming third.

It was his 99th podium in a record career of 356 races.

As Alonso beamed with joy, team boss Mike Krack tried to keep him and the team grounded, warning them not to expect wins in the near future in a beautifully-balanced car revised for 2023 by technical director Dan Fallows, formerly of Red Bull, and his design team.

"The gap is still substantial to the front and we don’t know how much management Red Bull had to do or did in the race. It was comfortable for them.

"We knew after testing that we were not bad and had strong race. Pace, but so many things can go wrong and after two laps I wasn’t dreaming of a podium.

"But now we have one good result and we fought with teams that are used to being at the front and in the high intensity development contest. So, let’s be respectful and humble and see."

Alonso heaped praise on his team-mate Lance Stroll who, two weeks after a pre-season cycling accident left him with two cracked wrists and a broken toe, finished sixth.

<h2>Ferrari reliability suspect</h2>

A change of management at the top, where former Alfa Romeo chief Fred Vasseur took over from Matteo Binotti, has not brought an end to Ferrari's reliability problems.

Charles Leclerc, who had to switch his battery before the race, was running a comfortable third when he experienced a loss of power on lap 47 and retired, leaving Carlos Sainz to come home fourth after being passed by Alonso.

"It's never good to start with a DNF," said Vasseur. "But the championship is not decided in Bahrain. The most important thing now is for us to gain a clearer picture of the situation and to know where we are failing.

"On the positive side, we matched Red Bull's qualifying pace. We are there, but we have to be realistic. To win races, we have to have a 'clean sheet' weekend."

Mercedes also bemoaned problems after finishing fifth and seventh with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Russell, team boss Toto Wolff joining the drivers’ in accepting a need to create a car that is closer to their customer team Aston Martin’s design.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Red Bull Racing's defending world champion Max Verstappen won the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday in his 10th attempt and in doing so, he made it clear that Red Bull has the speed it needs to defend the title.

Red Bull Racing's defending world champion Max Verstappen won the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday in his 10th attempt and in doing so, he made it clear that Red Bull has the speed it needs to defend the title. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez also got to the podium as the team finished one-two with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, a former world champion, taking the final spot. The other big names, namely Ferrari and Mercedes have a lot to work on if they want to keep this season challenging. Meanwhile, here are three key takeaways from the 2023 Bahrain GP: Red Bull show speed Despite an ordinary showing in practice after a winter during which their wind tunnel time was trimmed severely, Red Bull dominated qualifying and the race to render any contest, in Sakhir at least, to a procession. Having chosen to focus on race performance through most of all three practice sessions, and then outpacing the field in qualifying, the Red Bulls were in a class of their own. Double world champion Verstappen led from lights to flag and was in cruise control as he sealed his first season-opening win and first in Bahrain, at the 10th attempt. Rival George Russell of Mercedes declared afterwards that Red Bull had both championships "sewn up" already as his team, and Ferrari, failed to show any improvement on last year and were outpaced by Aston Martin. Read More: Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins 2023 season-opener Bahrain Grand Prix Typically, the Dutchman warned against any kind of early complacency and called for continuous development of the car with special attention paid to the team's slow start to the weekend's work. After coming home almost 12 seconds clear of Perez, Verstappen made clear he did not expect it to be easy in the upcoming races in Jeddah and Melbourne. "We have to make sure we keep developing," he said. "And we must investigate what went a bit wrong at the beginning of the weekend. Then I’m sure we will be even stronger. "It’s obviously a top start for us, but as you saw last year, things can turn around very quickly." Alonso, Aston Martin confirm pace At the age of 41, Fernando Alonso showed he remains one of the fastest and most daring drivers as he confirmed Aston Martin have a car with the pure pace and performance to challenge the leaders. The two-time champion Spaniard slipped back to seventh at the start before charging though to beat the Mercedes and Ferraris and finish a storming third. It was his 99th podium in a record career of 356 races. As Alonso beamed with joy, team boss Mike Krack tried to keep him and the team grounded, warning them not to expect wins in the near future in a beautifully-balanced car revised for 2023 by technical director Dan Fallows, formerly of Red Bull, and his design team. "The gap is still substantial to the front and we don’t know how much management Red Bull had to do or did in the race. It was comfortable for them. "We knew after testing that we were not bad and had strong race. Pace, but so many things can go wrong and after two laps I wasn’t dreaming of a podium. "But now we have one good result and we fought with teams that are used to being at the front and in the high intensity development contest. So, let’s be respectful and humble and see." Alonso heaped praise on his team-mate Lance Stroll who, two weeks after a pre-season cycling accident left him with two cracked wrists and a broken toe, finished sixth. Ferrari reliability suspect A change of management at the top, where former Alfa Romeo chief Fred Vasseur took over from Matteo Binotti, has not brought an end to Ferrari's reliability problems. Charles Leclerc, who had to switch his battery before the race, was running a comfortable third when he experienced a loss of power on lap 47 and retired, leaving Carlos Sainz to come home fourth after being passed by Alonso. "It's never good to start with a DNF," said Vasseur. "But the championship is not decided in Bahrain. The most important thing now is for us to gain a clearer picture of the situation and to know where we are failing. "On the positive side, we matched Red Bull's qualifying pace. We are there, but we have to be realistic. To win races, we have to have a 'clean sheet' weekend." Mercedes also bemoaned problems after finishing fifth and seventh with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Russell, team boss Toto Wolff joining the drivers’ in accepting a need to create a car that is closer to their customer team Aston Martin’s design. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Max Verstappen and Red Bull show dominance, and other key takeaways from 2023 Bahrain GP

World champion Max Verstappen claimed his maiden season-opening victory and first at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday when he led Sergio Perez home in a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favourite for a third consecutive drivers' crown this year.&nbsp;

It was his first win in the Gulf state at the 10th attempt.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1-can-max-verstappen-achieve-modern-day-great-status-with-start-of-new-season-568588">Can Max Verstappen achieve modern-day great status with start of new season?</a>

Behind the two Red Bulls, two-time champion Fernando Alonso continued to make light of his 41 years by storming his way to a rousing third place for Aston Martin in his first appearance with the team since succeeding the retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.

It was his record-increasing 356th race in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;in a career that started 22 years earlier, to the weekend, in Melbourne at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.

Fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who he passed in a late scrap for a podium finish, finished fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Lance Stroll, racing in the second Aston Martin just weeks after cracking both wrists and breaking a toe in a pre-season cycling accident.

George Russell took seventh for Mercedes ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, who had started last, and Alex Albon who claimed a point for Williams finishing 10th.

Charles Leclerc, who won the race in 2022, failed to finish after engine failure on his Ferrari on the 41st lap.

<h2>'What we needed'</h2>

"Thank you, guys," said 25-year-old Verstappen. "It's exactly the start we needed. I had a good start and first stint and then had a gap and just looked after the tyres."

Verstappen made a clean, quick start to pull clear as Leclerc passed Perez for second while, behind them, Stroll hit his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso, under braking at Turn Four.

Both Mercedes had good starts and passed Alonso, Hamilton climbing to fifth ahead of Russell in pursuit of Sainz as Verstappen opened up a commanding lead.

By lap five, he was four seconds clear as Leclerc kept Perez at bay.&nbsp;

Gasly began the pit stops on lap 10, switching his Alpine from softs to hards, followed quickly by Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda with tyre degradation taking early effect.

Hamilton pitted from fifth on lap 13, prompting a classic scrap as Alonso battled past Russell to regain his original grid slot and climb to third when both Ferraris pitted. Russell followed.

Verstappen came in a lap later, switching to more softs and handing the lead to Perez, while luckless Australian rookie Oscar Piastri's McLaren debut ended early with electrical problems.

The champion re-joined in second place and regained his lead on lap 18 when Perez pitted, elevating Leclerc to second until the Mexican passed him into Turn One on lap 26.

Hamilton pitted again on lap 31, for more hards, followed by Sainz and Russell, as the leaders prepared for their final stint while, at the back, a beleaguered Esteban Ocon of Alpine, hit with three time penalties for minor infringements, stopped again.

<h2>'No power'</h2>

Perez and Verstappen then completed their second stops, the Dutchman re-joining with a 12-second lead.

Leclerc's Ferrari lost power on the straight. He parked it safely, prompting a brief virtual safety car intervention, with 15 laps remaining, handing Red Bull the prospect of a cosy one-two, 23 seconds clear of third-placed Sainz in the second Ferrari.&nbsp;

"No, no, no," wailed Leclerc. "Come on! What happened, guys? No power."

All this left the two Spaniards scrapping for third, the old master squeezing through on lap 45 after the pair appeared to touch in a frantic and dramatic tussle ahead of the watching fifth man Hamilton.

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World champion Max Verstappen claimed his maiden season-opening victory and first at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday when he led Sergio Perez home in a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

World champion Max Verstappen claimed his maiden season-opening victory and first at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday when he led Sergio Perez home in a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favourite for a third consecutive drivers' crown this year. It was his first win in the Gulf state at the 10th attempt. Also Read: Can Max Verstappen achieve modern-day great status with start of new season? Behind the two Red Bulls, two-time champion Fernando Alonso continued to make light of his 41 years by storming his way to a rousing third place for Aston Martin in his first appearance with the team since succeeding the retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel. It was his record-increasing 356th race in Formula One in a career that started 22 years earlier, to the weekend, in Melbourne at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. Fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who he passed in a late scrap for a podium finish, finished fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Lance Stroll, racing in the second Aston Martin just weeks after cracking both wrists and breaking a toe in a pre-season cycling accident. George Russell took seventh for Mercedes ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, who had started last, and Alex Albon who claimed a point for Williams finishing 10th. Charles Leclerc, who won the race in 2022, failed to finish after engine failure on his Ferrari on the 41st lap. 'What we needed' "Thank you, guys," said 25-year-old Verstappen. "It's exactly the start we needed. I had a good start and first stint and then had a gap and just looked after the tyres." Verstappen made a clean, quick start to pull clear as Leclerc passed Perez for second while, behind them, Stroll hit his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso, under braking at Turn Four. Both Mercedes had good starts and passed Alonso, Hamilton climbing to fifth ahead of Russell in pursuit of Sainz as Verstappen opened up a commanding lead. By lap five, he was four seconds clear as Leclerc kept Perez at bay. Gasly began the pit stops on lap 10, switching his Alpine from softs to hards, followed quickly by Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda with tyre degradation taking early effect. Hamilton pitted from fifth on lap 13, prompting a classic scrap as Alonso battled past Russell to regain his original grid slot and climb to third when both Ferraris pitted. Russell followed. Verstappen came in a lap later, switching to more softs and handing the lead to Perez, while luckless Australian rookie Oscar Piastri's McLaren debut ended early with electrical problems. The champion re-joined in second place and regained his lead on lap 18 when Perez pitted, elevating Leclerc to second until the Mexican passed him into Turn One on lap 26. Hamilton pitted again on lap 31, for more hards, followed by Sainz and Russell, as the leaders prepared for their final stint while, at the back, a beleaguered Esteban Ocon of Alpine, hit with three time penalties for minor infringements, stopped again. 'No power' Perez and Verstappen then completed their second stops, the Dutchman re-joining with a 12-second lead. Leclerc's Ferrari lost power on the straight. He parked it safely, prompting a brief virtual safety car intervention, with 15 laps remaining, handing Red Bull the prospect of a cosy one-two, 23 seconds clear of third-placed Sainz in the second Ferrari. "No, no, no," wailed Leclerc. "Come on! What happened, guys? No power." All this left the two Spaniards scrapping for third, the old master squeezing through on lap 45 after the pair appeared to touch in a frantic and dramatic tussle ahead of the watching fifth man Hamilton. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins 2023 season-opener Bahrain Grand Prix

Max Verstappen said it was a "pleasant surprise" to claim pole position as Red Bull locked out the front row of the grid for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old Dutchman, who has never won in Bahrain or at a championship-opening race, secured the 21st pole position of his career with a dazzling pair of laps in the third and final qualifying session (Q3) after struggling with balance and form in practice.

"It's positive and very surprising," said Verstappen. "A pleasant and positive surprise to be on pole after all the struggles in practice. Our race car feels better.

"It's been a bit of a tough start to the weekend, not finding my rhythm, but in qualifying we managed to put the best pieces together and I'm very happy to be on pole.

"It's amazing. Now, I'm looking forward for tomorrow. Compared to last year everyone knows a bit more about what they are doing with the car and increasing their performances a lot."

It was Red Bull's first front row lockout in Bahrain, a track where they have not won since 2013, when the recently-retired Sebastian Vettel was triumphant on his way to his fourth title.&nbsp;

Last year's pole-sitter and race winner Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz, the Monegasque driver choosing to save a set of tyres rather than make a second final flying run.

Two-time champion world Fernando Alonso, who was fastest in second and third practice, was unable to repeat that form, but took fifth on the grid for Aston Martin in his first outing for the team since moving from Alpine to replace Vettel.

The 41-year-old Spaniard, who had beaten Verstappen to top the times in final practice earlier on Saturday, said he had always felt pole position was an unrealistic ambition for Aston Martin.

"We aimed to finish in the top five or six and we did that so it's good," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Leclerc said: "I think we were in the fight for pole, which was a good surprise to be honest. I did not expect that after testing and after the three practices which were a little bit difficult.

"We managed to find the pace, but not to Red Bull and I think we are better starting third with new tyres than further up with old.

"It was very close. Aston Martin are very quick, Mercedes are very quick. It is looking good for the future and makes&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;1 much more exciting."

The Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton were sixth and seventh ahead of Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin, Esteban Ocon of Alpine and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg.

"I thought we'd be a lot further behind so reaching Q3 is great and we did a lot of work overnight," said Hamilton.

"The engineers did a great job and made a step forward. We're in a different place, but in qualifying the car just didn't feel alive. It felt really average.

"It is not an impossible mountain to climb and I think we can definitely close the gap. We've just got to focus."&nbsp;

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Max Verstappen said it was a "pleasant surprise" to claim pole position as Red Bull locked out the front row of the grid for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen said it was a "pleasant surprise" to claim pole position as Red Bull locked out the front row of the grid for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Dutchman, who has never won in Bahrain or at a championship-opening race, secured the 21st pole position of his career with a dazzling pair of laps in the third and final qualifying session (Q3) after struggling with balance and form in practice. "It's positive and very surprising," said Verstappen. "A pleasant and positive surprise to be on pole after all the struggles in practice. Our race car feels better. "It's been a bit of a tough start to the weekend, not finding my rhythm, but in qualifying we managed to put the best pieces together and I'm very happy to be on pole. "It's amazing. Now, I'm looking forward for tomorrow. Compared to last year everyone knows a bit more about what they are doing with the car and increasing their performances a lot." It was Red Bull's first front row lockout in Bahrain, a track where they have not won since 2013, when the recently-retired Sebastian Vettel was triumphant on his way to his fourth title. Last year's pole-sitter and race winner Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz, the Monegasque driver choosing to save a set of tyres rather than make a second final flying run. Two-time champion world Fernando Alonso, who was fastest in second and third practice, was unable to repeat that form, but took fifth on the grid for Aston Martin in his first outing for the team since moving from Alpine to replace Vettel. The 41-year-old Spaniard, who had beaten Verstappen to top the times in final practice earlier on Saturday, said he had always felt pole position was an unrealistic ambition for Aston Martin. "We aimed to finish in the top five or six and we did that so it's good," he said. Leclerc said: "I think we were in the fight for pole, which was a good surprise to be honest. I did not expect that after testing and after the three practices which were a little bit difficult. "We managed to find the pace, but not to Red Bull and I think we are better starting third with new tyres than further up with old. "It was very close. Aston Martin are very quick, Mercedes are very quick. It is looking good for the future and makes Formula 1 much more exciting." The Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton were sixth and seventh ahead of Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin, Esteban Ocon of Alpine and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg. "I thought we'd be a lot further behind so reaching Q3 is great and we did a lot of work overnight," said Hamilton. "The engineers did a great job and made a step forward. We're in a different place, but in qualifying the car just didn't feel alive. It felt really average. "It is not an impossible mountain to climb and I think we can definitely close the gap. We've just got to focus." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen gets pole position ahead of season-opener Bahrain Grand Prix

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