Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;and its governing body have commented for the first time on allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner who is fighting to save his job at the reigning world champions with testing and the start of the season looming.

Red Bull's parent company in Austria announced on Feb. 5 an independent investigation into the 50-year-old Briton's conduct after unspecified allegations against him. The process remains ongoing. Horner has denied any wrongdoing.

Formula&nbsp;One's commercial rights holder issued a short statement on Sunday in which it hoped "that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process." The Paris-based FIA followed on Monday with a statement emphasising that it "remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport."

Both said they would make no further comment until the outcome was known. Neither the energy drink company nor the British-based team have given details of the allegations, although media reports have spoken of inappropriate and controlling behaviour towards a female colleague.

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Horner said at the launch of his team's RB20 car in Milton Keynes last Friday that he was confident and cooperating with the process and denied "absolutely any allegation that's been made against me." A Feb. 9 hearing in London with an independent barrister lasted almost eight hours, according to Sky Sports.

The Briton is due to attend testing in Bahrain this week and is scheduled to appear in a regular FIA news conference on Thursday with other team principals before the opening race at Sakhir on March 2. Should Horner be forced out of Red Bull it would come as a seismic shock for the sport.

Horner and his team celebrated the most dominant season in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;history last year, with Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races, and will start the new season with Dutch driver Max Verstappen chasing a fourth successive title. Horner is also the longest serving team boss in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005.

Formula One and its governing body have commented for the first time on allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner who is fighting to save his job at the reigning world champions with testing and the start of the season looming.

Formula One and its governing body have commented for the first time on allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner who is fighting to save his job at the reigning world champions with testing and the start of the season looming. Red Bull's parent company in Austria announced on Feb. 5 an independent investigation into the 50-year-old Briton's conduct after unspecified allegations against him. The process remains ongoing. Horner has denied any wrongdoing. Formula One's commercial rights holder issued a short statement on Sunday in which it hoped "that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process." The Paris-based FIA followed on Monday with a statement emphasising that it "remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport." Both said they would make no further comment until the outcome was known. Neither the energy drink company nor the British-based team have given details of the allegations, although media reports have spoken of inappropriate and controlling behaviour towards a female colleague. Also read: F1: Red Bull team boss Christian Horner declares business as normal despite allegations Horner said at the launch of his team's RB20 car in Milton Keynes last Friday that he was confident and cooperating with the process and denied "absolutely any allegation that's been made against me." A Feb. 9 hearing in London with an independent barrister lasted almost eight hours, according to Sky Sports. The Briton is due to attend testing in Bahrain this week and is scheduled to appear in a regular FIA news conference on Thursday with other team principals before the opening race at Sakhir on March 2. Should Horner be forced out of Red Bull it would come as a seismic shock for the sport. Horner and his team celebrated the most dominant season in Formula One history last year, with Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races, and will start the new season with Dutch driver Max Verstappen chasing a fourth successive title. Horner is also the longest serving team boss in Formula One and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005.

FIA, F1 break silence on Red Bull team boss Christian Horner ahead of testing

McLaren's Lando Norris said he was optimistic&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;champions Red Bull and Max Verstappen could be beaten this season but doing it repeatedly would be another matter. Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last year in the most dominant of championships, with only Ferrari's Carlos Sainz denying them a clean sweep, and triple world champion Verstappen triumphant a record 19 times.

Norris finished second six times and third once with team mate Oscar Piastri also runner-up in Qatar -- where the Australian won the sprint race -- as McLaren ended the season strongly after a slow start. The drivers were asked, after giving the new MCL38 car its first laps at a damp Silverstone&nbsp;on Wednesday, about their chances against Red Bull.

Aston Martin's technical director Dan Fallows had said earlier in the week that he considered Red Bull to be 'absolutely beatable' and the McLaren drivers agreed. "If you were to say 'are they beatable?' you're going to have to say yes, I think we want to believe to say yes, because we were very close at certain times (in 2023) and at certain times we did beat them," said Norris.

"The question is can we beat them over a season because I think that's going to be the challenging thing and I think that's going to be very difficult to do with how well they are performing. "So, yeah, optimistic. Possible to beat them at certain times, I want to believe so. Yes."

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Piastri agreed and said the team could be very optimistic if they could maintain the rate of development. "We also have to be aware it's not just Red Bull we're fighting," he added. "We were in a very intense battle with Mercedes and Ferrari especially in the second half of the year in terms of championship points.

"I think there will be other top teams making progress as well," added the Australian. Team principal Andrea Stella said he expected Red Bull to start the season in Bahrain on March 2 still "enjoying some advantage" because they had been able to switch their focus to the new car early in 2023.

Both drivers said their first impressions of the new car were positive, even if the track was wet and the tyres unrepresentative. "The main thing is I jumped in and felt very comfortable straight away, no surprises or anything," said Norris. "As these kind of days go, it was smooth sailing," said Piastri.

McLaren's Lando Norris said he was optimistic Formula One champions Red Bull and Max Verstappen could be beaten this season but doing it repeatedly would be another matter.

McLaren's Lando Norris said he was optimistic Formula One champions Red Bull and Max Verstappen could be beaten this season but doing it repeatedly would be another matter. Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last year in the most dominant of championships, with only Ferrari's Carlos Sainz denying them a clean sweep, and triple world champion Verstappen triumphant a record 19 times. Norris finished second six times and third once with team mate Oscar Piastri also runner-up in Qatar -- where the Australian won the sprint race -- as McLaren ended the season strongly after a slow start. The drivers were asked, after giving the new MCL38 car its first laps at a damp Silverstone on Wednesday, about their chances against Red Bull. Aston Martin's technical director Dan Fallows had said earlier in the week that he considered Red Bull to be 'absolutely beatable' and the McLaren drivers agreed. "If you were to say 'are they beatable?' you're going to have to say yes, I think we want to believe to say yes, because we were very close at certain times (in 2023) and at certain times we did beat them," said Norris. "The question is can we beat them over a season because I think that's going to be the challenging thing and I think that's going to be very difficult to do with how well they are performing. "So, yeah, optimistic. Possible to beat them at certain times, I want to believe so. Yes." Also read: Formula One: Signing Lewis Hamilton a ‘huge opportunity’ for Ferrari, reckons team boss Fred Vasseur Piastri agreed and said the team could be very optimistic if they could maintain the rate of development. "We also have to be aware it's not just Red Bull we're fighting," he added. "We were in a very intense battle with Mercedes and Ferrari especially in the second half of the year in terms of championship points. "I think there will be other top teams making progress as well," added the Australian. Team principal Andrea Stella said he expected Red Bull to start the season in Bahrain on March 2 still "enjoying some advantage" because they had been able to switch their focus to the new car early in 2023. Both drivers said their first impressions of the new car were positive, even if the track was wet and the tyres unrepresentative. "The main thing is I jumped in and felt very comfortable straight away, no surprises or anything," said Norris. "As these kind of days go, it was smooth sailing," said Piastri.

Formula One: Lando Norris optimistic McLaren can beat dominant Red Bull

Red Bulls’ internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against team principal Christian Horner had no resolution in the first meeting on Friday (Feb 9). Horner, accused of inappropriate behaviour was called in for his first internal investigation in London on Friday which lasted for eight hours. Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian parent company of the F1 team has taken the allegations seriously and has launched an independent investigation into the matter.

<h2>Horner investigated for allegations</h2>

Having hired an external specialist barrister to investigate the matter, Horner was in the office for eight hours during which he was questioned on the allegations made against him. It is claimed that Horner has denied all allegations and seeks innocence in the matter. He has denied the allegations "entirely", maintains his innocence and wants to clear his name.

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The internal investigation is a hot topic of discussion considering Red Bulls are set to launch their car for the 2024 season in just six days. With the F1 pre-season testing set to take place in Bahrain on February 20, the defending champions will look to close the matter swiftly with the start of the new season not too far.

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Allegations against Horner have been deemed serious by the F1 champions as tough time awaits them in the near future. The 50-year-old British team principal is one of the most successful people in the sport having led Red Bull to seven Formula One driver’s titles while also securing six constructors' triumphs. He has been with the company since 2005 when they first entered the F1 circuit.

"After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation,” Red Bull said in a statement released on Monday confirming the investigation.

"This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.

"The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time," they added.

Red Bulls’ internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against team principal Christian Horner had no resolution in the first meeting on Friday (Feb 9).

Red Bulls’ internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against team principal Christian Horner had no resolution in the first meeting on Friday (Feb 9). Horner, accused of inappropriate behaviour was called in for his first internal investigation in London on Friday which lasted for eight hours. Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian parent company of the F1 team has taken the allegations seriously and has launched an independent investigation into the matter. Horner investigated for allegations Having hired an external specialist barrister to investigate the matter, Horner was in the office for eight hours during which he was questioned on the allegations made against him. It is claimed that Horner has denied all allegations and seeks innocence in the matter. He has denied the allegations "entirely", maintains his innocence and wants to clear his name. × The internal investigation is a hot topic of discussion considering Red Bulls are set to launch their car for the 2024 season in just six days. With the F1 pre-season testing set to take place in Bahrain on February 20, the defending champions will look to close the matter swiftly with the start of the new season not too far. ALSO READ | Premier League: Bosses unconvinced by 'blue card' plan after IFAB sets for trail Allegations against Horner have been deemed serious by the F1 champions as tough time awaits them in the near future. The 50-year-old British team principal is one of the most successful people in the sport having led Red Bull to seven Formula One driver’s titles while also securing six constructors' triumphs. He has been with the company since 2005 when they first entered the F1 circuit. "After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation,” Red Bull said in a statement released on Monday confirming the investigation. "This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. "The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time," they added.

Formula One: No resolution reached after eight-hour investigation with Red Bull's Christian Horner

Red Bull&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;team principal Christian Horner will face a company hearing on Friday after an unspecified complaint was made against him. Sources indicated the hearing would be at the team's Milton Keynes factory. There was no official confirmation from the reigning world champions or the Austrian energy drink giant that owns the team as well as sister outfit Visa Cash App RB (previously AlphaTauri). Red Bull Racing are due to launch their new car on Feb. 15, with testing starting in Bahrain on Feb. 21 and the opening race on March 2. The team has so far made no public comment on the allegations.

The BBC said it understood the complaint related to "inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature". Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has been quoted by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf saying he completely denies the allegations. Red Bull Austria said in a statement on Monday that they were investigating a complaint against Horner, without giving details. 
 
"After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation," it said. "This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. "It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."

Horner, 50, and his team celebrated the most dominant season in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;history last year, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen taking his third title in a row and Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races. The Briton is the longest-serving team boss in&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005. Under him, the team have won six constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles and are favourites for another season of domination.

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Should Horner have to stand down, the effect on the sport would be seismic. Red Bull's other main man in the paddock is Austrian motorsport consultant and former racer Helmut Marko, who is now 80-years-old, not a team employee and not believed to have any leadership ambitions. Marko has also been controversial, receiving a written warning from the sport's governing body last September after he blamed the patchy form of the team's Mexican driver Sergio Perez on his ethnicity.

There have been reports of friction between Horner and Marko since the death in October 2022 of Red Bull's Austrian co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the arrival of new leadership at the energy drink brand.

Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner will face a company hearing on Friday after an unspecified complaint was made against him. Sources indicated the hearing would be at the team's Milton Keynes factory.

Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner will face a company hearing on Friday after an unspecified complaint was made against him. Sources indicated the hearing would be at the team's Milton Keynes factory. There was no official confirmation from the reigning world champions or the Austrian energy drink giant that owns the team as well as sister outfit Visa Cash App RB (previously AlphaTauri). Red Bull Racing are due to launch their new car on Feb. 15, with testing starting in Bahrain on Feb. 21 and the opening race on March 2. The team has so far made no public comment on the allegations. The BBC said it understood the complaint related to "inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature". Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, has been quoted by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf saying he completely denies the allegations. Red Bull Austria said in a statement on Monday that they were investigating a complaint against Horner, without giving details. "After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation," it said. "This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. "It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time." Horner, 50, and his team celebrated the most dominant season in Formula One history last year, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen taking his third title in a row and Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races. The Briton is the longest-serving team boss in Formula One and was by far the youngest when he led Red Bull into the sport in 2005. Under him, the team have won six constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles and are favourites for another season of domination. Also read: Rugby: Rassie Erasmus eyes World Cup history with new Springbok contract Should Horner have to stand down, the effect on the sport would be seismic. Red Bull's other main man in the paddock is Austrian motorsport consultant and former racer Helmut Marko, who is now 80-years-old, not a team employee and not believed to have any leadership ambitions. Marko has also been controversial, receiving a written warning from the sport's governing body last September after he blamed the patchy form of the team's Mexican driver Sergio Perez on his ethnicity. There have been reports of friction between Horner and Marko since the death in October 2022 of Red Bull's Austrian co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the arrival of new leadership at the energy drink brand.

Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner set for hearing in unspecified complaint case

Sergio&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;will be racing for his Red Bull future alongside runaway title winner Max Verstappen when he drives in front of an impassioned home crowd at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.&nbsp;While newly-crowned three-time world champion Verstappen hunts another milestone victory at one of his favourite tracks,&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;seeks to shake off a series of lacklustre races and secure at least a podium finish in the champions' second car in the rarefied air at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

"This is my most important weekend of the season and I can't wait for my home race," said&nbsp;Perez, who requested his noisy fans support not only him, but his team-mate who was booed after winning last Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Texas. "The support in Austin was crazy," said&nbsp;Perez.

"So I can't even imagine what Mexico will be like. It's going to be very special. I am optimistic. "I want Mexico to come out, but to support the whole Red Bull team -– not just me."

Perez&nbsp;won two races in the early stages of this season before his form faded, but he has finished third at the last two Mexican Grands Prix and, even with a contract for 2024, knows he is in sore need of the seventh victory of his career.

His relationship with Verstappen went through a stormy period last year, notably in Brazil, and his fan-base, who long to cheer him as the first Mexican driver to win his home Grand Prix, have not been slow to show their feelings, as in Austin.

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"I don't think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico," said team chief Christian Horner. "But it's water off a duck's back to him." Ever-pragmatic, the 26-year-old Dutchman will be focused on winning and conceded after a tough battle to win from sixth on the grid last Sunday that he faces another challenge this weekend.

"It's great to be in Mexico," he said. "We have a great history here, winning and taking a double podium in th e last two years and it's Checo's home race too&nbsp;so it will be a big one for us.&nbsp;

"The atmosphere is always amazing and it is the highest altitude track of the season, which is stressful on the cars. Our RB19 has been faultless in most conditions so I'm looking forward to seeing how we perform. "We revert to a normal race format this weekend, too, so that is good –- and I expect more of a fight again. We'll need to use our strategy and the aim is to keep winning."

<h2>Norris chasing first win&nbsp;</h2>

Verstappen scored his 50th&nbsp;victory in Texas. Another win, which would increase his record for a single season to 16, would draw him level with four-time champion Frenchman Alain Prost. It would also bring his record-equalling 18th&nbsp;podium, a total he set in 2021.&nbsp;

After winning four of the last five races in Mexico, Verstappen will be the man to beat, but knows that Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was close to catching him, before he finished two seconds behind in second place before being disqualified last weekend. Hamilton has won twice in Mexico and finished second in 2021 and 2022.

Lando Norris of McLaren, who was promoted to second, is also capable of mounting a serious threat as he bids to avoid equalling German Nick Heidfeld's record of 13 podium finishes without claiming a win.

Yet it may be&nbsp;Perez&nbsp;who emerges as his greatest rival now that, after his promotion to fourth last Sunday and Hamilton's disqualification, he holds a 39-points lead in the fight for second in the standings –- with Horner dreaming of Red Bull's maiden one-two finish.

"It's not ideal when you go through a difficult period, but I love the challenge of getting back," said&nbsp;Perez. "The easiest thing would be to just walk out, but that's not me.

"It's not who I am and I will not give up."

Sergio Perez will be racing for his Red Bull future alongside runaway title winner Max Verstappen when he drives in front of an impassioned home crowd at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez will be racing for his Red Bull future alongside runaway title winner Max Verstappen when he drives in front of an impassioned home crowd at this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix. While newly-crowned three-time world champion Verstappen hunts another milestone victory at one of his favourite tracks, Perez seeks to shake off a series of lacklustre races and secure at least a podium finish in the champions' second car in the rarefied air at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. "This is my most important weekend of the season and I can't wait for my home race," said Perez, who requested his noisy fans support not only him, but his team-mate who was booed after winning last Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Texas. "The support in Austin was crazy," said Perez. "So I can't even imagine what Mexico will be like. It's going to be very special. I am optimistic. "I want Mexico to come out, but to support the whole Red Bull team -– not just me." Perez won two races in the early stages of this season before his form faded, but he has finished third at the last two Mexican Grands Prix and, even with a contract for 2024, knows he is in sore need of the seventh victory of his career. His relationship with Verstappen went through a stormy period last year, notably in Brazil, and his fan-base, who long to cheer him as the first Mexican driver to win his home Grand Prix, have not been slow to show their feelings, as in Austin. Also Read: Japanese University scraps team for alleged possession of drug "I don't think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico," said team chief Christian Horner. "But it's water off a duck's back to him." Ever-pragmatic, the 26-year-old Dutchman will be focused on winning and conceded after a tough battle to win from sixth on the grid last Sunday that he faces another challenge this weekend. "It's great to be in Mexico," he said. "We have a great history here, winning and taking a double podium in th e last two years and it's Checo's home race too so it will be a big one for us. "The atmosphere is always amazing and it is the highest altitude track of the season, which is stressful on the cars. Our RB19 has been faultless in most conditions so I'm looking forward to seeing how we perform. "We revert to a normal race format this weekend, too, so that is good –- and I expect more of a fight again. We'll need to use our strategy and the aim is to keep winning." Norris chasing first win Verstappen scored his 50th victory in Texas. Another win, which would increase his record for a single season to 16, would draw him level with four-time champion Frenchman Alain Prost. It would also bring his record-equalling 18th podium, a total he set in 2021. After winning four of the last five races in Mexico, Verstappen will be the man to beat, but knows that Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was close to catching him, before he finished two seconds behind in second place before being disqualified last weekend. Hamilton has won twice in Mexico and finished second in 2021 and 2022. Lando Norris of McLaren, who was promoted to second, is also capable of mounting a serious threat as he bids to avoid equalling German Nick Heidfeld's record of 13 podium finishes without claiming a win. Yet it may be Perez who emerges as his greatest rival now that, after his promotion to fourth last Sunday and Hamilton's disqualification, he holds a 39-points lead in the fight for second in the standings –- with Horner dreaming of Red Bull's maiden one-two finish. "It's not ideal when you go through a difficult period, but I love the challenge of getting back," said Perez. "The easiest thing would be to just walk out, but that's not me. "It's not who I am and I will not give up."

Formula 1: Red Bull's Sergio Perez to race for future at Mexico Grand Prix

Legendary Mercedes Formula One driver and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his unlikely Red Bull switch as he aimed at defending champions Max Verstappen before the Abu Dhabi GP. In news recently for an unlikely switch, Hamilton has been linked with several teams including Verstappen’s Red Bull. However, after his latest remarks on Thursday against Verstappen, both legends likely stay divided and not united before the 2024 Formula One season takes center stage.

<h2>Hamilton aims at Verstappen</h2>

"I 100 per cent would be more than happy to race against him (Verstappen) in an equal car," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

"For me, Red Bull has done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. And any driver would love to drive for such a great group of people.

"I think moving from a car that's not so great to a winning car, from my perspective, that's not a dream. The dream is always to start where we kind of are and build up to then winning. That's why I've stayed with Mercedes."

He concluded to the written press in Abu Dhabi: "I don't think he wants me to be his team-mate."

The Verstappen-Hamilton rivalry has been the recent big thing in Formula One, but 2023 was no- nonsense for the former as he won the Championship with four races to spare. The two were closet in 2021 fighting until the last turn when Verstappen piped Hamilton to clinch the Formula One World Championship.

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<h2>Hamilton in 2023</h2>

On Sunday both Hamilton and Verstappen will race on the same circuit of Abu Dhabi where they tussled for the championship. Compared to recent seasons, Hamilton has been below-par this campaign with just six podium finishes with his best coming at the Australian GP, Spanish GP and Mexican GP where he finished second. At the Hungarian GP, he ended a spell of 33 races without a pole position, his first since the 2021 Saudi Arabia GP and his record-extending 104th of his illustrious career. Currently, he has guaranteed a third-place finish with 232 points with one final race to go on Sunday.

Legendary Mercedes Formula One driver and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his unlikely Red Bull switch as he aimed at defending champions Max Verstappen before the Abu Dhabi GP.

Legendary Mercedes Formula One driver and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his unlikely Red Bull switch as he aimed at defending champions Max Verstappen before the Abu Dhabi GP. In news recently for an unlikely switch, Hamilton has been linked with several teams including Verstappen’s Red Bull. However, after his latest remarks on Thursday against Verstappen, both legends likely stay divided and not united before the 2024 Formula One season takes center stage. Hamilton aims at Verstappen "I 100 per cent would be more than happy to race against him (Verstappen) in an equal car," Hamilton told Sky Sports. "For me, Red Bull has done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. And any driver would love to drive for such a great group of people. "I think moving from a car that's not so great to a winning car, from my perspective, that's not a dream. The dream is always to start where we kind of are and build up to then winning. That's why I've stayed with Mercedes." He concluded to the written press in Abu Dhabi: "I don't think he wants me to be his team-mate." The Verstappen-Hamilton rivalry has been the recent big thing in Formula One, but 2023 was no- nonsense for the former as he won the Championship with four races to spare. The two were closet in 2021 fighting until the last turn when Verstappen piped Hamilton to clinch the Formula One World Championship. ALSO READ | RECORD-BREAKING 300 million fans watched India vs Australia ODI World Cup final on TV, says Jay Shah Hamilton in 2023 On Sunday both Hamilton and Verstappen will race on the same circuit of Abu Dhabi where they tussled for the championship. Compared to recent seasons, Hamilton has been below-par this campaign with just six podium finishes with his best coming at the Australian GP, Spanish GP and Mexican GP where he finished second. At the Hungarian GP, he ended a spell of 33 races without a pole position, his first since the 2021 Saudi Arabia GP and his record-extending 104th of his illustrious career. Currently, he has guaranteed a third-place finish with 232 points with one final race to go on Sunday.

F1: Max Verstappen doesn't want me to be his teammate - Lewis Hamilton opens up on unlikely Red Bull switch

In the high-octane world of Formula 1, Red Bull Racing is orchestrating a masterful performance that propels its energy drink sales into overdrive, leaving competitors in the dust.&nbsp;

With a staggering 19 out of 20 Grand Prix victories this season, Red Bull's dominance isn't merely a win; it's a checkered flag waved with the flair of a seasoned racing champion, echoing through the corridors of the energy drink market.

Undoubtedly, Red Bull Racing has become the roaring engine of the energy drink's global advertising campaign, burning rubber and leaving an indelible mark on millions of fans during 23 high-speed race weekends each year. This isn't just motorsport; it's a strategic spectacle designed to captivate audiences and elevate the Red Bull brand to new heights.

As the maestro of Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, clinched his third title in early October, the team secured the constructors championship in Japan, executing flawless pit stops and overtaking competitors with the finesse of a well-tuned racing machine. This isn't just a team; it's a billion-dollar powerhouse that understands the art of winning both on and off the track.

While specific sales metrics remain guarded, Red Bull isn't merely selling energy drinks; it's offering consumers a front-row seat to the thrilling spectacle of speed, power, and the sweet taste of victory.&nbsp;

In the fiercely competitive energy drink market, where every drop counts, Red Bull's Formula 1 dominance isn't just a marketing strategy; it's a podium finish.&nbsp;

The team's relentless pursuit of excellence mirrors the very qualities that consumers seek in their energy boost – the adrenaline rush of a high-speed chase, the precision of a perfectly executed pit stop, and the taste of triumph.

As the Formula 1 season hurtles towards its grand finale, Red Bull Racing isn't just leading the pack; it's setting the track ablaze, leaving rivals in the rearview mirror.&nbsp;

In the world of energy drinks, Red Bull Racing isn't just a team; it's a roaring testament to the fusion of speed, precision, and the unrivaled taste of victory.&nbsp;

For the business-savvy audience with a thrill for motorsport, Red Bull is the undisputed champion, turning each race into a billion-dollar spectacle that transcends the racetrack and ignites the market.

In the high-octane world of Formula 1, Red Bull Racing is orchestrating a masterful performance that propels its energy drink sales into overdrive, leaving competitors in the dust.

In the high-octane world of Formula 1, Red Bull Racing is orchestrating a masterful performance that propels its energy drink sales into overdrive, leaving competitors in the dust. With a staggering 19 out of 20 Grand Prix victories this season, Red Bull's dominance isn't merely a win; it's a checkered flag waved with the flair of a seasoned racing champion, echoing through the corridors of the energy drink market. Undoubtedly, Red Bull Racing has become the roaring engine of the energy drink's global advertising campaign, burning rubber and leaving an indelible mark on millions of fans during 23 high-speed race weekends each year. This isn't just motorsport; it's a strategic spectacle designed to captivate audiences and elevate the Red Bull brand to new heights. As the maestro of Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, clinched his third title in early October, the team secured the constructors championship in Japan, executing flawless pit stops and overtaking competitors with the finesse of a well-tuned racing machine. This isn't just a team; it's a billion-dollar powerhouse that understands the art of winning both on and off the track. While specific sales metrics remain guarded, Red Bull isn't merely selling energy drinks; it's offering consumers a front-row seat to the thrilling spectacle of speed, power, and the sweet taste of victory. In the fiercely competitive energy drink market, where every drop counts, Red Bull's Formula 1 dominance isn't just a marketing strategy; it's a podium finish. The team's relentless pursuit of excellence mirrors the very qualities that consumers seek in their energy boost – the adrenaline rush of a high-speed chase, the precision of a perfectly executed pit stop, and the taste of triumph. As the Formula 1 season hurtles towards its grand finale, Red Bull Racing isn't just leading the pack; it's setting the track ablaze, leaving rivals in the rearview mirror. In the world of energy drinks, Red Bull Racing isn't just a team; it's a roaring testament to the fusion of speed, precision, and the unrivaled taste of victory. For the business-savvy audience with a thrill for motorsport, Red Bull is the undisputed champion, turning each race into a billion-dollar spectacle that transcends the racetrack and ignites the market.

Decoded: How Red Bull Racing gives wings to its energy drinks 

Three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has slammed the Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for later in the weekend, saying the event is "99 per cent show" and that he isn't looking forward to the race.&nbsp;

The Grand Prix weekend kick-started on Wednesday evening with a lavish and rather over-the-top opening ceremony that featured performances from popular celebrities.&nbsp;

"It's 99 per cent show and one per cent sporting event.&nbsp;Not a lot of emotions to be honest. I mean I don't like...I just want to always focus on the performance side of things, I don't like all the things around it anyway," said Verstappen.&nbsp;

The Red Bull driver said he didn't have a chat with the F1 organisers about his views but doubted his views would have an impact on the proceedings.&nbsp;

"I don't know. I guess they still make money if I like it or not, so it's not up to me. But I'm also not going to fake it," he said.

<h2>No interesting: Verstappen on street circuit&nbsp;</h2>

Quizzed about the street circuit that has been laid across the Las Vegas strip, much to the inconvenience of the locals, Verstappen was blunt in his response.&nbsp;

"Yeah, not very interesting...it's just not many corners to be honest," Verstappen said, adding that he wasn't particularly looking forward to the race.

"No. No, but I'm looking forward to trying to do the best I can, but I'm not looking forward to this," he said, pointing to the hospitality areas above the paddock.

While F1's owners Liberty Media have grown the sport ever since taking over in 2016, the over-commercialisation has led to calls from the spectators to dial it down a bit.&nbsp;

The US has been given three races apart from the traditional race in Austin by the American owners in an attempt to tap the market. Mimai GP was introduced last year amid much criticism but Liberty Media have gone ahead and given the nod to Las Vegas GP as well, congesting the already cramped calendar.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/happy-to-let-anyone-max-verstappen-invites-critics-to-drive-his-f1-car-for-this-reason-650374">Also read |&nbsp;'Happy to let anyone...': Max Verstappen invites critics to drive his F1 car for THIS reason</a>

Having won the World Championship in Qatar in October, Verstappen would still be hoping to win the penultimate race before moving to Abu Dhabi where he has some fond memories of winning the maiden championship.&nbsp;

Verstappen won the Brazil Grand Prix earlier this month rather comfortably with McLaren's Lando Norris and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finishing behind him.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has slammed the Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for later in the weekend, saying the event is "99 per cent show" and that he isn't looking forward to the race.

Three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has slammed the Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for later in the weekend, saying the event is "99 per cent show" and that he isn't looking forward to the race. The Grand Prix weekend kick-started on Wednesday evening with a lavish and rather over-the-top opening ceremony that featured performances from popular celebrities. "It's 99 per cent show and one per cent sporting event. Not a lot of emotions to be honest. I mean I don't like...I just want to always focus on the performance side of things, I don't like all the things around it anyway," said Verstappen. The Red Bull driver said he didn't have a chat with the F1 organisers about his views but doubted his views would have an impact on the proceedings. "I don't know. I guess they still make money if I like it or not, so it's not up to me. But I'm also not going to fake it," he said. No interesting: Verstappen on street circuit Quizzed about the street circuit that has been laid across the Las Vegas strip, much to the inconvenience of the locals, Verstappen was blunt in his response. "Yeah, not very interesting...it's just not many corners to be honest," Verstappen said, adding that he wasn't particularly looking forward to the race. "No. No, but I'm looking forward to trying to do the best I can, but I'm not looking forward to this," he said, pointing to the hospitality areas above the paddock. While F1's owners Liberty Media have grown the sport ever since taking over in 2016, the over-commercialisation has led to calls from the spectators to dial it down a bit. The US has been given three races apart from the traditional race in Austin by the American owners in an attempt to tap the market. Mimai GP was introduced last year amid much criticism but Liberty Media have gone ahead and given the nod to Las Vegas GP as well, congesting the already cramped calendar. Also read | 'Happy to let anyone...': Max Verstappen invites critics to drive his F1 car for THIS reason Having won the World Championship in Qatar in October, Verstappen would still be hoping to win the penultimate race before moving to Abu Dhabi where he has some fond memories of winning the maiden championship. Verstappen won the Brazil Grand Prix earlier this month rather comfortably with McLaren's Lando Norris and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finishing behind him. (With inputs from agencies)

F1: 'I'm not going to fake it', Max Verstappen slams soulless Las Vegas GP

Formula One stewards have summoned representatives of Aston Martin, Williams and champions Red Bull to a virtual hearing on Wednesday as part of a petition by Haas to review the results of last month's U.S. Grand Prix.

The stewards said in a statement that the hearing would be potentially in two parts, with the first establishing whether there was a "significant and relevant new element" previously unavailable to the party seeking the review.

The second part will be convened at a time to be advised only if such an element is found.

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Haas, now bottom of the championship standings, are seeking a review after Williams driver Alex Albon, who ended up ninth in Austin, faced no action for alleged track limits breaches at turn six.

Haas had Nico Hulkenberg finish 11th in the race but a five second penalty for Albon would lift him into the final scoring position.

Stewards said at the time that based on the video footage available, which did not include CCTV, the evidence was not accurate or consistent enough to be sure Albon had gone over the white line.

Red Bull's involvement would appear to relate to Sergio Perez, fourth in the grand prix won by team mate Max Verstappen, while Canadian Lance Stroll was Aston Martin's only finisher in seventh place.

Formula One stewards have summoned representatives of Aston Martin, Williams and champions Red Bull to a virtual hearing on Wednesday as part of a petition by Haas to review the results of last month's U.

Formula One stewards have summoned representatives of Aston Martin, Williams and champions Red Bull to a virtual hearing on Wednesday as part of a petition by Haas to review the results of last month's U.S. Grand Prix. The stewards said in a statement that the hearing would be potentially in two parts, with the first establishing whether there was a "significant and relevant new element" previously unavailable to the party seeking the review. The second part will be convened at a time to be advised only if such an element is found. ALSO READ: Football: Spain's Jenni Hermoso hopes for positive change following kiss controversy Haas, now bottom of the championship standings, are seeking a review after Williams driver Alex Albon, who ended up ninth in Austin, faced no action for alleged track limits breaches at turn six. Haas had Nico Hulkenberg finish 11th in the race but a five second penalty for Albon would lift him into the final scoring position. Stewards said at the time that based on the video footage available, which did not include CCTV, the evidence was not accurate or consistent enough to be sure Albon had gone over the white line. Red Bull's involvement would appear to relate to Sergio Perez, fourth in the grand prix won by team mate Max Verstappen, while Canadian Lance Stroll was Aston Martin's only finisher in seventh place.

F1 - Red Bull, Aston Martin and Williams summoned in Haas hearing over October's US Grand Prix results

Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen took a record-extending 17th win of the Formula One season in Brazil on Sunday while Fernando Alonso provided the thrills in a red-flagged and re-started Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

McLaren's Lando Norris finished second, 8.2 seconds behind but with a bonus point for fastest lap, while Aston Martin's Alonso took third place by a whisker from Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Verstappen, now fourth in the all-time list of winners and ahead of French great Alain Prost after his 52nd career victory, clinched the title in Qatar last month while Red Bull have also retained their constructors' title.

The champions have won 19 of the 20 races so far, including the last five in a row.

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"Well done Max, that was absolutely clinical once again," said team boss Christian Horner over the radio as Verstappen took the chequered flag from pole position at Interlagos.

The victory stretched his lead over Perez to 266 points, with the Mexican now 32 clear of Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton in the battle for second overall.

"The starts were very important today. Both of them were I think very good. After that the whole race was about the management of the tyres," said Verstappen, who also won Saturday's sprint race.

While the Dutch driver's victory always looked inevitable, Alonso provided the late thrills with a dramatic battle with Perez in which he showed all the attacking fire and defensive skill of a double world champion.

The Spaniard crossed the finish line just 0.053 seconds ahead of the Mexican after Perez passed him on the penultimate lap and Alonso, the oldest man in the race at 42, grabbed the place back on the last.

"It was like 30 laps when I had the pressure from Checo (Perez)," he said. "When he passed me two laps to the end, I thought 'okay, this is gone, the podium is not possible anymore'.

"This is a phenomenal result for the team. We have been struggling for a couple of months, especially the last two events with two retirements."

Norris, who started Saturday's sprint on pole, said his result was "as good as we can get nowadays and for the time being".

The podium was the 13th of the Briton's career, equalling Nick Heidfeld's unwanted record of the most top-three finishes without a win.

<h2>FERRARI BLOW, MERCEDES MISERY</h2>

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was fifth, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Hamilton, whose Mercedes team had their worst result of the season so far.

Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for AlphaTauri and Esteban Ocon took the final point for Alpine.

George Russell, last year's winner for Mercedes, retired from 11th place with an overheating power unit facing imminent failure.

Ferrari suffered a blow before the race had even started when Charles Leclerc, who had qualified on the front row, crashed out on the formation lap but still gained ultimately on Mercedes in the standings.

Norris was the big beneficiary, powering from sixth to second into the first corner and speeding past the two Aston Martins on the inside while Hamilton did the same on the outside.

A collision into the first corner involving Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and Williams's Alex Albon triggered the safety car before the race was red-flagged for repairs to the tyre barrier.

Verstappen again led cleanly away from the standing re-start, with Norris holding second place and putting some initial pressure on the Red Bull driver before the challenge faded, while Alonso passed Hamilton for third.

The red flags helped McLaren's Australian rookie Oscar Piastri who was caught up in the first-lap carnage but whose mechanics then had time to repair the damage and get him back out from a pitlane start.

Compatriot Daniel Ricciardo, whose AlphaTauri's rear wing was broken by a bouncing tyre at the first start, was also given a second chance.

Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen took a record-extending 17th win of the Formula One season in Brazil on Sunday while Fernando Alonso provided the thrills in a red-flagged and re-started Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen took a record-extending 17th win of the Formula One season in Brazil on Sunday while Fernando Alonso provided the thrills in a red-flagged and re-started Sao Paulo Grand Prix. McLaren's Lando Norris finished second, 8.2 seconds behind but with a bonus point for fastest lap, while Aston Martin's Alonso took third place by a whisker from Red Bull's Sergio Perez. Verstappen, now fourth in the all-time list of winners and ahead of French great Alain Prost after his 52nd career victory, clinched the title in Qatar last month while Red Bull have also retained their constructors' title. The champions have won 19 of the 20 races so far, including the last five in a row. ALSO READ: Premier League: Arsenal blast PGMOL for referring controversy in Newcastle game "Well done Max, that was absolutely clinical once again," said team boss Christian Horner over the radio as Verstappen took the chequered flag from pole position at Interlagos. The victory stretched his lead over Perez to 266 points, with the Mexican now 32 clear of Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton in the battle for second overall. "The starts were very important today. Both of them were I think very good. After that the whole race was about the management of the tyres," said Verstappen, who also won Saturday's sprint race. While the Dutch driver's victory always looked inevitable, Alonso provided the late thrills with a dramatic battle with Perez in which he showed all the attacking fire and defensive skill of a double world champion. The Spaniard crossed the finish line just 0.053 seconds ahead of the Mexican after Perez passed him on the penultimate lap and Alonso, the oldest man in the race at 42, grabbed the place back on the last. "It was like 30 laps when I had the pressure from Checo (Perez)," he said. "When he passed me two laps to the end, I thought 'okay, this is gone, the podium is not possible anymore'. "This is a phenomenal result for the team. We have been struggling for a couple of months, especially the last two events with two retirements." Norris, who started Saturday's sprint on pole, said his result was "as good as we can get nowadays and for the time being". The podium was the 13th of the Briton's career, equalling Nick Heidfeld's unwanted record of the most top-three finishes without a win. FERRARI BLOW, MERCEDES MISERY Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was fifth, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Hamilton, whose Mercedes team had their worst result of the season so far. Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for AlphaTauri and Esteban Ocon took the final point for Alpine. George Russell, last year's winner for Mercedes, retired from 11th place with an overheating power unit facing imminent failure. Ferrari suffered a blow before the race had even started when Charles Leclerc, who had qualified on the front row, crashed out on the formation lap but still gained ultimately on Mercedes in the standings. Norris was the big beneficiary, powering from sixth to second into the first corner and speeding past the two Aston Martins on the inside while Hamilton did the same on the outside. A collision into the first corner involving Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and Williams's Alex Albon triggered the safety car before the race was red-flagged for repairs to the tyre barrier. Verstappen again led cleanly away from the standing re-start, with Norris holding second place and putting some initial pressure on the Red Bull driver before the challenge faded, while Alonso passed Hamilton for third. The red flags helped McLaren's Australian rookie Oscar Piastri who was caught up in the first-lap carnage but whose mechanics then had time to repair the damage and get him back out from a pitlane start. Compatriot Daniel Ricciardo, whose AlphaTauri's rear wing was broken by a bouncing tyre at the first start, was also given a second chance.

Formula 1: Red Bull's Max Verstappen grabs 17th win of season at Sao Paulo Grand Prix in sprint race

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is willing to lend his powerful R19 Formula 1 car to anyone if they want to test the track limits and see if they can do better than the three-time world champion.

Verstappen is of the view that it is difficult for drivers to monitor the track limits at certain tracks and that pundits went overboard with the criticism.&nbsp;

“I will happily let anyone else drive my car, see if they can do better with track limits. Some tracks, yeah, just a lot of runoff, so naturally you are a bit…you find probably the limits a bit easier because we never really talk about track limits, for example, in Suzuka and that’s probably a bit more of an old-school track.”

Ever since the white line was set as the standard limit across all tracks by the FIA, it has become one of the big topics of discussion. The Austrian driver said owning to the new regulations, drivers were playing safe and not pushing these powerful machines to their limits.

“The latest kind of track standards, they have a thing to do with it and it’s a bit of a shame," Verstappen said.

"I feel like with some of these new tracks that you’re more focused on a qualy lap to not go over a white line than actually finding the limit or just the pure enjoyment of pushing. It’s more like you’re looking at: ‘did I make it or not?’ Oh, yeah, I made it’.”

During the US Grand Prix qualifying, Verstappen earned a P3 spot on the grid but his final qualifying lap was deleted after he went a fraction wide on turn 19. Consequently, he started the race from P6.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/f1-max-verstappen-grabs-50th-career-win-at-us-grand-prix-lewis-hamilton-disqualified-after-post-race-checks-650125">Also read |&nbsp;F1: Max Verstappen grabs 50th career win at US Grand Prix; Lewis Hamilton disqualified after post-race checks</a>

<h2>Verstappen booed</h2>

Having won the World Championship in Qatar earlier this month, Verstappen refused to lift the foot off the pedal at the US GP where he claimed an impressive fightback victory.&nbsp;

Verstappen managed to keep a charging Lewis Hamilton at bay to secure his 50th career win from sixth on the grid. However, the crowd in Austin was loudly booed when he took to the podium to receive the trophy.&nbsp;

Fans were heard chanting Verstappen's Red Bull teammate&nbsp;Sergio Perez's name while Hamilton and Lando Norris were both met with applause.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is willing to lend his powerful R19 Formula 1 car to anyone if they want to test the track limits and see if they can do better than the three-time world champion.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is willing to lend his powerful R19 Formula 1 car to anyone if they want to test the track limits and see if they can do better than the three-time world champion. Verstappen is of the view that it is difficult for drivers to monitor the track limits at certain tracks and that pundits went overboard with the criticism. “I will happily let anyone else drive my car, see if they can do better with track limits. Some tracks, yeah, just a lot of runoff, so naturally you are a bit…you find probably the limits a bit easier because we never really talk about track limits, for example, in Suzuka and that’s probably a bit more of an old-school track.” Ever since the white line was set as the standard limit across all tracks by the FIA, it has become one of the big topics of discussion. The Austrian driver said owning to the new regulations, drivers were playing safe and not pushing these powerful machines to their limits. “The latest kind of track standards, they have a thing to do with it and it’s a bit of a shame," Verstappen said. "I feel like with some of these new tracks that you’re more focused on a qualy lap to not go over a white line than actually finding the limit or just the pure enjoyment of pushing. It’s more like you’re looking at: ‘did I make it or not?’ Oh, yeah, I made it’.” During the US Grand Prix qualifying, Verstappen earned a P3 spot on the grid but his final qualifying lap was deleted after he went a fraction wide on turn 19. Consequently, he started the race from P6. Also read | F1: Max Verstappen grabs 50th career win at US Grand Prix; Lewis Hamilton disqualified after post-race checks Verstappen booed Having won the World Championship in Qatar earlier this month, Verstappen refused to lift the foot off the pedal at the US GP where he claimed an impressive fightback victory. Verstappen managed to keep a charging Lewis Hamilton at bay to secure his 50th career win from sixth on the grid. However, the crowd in Austin was loudly booed when he took to the podium to receive the trophy. Fans were heard chanting Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez's name while Hamilton and Lando Norris were both met with applause. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Happy to let anyone...': Max Verstappen invites critics to drive his F1 car for THIS reason

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen has weighed in on his future in Formula 1. Quizzed if the fans would ever see him in the iconic red of Ferrari, Verstappen said he would be 31 when his current contract expires and a switch may not be completely out of the picture.&nbsp;

The Dutch driver has been in a class of his own ever since he won the first title in 2021, in&nbsp;a rather controversial manner against Lewis Hamilton. He won the third championship last week at the Qatar Grand Prix, with four races still left in the calendar.&nbsp;

“It has an incredible history in this sport and is a great opponent to compete against. Future at Ferrari? When my current contract expires I will be 31 years old and I think I can still do well," Verstappen was quoted as saying by Sportweek.&nbsp;

Verstappen has been with Red Bull since 2016 and the two have enjoyed a highly fruitful partnership over the years. Despite rumours surrounding a Ferrari move, Verstappen added that he was happy with Red Bull and felt at home with the current team.&nbsp;

"It would be a beautiful story if I could drive here forever, that's for sure, something that will be amazing. I'm really happy with where I am. I feel at home, I feel really happy with the people who are very close to me here in the team. For me, this is not something that I need to seek. I have a few more years left on my contract anyway, so I'm just enjoying the moment."

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<h2>Ferrari's title drought&nbsp;</h2>

While Red Bull has been enjoying a stellar run on the F1 grid, Ferrari has been struggling. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have struggled to land consistent podiums this season, primarily due to deficiencies in the car. The last driver to win the championship&nbsp;with Ferrari remains Kimi Raikkonen, who won it in 2007.&nbsp;

Regarding the lack of competition around him, Verstappen wished to have more challenge.&nbsp;

"I mean, yes, to fight different teams. But on the other hand, I also really challenge myself. I really try to get the best out of myself every single weekend. I try to look at things that I can do better and I try to improve as a driver, which I think is also great because you have all this success, right?"

At the back end of the season, Mercedes and McLaren have emerged as the two rivals that can potentially challenge Verstappen next year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Three-time world champion Max Verstappen has weighed in on his future in Formula 1. Quizzed if the fans would ever see him in the iconic red of Ferrari, Verstappen said he would be 31 when his current contract expires and a switch may not be completely out of the picture.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen has weighed in on his future in Formula 1. Quizzed if the fans would ever see him in the iconic red of Ferrari, Verstappen said he would be 31 when his current contract expires and a switch may not be completely out of the picture. The Dutch driver has been in a class of his own ever since he won the first title in 2021, in a rather controversial manner against Lewis Hamilton. He won the third championship last week at the Qatar Grand Prix, with four races still left in the calendar. “It has an incredible history in this sport and is a great opponent to compete against. Future at Ferrari? When my current contract expires I will be 31 years old and I think I can still do well," Verstappen was quoted as saying by Sportweek. Verstappen has been with Red Bull since 2016 and the two have enjoyed a highly fruitful partnership over the years. Despite rumours surrounding a Ferrari move, Verstappen added that he was happy with Red Bull and felt at home with the current team. "It would be a beautiful story if I could drive here forever, that's for sure, something that will be amazing. I'm really happy with where I am. I feel at home, I feel really happy with the people who are very close to me here in the team. For me, this is not something that I need to seek. I have a few more years left on my contract anyway, so I'm just enjoying the moment." Also read | Motor Racing: Women's F1 Academy to support seven Grand Prix in next season Ferrari's title drought While Red Bull has been enjoying a stellar run on the F1 grid, Ferrari has been struggling. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have struggled to land consistent podiums this season, primarily due to deficiencies in the car. The last driver to win the championship with Ferrari remains Kimi Raikkonen, who won it in 2007. Regarding the lack of competition around him, Verstappen wished to have more challenge. "I mean, yes, to fight different teams. But on the other hand, I also really challenge myself. I really try to get the best out of myself every single weekend. I try to look at things that I can do better and I try to improve as a driver, which I think is also great because you have all this success, right?" At the back end of the season, Mercedes and McLaren have emerged as the two rivals that can potentially challenge Verstappen next year. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Will Max Verstappen join Ferrari? Three-time world champion weighs in on his future

Normal service resumed for double-world champion Max Verstappen as he claimed a dominant victory in an otherwise action-packed Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull's double-world Champion Max Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix

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

Carlos Sainz led from start to finish to win a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday after a charging George Russell crashed his Mercedes from third place on the final lap.

Lando Norris was second in a McLaren with Lewis Hamilton crossing the line in third. Championship leader Max Verstappen was fifth as Red Bull failed to win a race for the first time this season.

Sainz controlled the pace of the night race brilliantly from pole position to take only his second win, the first coming at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year.

It ended Red Bull's hopes of sweeping every race in 2023 as Verstappen, who has won the last 10 races in a row, could only work his way up from 11th on the grid into the top five.

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Sainz seemed set for a comfortable win until a virtual safety car period 20 laps from the end gave the two Mercedes the chance to change to fresh medium compound tyres.

Russell and Hamilton soon reeled in and passed the second Ferrari of Charles Lelerc, who finished fourth.

But when they got on the heels of the top two they could not get past as Sainz cleverly kept his former teammate Norris within DRS range so the Englishman could defend second place.

Russell was all over the back of Norris until his challenge ended in the wall at turn eight of the final lap, handing Hamilton the final podium place.

Carlos Sainz led from start to finish to win a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday after a charging George Russell crashed his Mercedes from third place on the final lap.

Carlos Sainz led from start to finish to win a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday after a charging George Russell crashed his Mercedes from third place on the final lap. Lando Norris was second in a McLaren with Lewis Hamilton crossing the line in third. Championship leader Max Verstappen was fifth as Red Bull failed to win a race for the first time this season. Sainz controlled the pace of the night race brilliantly from pole position to take only his second win, the first coming at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year. It ended Red Bull's hopes of sweeping every race in 2023 as Verstappen, who has won the last 10 races in a row, could only work his way up from 11th on the grid into the top five. ALSO READ | 'Not capable of being in team if...,' says former Pakistan batter Younis Khan on skipper Babar Azam Sainz seemed set for a comfortable win until a virtual safety car period 20 laps from the end gave the two Mercedes the chance to change to fresh medium compound tyres. Russell and Hamilton soon reeled in and passed the second Ferrari of Charles Lelerc, who finished fourth. But when they got on the heels of the top two they could not get past as Sainz cleverly kept his former teammate Norris within DRS range so the Englishman could defend second place. Russell was all over the back of Norris until his challenge ended in the wall at turn eight of the final lap, handing Hamilton the final podium place.

Formula One: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz wins Singapore GPA to end Red Bull win streak

Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull. Red Bull's 13th consecutive victory made the team the first in the sport's 73-year history to win the opening 12 races of a season, one more than McLaren managed in 1988 with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Verstappen extended his championship lead over Perez to 125 points -- the equivalent of five race wins -- after taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds ahead of the Mexican who started on the front row.

"I knew we had a great car, it was just about surviving turn one," said the double world champion, who has now won in Belgium for three years in a row including from 14th on the grid last year. "From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/womens-world-cup-series-of-upsets-continue-as-colombia-stun-germany-2-1-620813">Women's World Cup: Series of upsets continue as Colombia stun Germany 2-1</a>

The Belgian-born Dutchman is heading for a third title with plenty of races to spare, the only real doubt being where he might seal it, and ripping up the record books as he goes.

The next race is his home Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August where he can equal Red Bull's now-retired quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel's 2013 record of nine successive wins in a season.

Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for Ferrari, completed the podium with Lewis Hamilton fourth and securing fastest lap for Mercedes.

The one-two was Red Bull's fifth of the season and so comfortable for Verstappen that his feisty radio chats with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase provided much more of a talking point.

They also showed his supreme confidence, even if some of it was not entirely serious.

"I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training," Verstappen suggested with 14 laps remaining. "No, not this time," came the reply.

Lambiase had earlier told Verstappen sharply to "use your head a bit more" and questioned whether it had been sensible for the driver to push so hard on the tyres on his out lap after a stop.

"Max, please follow my instruction and trust it," Lambiase told his driver as early as lap 12 after his word had been questioned.

<h2>AGGRESSIVE START</h2>

Perez made an aggressive start from second on the grid, tucking in behind Leclerc through the tight, opening La Source corner and then blasting past on the Kemmel straight to seize the lead.

Verstappen was already up to fourth and chasing Hamilton.

He passed the seven-time world champion on lap six at Les Combes and pulled off a similar move on Leclerc three laps later at the same place to start the chase of Perez and a private Red Bull battle.

By lap 16, after both had pitted with Verstappen's stop half a second faster, the Dutch driver was right on Perez's tail and perfectly placed to blow past the Mexican on the Kemmel straight and pull away.

Perez never got another chance after that.

Fernando Alonso was fifth for Aston Martin, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and Yuki Tsunoda took the final point for AlphaTauri.

Red Bull now lead Mercedes in the constructors' standings by a mighty 256 points.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri was the race's first casualty, the Australian rookie stopping by the side of the track after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz squeezed him against the wall at La Source on the opening lap.

"I don't know what he was doing. I was there and he just turned in like I didn't exist," said the Australian rookie who finished second in Saturday's sprint.

Sainz's sidepod was holed in the contact and the Spaniard dropped down the field before pitting to retire at the end of lap 23, with the car wheeled into the garage.

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Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull.

Formula One leader Max Verstappen raced from sixth on the grid to a crushing eighth win in a row on Sunday with Sergio Perez a distant second to seal the Belgian Grand Prix one-two for rampant Red Bull. Red Bull's 13th consecutive victory made the team the first in the sport's 73-year history to win the opening 12 races of a season, one more than McLaren managed in 1988 with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Verstappen extended his championship lead over Perez to 125 points -- the equivalent of five race wins -- after taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds ahead of the Mexican who started on the front row. "I knew we had a great car, it was just about surviving turn one," said the double world champion, who has now won in Belgium for three years in a row including from 14th on the grid last year. "From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves." ALSO READ: Women's World Cup: Series of upsets continue as Colombia stun Germany 2-1 The Belgian-born Dutchman is heading for a third title with plenty of races to spare, the only real doubt being where he might seal it, and ripping up the record books as he goes. The next race is his home Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August where he can equal Red Bull's now-retired quadruple champion Sebastian Vettel's 2013 record of nine successive wins in a season. Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for Ferrari, completed the podium with Lewis Hamilton fourth and securing fastest lap for Mercedes. The one-two was Red Bull's fifth of the season and so comfortable for Verstappen that his feisty radio chats with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase provided much more of a talking point. They also showed his supreme confidence, even if some of it was not entirely serious. "I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training," Verstappen suggested with 14 laps remaining. "No, not this time," came the reply. Lambiase had earlier told Verstappen sharply to "use your head a bit more" and questioned whether it had been sensible for the driver to push so hard on the tyres on his out lap after a stop. "Max, please follow my instruction and trust it," Lambiase told his driver as early as lap 12 after his word had been questioned. AGGRESSIVE START Perez made an aggressive start from second on the grid, tucking in behind Leclerc through the tight, opening La Source corner and then blasting past on the Kemmel straight to seize the lead. Verstappen was already up to fourth and chasing Hamilton. He passed the seven-time world champion on lap six at Les Combes and pulled off a similar move on Leclerc three laps later at the same place to start the chase of Perez and a private Red Bull battle. By lap 16, after both had pitted with Verstappen's stop half a second faster, the Dutch driver was right on Perez's tail and perfectly placed to blow past the Mexican on the Kemmel straight and pull away. Perez never got another chance after that. Fernando Alonso was fifth for Aston Martin, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Esteban Ocon. Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and Yuki Tsunoda took the final point for AlphaTauri. Red Bull now lead Mercedes in the constructors' standings by a mighty 256 points. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was the race's first casualty, the Australian rookie stopping by the side of the track after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz squeezed him against the wall at La Source on the opening lap. "I don't know what he was doing. I was there and he just turned in like I didn't exist," said the Australian rookie who finished second in Saturday's sprint. Sainz's sidepod was holed in the contact and the Spaniard dropped down the field before pitting to retire at the end of lap 23, with the car wheeled into the garage. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Formula 1: Max Verstappen makes light of Spa penalty to secure eighth straight win

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite Max Verstappen having set the fastest time in qualifying on Friday.

Double world champion Verstappen incurred a five-grid penalty for a change of gearbox on his Red Bull demoting him to sixth for Sunday's race.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez will start alongside Leclerc on the front row for the 12th race of the Formula One season.

Verstappen, who leads the championship by 110 points, won at Spa-Francorchamps last year from 14th on the grid.

"Last year we had lots of penalties and I still won the race so that will be the aim again," said the Belgian-born Dutch driver.

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Leclerc, eight-tenths of a second slower than Verstappen, said: "Not a bad qualifying for us, especially in those conditions. Let's see how it goes."

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari occupy the second row ahead of McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Saturday features the third sprint race of the F1 season after Azerbaijan and Austria, with qualifying for the standalone race scheduled for Saturday morning at the majestic Ardennes circuit.

Verstappen's penalty does not apply to the sprint.

&nbsp;

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite Max Verstappen having set the fastest time in qualifying on Friday. Double world champion Verstappen incurred a five-grid penalty for a change of gearbox on his Red Bull demoting him to sixth for Sunday's race.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite Max Verstappen having set the fastest time in qualifying on Friday. Double world champion Verstappen incurred a five-grid penalty for a change of gearbox on his Red Bull demoting him to sixth for Sunday's race. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez will start alongside Leclerc on the front row for the 12th race of the Formula One season. Verstappen, who leads the championship by 110 points, won at Spa-Francorchamps last year from 14th on the grid. "Last year we had lots of penalties and I still won the race so that will be the aim again," said the Belgian-born Dutch driver. ALSO READ | Ashes 2023: Moeen Ali's injury a big turning point in Oval Test, feels former England captain Nasser Hussain Leclerc, eight-tenths of a second slower than Verstappen, said: "Not a bad qualifying for us, especially in those conditions. Let's see how it goes." Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari occupy the second row ahead of McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Saturday features the third sprint race of the F1 season after Azerbaijan and Austria, with qualifying for the standalone race scheduled for Saturday morning at the majestic Ardennes circuit. Verstappen's penalty does not apply to the sprint. 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: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starts from pole at Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen penalty

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

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve. Ricciardo raced for Red Bull Racing from 2014-18, taking seven of his eight wins with the British-based team. Perez, who joined in 2021, has a contract to the end of 2024.

"He (Ricciardo) firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That's his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri I think he sees that as his best route for stating his case for 2025," Horner told&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One's F1 Nation podcast. Ricciardo has replaced under-performing Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries, who failed to score a point this year, at bottom-placed AlphaTauri with 12 of the season's 22 races remaining.

"At the moment, there's only something in place until the end of the season, so there are no thoughts or expectations beyond that," said Horner. "We've loaned him to AlphaTauri until the end of the year. Obviously, our drivers are going to be Max (Verstappen) and Checo (Perez) again next year, but it's always good to have talent in reserve."

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Red Bull have dominated the season, winning every race, but Verstappen is a hefty 99 points clear of Perez after winning eight of the 10. The Mexican's form has led to speculation that he too might not see out the full term of his contract.

Last week's axeing of De Vries was seen as particularly harsh since it came before the Dutch driver had a chance to race in his home race at Zandvoort in August but Horner said delaying the decision made no sense. He revealed also that the firing came about 11 laps into Ricciardo's impressive tyre test for Pirelli after the British Grand Prix.

"That would have meant obviously leaving him in the car until after the summer break," he said. "I think the situation was clear. It was a question of OK, what's the point in waiting? "If we've got to do something, we might as well get on with it and give Daniel 12 races to see what he's capable of."

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Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his Formula One comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve.

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican's contract ends, team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Australian will be starting his Formula One comeback with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in Hungary this weekend after leaving McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull reserve. Ricciardo raced for Red Bull Racing from 2014-18, taking seven of his eight wins with the British-based team. Perez, who joined in 2021, has a contract to the end of 2024. "He (Ricciardo) firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That's his goal and objective. By going to AlphaTauri I think he sees that as his best route for stating his case for 2025," Horner told Formula One's F1 Nation podcast. Ricciardo has replaced under-performing Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries, who failed to score a point this year, at bottom-placed AlphaTauri with 12 of the season's 22 races remaining. "At the moment, there's only something in place until the end of the season, so there are no thoughts or expectations beyond that," said Horner. "We've loaned him to AlphaTauri until the end of the year. Obviously, our drivers are going to be Max (Verstappen) and Checo (Perez) again next year, but it's always good to have talent in reserve." Also read: Tour de France: Jonas Vingegaard dominates Tadej Pogacar in close duel Red Bull have dominated the season, winning every race, but Verstappen is a hefty 99 points clear of Perez after winning eight of the 10. The Mexican's form has led to speculation that he too might not see out the full term of his contract. Last week's axeing of De Vries was seen as particularly harsh since it came before the Dutch driver had a chance to race in his home race at Zandvoort in August but Horner said delaying the decision made no sense. He revealed also that the firing came about 11 laps into Ricciardo's impressive tyre test for Pirelli after the British Grand Prix. "That would have meant obviously leaving him in the car until after the summer break," he said. "I think the situation was clear. It was a question of OK, what's the point in waiting? "If we've got to do something, we might as well get on with it and give Daniel 12 races to see what he's capable of." 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: Daniel Ricciardo out to replace Sergio Perez for 2025, says Red Bull boss Christian Horner

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.

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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

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;

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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

Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year’s title race to 53 points on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick by driving his Red Bull to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Dutchman led from lights to flag to come home 24 seconds ahead of revitalised seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, in their much-improved Mercedes’ cars.

It was Verstappen’s third consecutive win, his third in Spain, his fifth in seven races this season and the 40th of his career, achieved despite receiving three official warnings for exceeding track limits.

"It’s such a big pleasure to drive a car like this," said Verstappen. "And it showed again today. We were on different tyre strategies out there today and mostly I was on the right one! And to win here is incredible."

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Hamilton’s second place provided him with his 11th podium finish in Spain, where he has won six times.

"Oh, man, what an awesome crowd and result," said Hamilton. “And I didn’t expect that so hats off to the team and our factory for pushing us so close to the ‘Bulls. We are chasing them down -- and George did a great job too today."

Russell said he was surprised to finish third after starting 12th. "Kudos to the team for that," he said. “I had a great car today."

Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez battled through the field, after starting 11th, to finish fourth ahead of Ferrari’s home hero Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll and his Aston Martin team-mate two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who was unable to extend his streak of podiums on home ground.

The race began in hot conditions with an air temperature of 25 degrees and the track at 42, but gathering clouds threatened. The risk of rain was 40 per cent.

Verstappen made a clean start and resisted Sainz into the first corner before, behind him, Hamilton swept round Norris, only for the McLaren to make contract under braking at Turn Two.

Norris’s front wing was damaged, requiring a pit-stop, but Hamilton escaped serious damage. The collision gifted Stroll third place, but this was not to be Aston Martin’s day.

Russell also left the track on the opening lap, at the first chicane. He was not penalised, despite gaining five places from the start.

Verstappen stamped his authority on proceedings and by lap 11 led Sainz by 5.3 seconds with Hamilton, thanks to a sweeping pass on Stroll on lap eight, in third.

By mid-distance, Verstappen led by 13.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who was six clear of Sainz and pulling away. Russell, fourth, passed the Spaniard under braking at Turn One on lap 35, confirming the ‘silver arrows’ outright speed in the sunshine.

Verstappen, who had complained of sliding on his worn hards, came in for his final stop on lap 53, taking softs to reach the finish. He was more than 16 seconds clear of Hamilton when he re-joined for his cruise to the flag.&nbsp;

With six laps remaining, he was shown a third black-and-white warning flag. "We can’t afford anything," his team warned him as he enquired about his fastest lap.

Verstappen responded with a lap in 1:16.330, the fastest. "OK, now can you bring it home within the white lines," came race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase’s response.

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Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year’s title race to 53 points on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick by driving his Red Bull to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year’s title race to 53 points on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick by driving his Red Bull to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Dutchman led from lights to flag to come home 24 seconds ahead of revitalised seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, in their much-improved Mercedes’ cars. It was Verstappen’s third consecutive win, his third in Spain, his fifth in seven races this season and the 40th of his career, achieved despite receiving three official warnings for exceeding track limits. "It’s such a big pleasure to drive a car like this," said Verstappen. "And it showed again today. We were on different tyre strategies out there today and mostly I was on the right one! And to win here is incredible." ALSO READ: French Open 2023: Miyu Kato, Aldila Sutjiadi disqualified after accidently hitting ballgirl during match Hamilton’s second place provided him with his 11th podium finish in Spain, where he has won six times. "Oh, man, what an awesome crowd and result," said Hamilton. “And I didn’t expect that so hats off to the team and our factory for pushing us so close to the ‘Bulls. We are chasing them down -- and George did a great job too today." Russell said he was surprised to finish third after starting 12th. "Kudos to the team for that," he said. “I had a great car today." Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez battled through the field, after starting 11th, to finish fourth ahead of Ferrari’s home hero Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll and his Aston Martin team-mate two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who was unable to extend his streak of podiums on home ground. The race began in hot conditions with an air temperature of 25 degrees and the track at 42, but gathering clouds threatened. The risk of rain was 40 per cent. Verstappen made a clean start and resisted Sainz into the first corner before, behind him, Hamilton swept round Norris, only for the McLaren to make contract under braking at Turn Two. Norris’s front wing was damaged, requiring a pit-stop, but Hamilton escaped serious damage. The collision gifted Stroll third place, but this was not to be Aston Martin’s day. Russell also left the track on the opening lap, at the first chicane. He was not penalised, despite gaining five places from the start. Verstappen stamped his authority on proceedings and by lap 11 led Sainz by 5.3 seconds with Hamilton, thanks to a sweeping pass on Stroll on lap eight, in third. By mid-distance, Verstappen led by 13.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who was six clear of Sainz and pulling away. Russell, fourth, passed the Spaniard under braking at Turn One on lap 35, confirming the ‘silver arrows’ outright speed in the sunshine. Verstappen, who had complained of sliding on his worn hards, came in for his final stop on lap 53, taking softs to reach the finish. He was more than 16 seconds clear of Hamilton when he re-joined for his cruise to the flag. With six laps remaining, he was shown a third black-and-white warning flag. "We can’t afford anything," his team warned him as he enquired about his fastest lap. Verstappen responded with a lap in 1:16.330, the fastest. "OK, now can you bring it home within the white lines," came race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase’s response. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Formula One: Max Verstappen extends lead in this year’s title race with masterful win in Spanish Grand Prix

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

Sergio Perez won Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix with teammate Max Verstappen in second to ram home Red Bull's supremacy over the rest of the&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;grid.

Ferrari's pole-sitter Charles Leclerc completed the podium, a respectable third.

"Vamos!" exclaimed the Mexican on the team radio after making it a hugely profitable weekend in Baku where he also claimed Saturday's sprint race.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner acknowledged Perez's "sensational weekend".

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He added: "He’s always been outstanding on this track, I don’t know what it is about Azerbaijan, but he absolutely excels here."&nbsp;

Red Bull's roll through 2023 after four races now reads four wins plus Saturday's sprint, three poles,&nbsp;and three 1-2s.

Verstappen leads the drivers' championship by just six points ahead of the fifth round of the record 23-race season in Miami.

Perez' engineer told him on the team radio he was the "king of the streets" and with justification as five of his six&nbsp;F1&nbsp;wins - not counting Saturday's sprint - have come on street circuits, twice in Baku alongside victories in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and Singapore.

The popular Perez, who believes he can really challenge Verstappen for the title, said: "It really worked out today for us (me), we managed to keep the pressure on Max. I think it was very close between us, we pushed to the maximum, we both hit the wall a few times but we (I) managed to keep him under control."

Leclerc conceded that for the time being at any rate Red Bull were in "another league once it comes to the race".

"Over 51 laps it was not possible, they have so much more pace than we do. Everyone is working flat out to understand what we can do in the races to close the gap."

<h2>Safety car</h2>

The warmest day of a frenetic sprint weekend had the drivers arriving onto the grid, umbrellas&nbsp;perched on their cars.

After a resounding rendition of the national anthem the covers came off the tyres and the lights went out with pole-sitter Leclerc holding off Verstappen to the 90 degree turn one.

The Dutch ace had the Ferrari in his cross hairs though, waiting to pounce.

The inevitable happened on lap four as the Red Bull star nipped past, leaving Leclerc sandwiching the Red Bulls.

Perez inched closer to the slower red rival and duly coasted past on lap six.

Verstappen pitted on lap 10 leaving Perez in control but then the safety car intervened to clear Nyck De Vries's stricken Alpha Tauri after hitting a wall.

All the leaders used the safety interlude to take a free pit stop with racing resuming under a safety car restart on lap 13.

Perez managed that slickly as Verstappen got the better of Leclerc to leave the Red Bulls in front.

At the midway point Perez led from Verstappen with Leclerc a forlorn 13sec behind, and that's as it ended up in a race that will not figure on most fans top five of the season.

Fernando Alonso only narrowly missed out on a fourth consecutive podium, the 41-year-old Spaniard finishing fourth in the Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was in sixth ahead of Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin.

George Russell, who secured the point for the fastest lap, was ninth for Mercedes with Yuki Tsunoda's Alpha Tauri rounding out the top 10.

Verstappen was relaxed at his teammate taking the limelight.

"We know it's a very long season, you keep learning - it can never be perfect all the time."

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Sergio Perez won Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix with teammate Max Verstappen in second to ram home Red Bull's supremacy over the rest of the Formula One grid. Ferrari's pole-sitter Charles Leclerc completed the podium, a respectable third.

Sergio Perez won Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix with teammate Max Verstappen in second to ram home Red Bull's supremacy over the rest of the Formula One grid. Ferrari's pole-sitter Charles Leclerc completed the podium, a respectable third. "Vamos!" exclaimed the Mexican on the team radio after making it a hugely profitable weekend in Baku where he also claimed Saturday's sprint race. Red Bull boss Christian Horner acknowledged Perez's "sensational weekend". Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2023: Curry drops 50 as Warriors beat Kings 4-3, Heat take first game in Round 2 He added: "He’s always been outstanding on this track, I don’t know what it is about Azerbaijan, but he absolutely excels here." Red Bull's roll through 2023 after four races now reads four wins plus Saturday's sprint, three poles, and three 1-2s. Verstappen leads the drivers' championship by just six points ahead of the fifth round of the record 23-race season in Miami. Perez' engineer told him on the team radio he was the "king of the streets" and with justification as five of his six F1 wins - not counting Saturday's sprint - have come on street circuits, twice in Baku alongside victories in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and Singapore. The popular Perez, who believes he can really challenge Verstappen for the title, said: "It really worked out today for us (me), we managed to keep the pressure on Max. I think it was very close between us, we pushed to the maximum, we both hit the wall a few times but we (I) managed to keep him under control." Leclerc conceded that for the time being at any rate Red Bull were in "another league once it comes to the race". "Over 51 laps it was not possible, they have so much more pace than we do. Everyone is working flat out to understand what we can do in the races to close the gap." Safety car The warmest day of a frenetic sprint weekend had the drivers arriving onto the grid, umbrellas perched on their cars. After a resounding rendition of the national anthem the covers came off the tyres and the lights went out with pole-sitter Leclerc holding off Verstappen to the 90 degree turn one. The Dutch ace had the Ferrari in his cross hairs though, waiting to pounce. The inevitable happened on lap four as the Red Bull star nipped past, leaving Leclerc sandwiching the Red Bulls. Perez inched closer to the slower red rival and duly coasted past on lap six. Verstappen pitted on lap 10 leaving Perez in control but then the safety car intervened to clear Nyck De Vries's stricken Alpha Tauri after hitting a wall. All the leaders used the safety interlude to take a free pit stop with racing resuming under a safety car restart on lap 13. Perez managed that slickly as Verstappen got the better of Leclerc to leave the Red Bulls in front. At the midway point Perez led from Verstappen with Leclerc a forlorn 13sec behind, and that's as it ended up in a race that will not figure on most fans top five of the season. Fernando Alonso only narrowly missed out on a fourth consecutive podium, the 41-year-old Spaniard finishing fourth in the Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was in sixth ahead of Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin. George Russell, who secured the point for the fastest lap, was ninth for Mercedes with Yuki Tsunoda's Alpha Tauri rounding out the top 10. Verstappen was relaxed at his teammate taking the limelight. "We know it's a very long season, you keep learning - it can never be perfect all the time." 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 finish 1-2 with Sergio Perez taking top spot at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Red Bull's&nbsp;Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend. The double world champion, last year's winner in Baku, lapped the fast street circuit with a best time of&nbsp;one&nbsp;minute 42.315 seconds with his final effort on the soft tyres. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has never won in Baku but will be chasing his third successive pole in Azerbaijan in later qualifying for Sunday's grand prix, was second on the timesheets.

The Monegasque ended up 0.037 seconds slower, after going top in the dying seconds, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez third and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz fourth. Perez has the best record of any driver on the starting grid in Baku with a victory in 2021, second last year and two third places. The hour-long session was halted after 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly's Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman pulling over as smoke billowed from the airbox and marshals extinguished the flames.

Alpine blamed a loss of hydraulic pressure and ended the session for Gasly's team mate Esteban Ocon as they carried out checks on the rear of his car. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz had already hit the wall at turn five, without serious damage, while AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels and a rim after an early puncture when he also hit the wall and spun.

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The car's rear wing and diffuser looked badly damaged. Haas's Kevin Magnussen had also stopped on track when the red flags came out. "It looks like we lost fuel pressure on the straight," team boss Guenther Steiner told Sky Sports television. "It stopped the engine and everything." The session resumed after a 13 minute break.

McLaren's Lando Norris was fifth fastest in an upgraded car, ahead of AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries and the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso -- the latter chasing his fourth successive podium finish this weekend. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was 11th fastest for Mercedes, with the Briton complaining about his car's brakes and the lack of grip, while team mate George Russell was only 17th but neither did low fuel runs.

Friday's practice was the sole such session of the weekend with Saturday now featuring a qualifying 'shootout' for the following sprint race, which is now a standalone&nbsp;event rather than determining Sunday's grid.

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend.

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend. The double world champion, last year's winner in Baku, lapped the fast street circuit with a best time of one minute 42.315 seconds with his final effort on the soft tyres. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has never won in Baku but will be chasing his third successive pole in Azerbaijan in later qualifying for Sunday's grand prix, was second on the timesheets. The Monegasque ended up 0.037 seconds slower, after going top in the dying seconds, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez third and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz fourth. Perez has the best record of any driver on the starting grid in Baku with a victory in 2021, second last year and two third places. The hour-long session was halted after 15 minutes when Pierre Gasly's Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman pulling over as smoke billowed from the airbox and marshals extinguished the flames. Alpine blamed a loss of hydraulic pressure and ended the session for Gasly's team mate Esteban Ocon as they carried out checks on the rear of his car. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz had already hit the wall at turn five, without serious damage, while AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels and a rim after an early puncture when he also hit the wall and spun. Also Read: Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray hopes to play French Open despite early Madrid exit The car's rear wing and diffuser looked badly damaged. Haas's Kevin Magnussen had also stopped on track when the red flags came out. "It looks like we lost fuel pressure on the straight," team boss Guenther Steiner told Sky Sports television. "It stopped the engine and everything." The session resumed after a 13 minute break. McLaren's Lando Norris was fifth fastest in an upgraded car, ahead of AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries and the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso -- the latter chasing his fourth successive podium finish this weekend. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was 11th fastest for Mercedes, with the Briton complaining about his car's brakes and the lack of grip, while team mate George Russell was only 17th but neither did low fuel runs. Friday's practice was the sole such session of the weekend with Saturday now featuring a qualifying 'shootout' for the following sprint race, which is now a standalone event rather than determining Sunday's grid.

Azerbaijan GP: Red Bull's Max Verstappen fastest in chaotic Baku practice

Max Verstappen held off a revived Lewis Hamilton to steer his Red Bull to a chaotic win at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and tighten his grip on the world championship.

The world champion began from pole and despite being passed by Mercedes pair George Russell and Hamilton at the start, he kept his cool to win a race red flagged three times, with multiple crashes.

Hamilton came home second ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who made it three podiums from three this year.

"We had a very poor start, lap one I was careful as I had a lot to lose," said Dutchman Verstappen, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain and came second in Jeddah a fortnight ago.

"After that, the pace of the car was quick. With these red flags, I don't know, I don't really understand. It was a bit of a mess but we had good pace and we won, so that's important.

It was a disastrous day for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, last year's winner, who spun out on the first lap, while Russell's car caught fire on lap 19 and his race too was over.

Victory was Verstappen's maiden win in Melbourne and Red Bull's first in Australia since Sebastian Vettel's 2011 triumph.

His teammate and winner in Saudi Arabia Sergio Perez&nbsp;sliced through the field to come fifth after qualifying last due to brake issues, behind Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin.&nbsp;

<h2>Late drama</h2>

The Red Bull triumph came despite unbelievable late drama that saw a red flag come out when Verstappen had a comfortable lead from Hamilton and Alonso with two laps left, meaning they had a bunched restart for an all-out attack to the finish.

But it descended into chaos when Alonso was clipped by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz as they jostled for position and sent into a spin, which caused a flow on effect with multiple other cars coming to grief.

Sainz was given a five-second penalty, eventually finishing 12th, and the race stopped again.

It resumed after a lengthy delay for single lap behind a safety car -- with no overtaking allowed &nbsp;-- in the order of the previous start with only 12 cars left.

"I didn't expect to be second so I'm super grateful for it," said seven-time world champion Hamilton.

"I'm driving as best I can and working as hard as I can but still, considering we've been down on performance and in straight pace, for us to be up there fighting with Aston is amazing."

On a fine day, Lando Norris in a McLaren was sixth, Niko Hulkenberg in the Haas seventh and rookie Oscar Piastri, in the other McLaren, an encouraging eighth on his home circuit.

<h2>'Rollercoaster of emotions'</h2>

Alpha Romeo's Zhou Guanyu came ninth and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda 10th.

"We had a rollercoaster of emotions today, many things going on at the beginning, and the last half an hour," said Spanish veteran Alonso.

"Mercedes were very fast and Lewis did an incredible job -- I could not match the pace, but we'll take P3."

With Red Bull's undeniable speed advantage, it was crucial for Russell and Hamilton to get a strong start.

And they did just that with both scorching past a tentative Verstappen on the first corner before Leclerc spun at Turn 3 and the safety car came out.

They resumed with Hamilton pressing Russell before the safety car was deployed again on lap seven when Williams' Alexander Albon lost control, leaving gravel on the track, with a red flag eventually needed.

They got underway again from a standing start with Hamilton initially keeping Verstappen at bay.

But it only a matter of time before the Dutchman made his move and he surged into the lead on lap 12.

Once more a safety car was needed when Russell's car broke down, but Verstappen was in charge now and pulling clear.

By the halfway mark, he was seven seconds ahead with the battle seemingly all about who came second between Hamilton and Alonso.

But there was more drama when Kevin Magnussen lost the rear tyre of his Haas and the red flag came out again at the death.

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Max Verstappen held off a revived Lewis Hamilton to steer his Red Bull to a chaotic win at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and tighten his grip on the world championship.

Max Verstappen held off a revived Lewis Hamilton to steer his Red Bull to a chaotic win at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and tighten his grip on the world championship. The world champion began from pole and despite being passed by Mercedes pair George Russell and Hamilton at the start, he kept his cool to win a race red flagged three times, with multiple crashes. Hamilton came home second ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who made it three podiums from three this year. "We had a very poor start, lap one I was careful as I had a lot to lose," said Dutchman Verstappen, who won the season-opening race in Bahrain and came second in Jeddah a fortnight ago. "After that, the pace of the car was quick. With these red flags, I don't know, I don't really understand. It was a bit of a mess but we had good pace and we won, so that's important. It was a disastrous day for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, last year's winner, who spun out on the first lap, while Russell's car caught fire on lap 19 and his race too was over. Victory was Verstappen's maiden win in Melbourne and Red Bull's first in Australia since Sebastian Vettel's 2011 triumph. His teammate and winner in Saudi Arabia Sergio Perez sliced through the field to come fifth after qualifying last due to brake issues, behind Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin. Late drama The Red Bull triumph came despite unbelievable late drama that saw a red flag come out when Verstappen had a comfortable lead from Hamilton and Alonso with two laps left, meaning they had a bunched restart for an all-out attack to the finish. But it descended into chaos when Alonso was clipped by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz as they jostled for position and sent into a spin, which caused a flow on effect with multiple other cars coming to grief. Sainz was given a five-second penalty, eventually finishing 12th, and the race stopped again. It resumed after a lengthy delay for single lap behind a safety car -- with no overtaking allowed -- in the order of the previous start with only 12 cars left. "I didn't expect to be second so I'm super grateful for it," said seven-time world champion Hamilton. "I'm driving as best I can and working as hard as I can but still, considering we've been down on performance and in straight pace, for us to be up there fighting with Aston is amazing." On a fine day, Lando Norris in a McLaren was sixth, Niko Hulkenberg in the Haas seventh and rookie Oscar Piastri, in the other McLaren, an encouraging eighth on his home circuit. 'Rollercoaster of emotions' Alpha Romeo's Zhou Guanyu came ninth and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda 10th. "We had a rollercoaster of emotions today, many things going on at the beginning, and the last half an hour," said Spanish veteran Alonso. "Mercedes were very fast and Lewis did an incredible job -- I could not match the pace, but we'll take P3." With Red Bull's undeniable speed advantage, it was crucial for Russell and Hamilton to get a strong start. And they did just that with both scorching past a tentative Verstappen on the first corner before Leclerc spun at Turn 3 and the safety car came out. They resumed with Hamilton pressing Russell before the safety car was deployed again on lap seven when Williams' Alexander Albon lost control, leaving gravel on the track, with a red flag eventually needed. They got underway again from a standing start with Hamilton initially keeping Verstappen at bay. But it only a matter of time before the Dutchman made his move and he surged into the lead on lap 12. Once more a safety car was needed when Russell's car broke down, but Verstappen was in charge now and pulling clear. By the halfway mark, he was seven seconds ahead with the battle seemingly all about who came second between Hamilton and Alonso. But there was more drama when Kevin Magnussen lost the rear tyre of his Haas and the red flag came out again at the death. 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 holds off Lewis Hamilton to win chaotic Australian GP

Max Verstappen took pole position for Red Bull on Saturday (April 1) at the Australian Grand Prix after team mate Sergio Perez came crashing back to earth with a brake failure that left him last on the grid. Mercedes driver George Russell joins Verstappen on the front row for Sunday's race at Albert Park after qualifying second ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen saved his best for late, roaring around the lakeside circuit in one minute and 16.732 seconds, over two-tenths of a second quicker than Russell.

"I think the last run was very good," Verstappen said, celebrating his first pole at Albert Park.

"It all worked out in Q3."

Hamilton was thrilled Mercedes had bridged the pace to Red Bull, who won both the opening races in the Middle East.

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"I'm so happy with this," he said. "I'm really proud of the team - to be up on the two front rows is a dream for us.

"To be this close to Red Bull is incredible."

Perez, who endured a nightmare final practice earlier on Saturday, locked up braking into turn three during his first out lap in the opening session and beached himself in gravel, bringing his qualifying to a quick end. Twice world champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin will start fourth on the grid ahead of fifth-placed Carlos Sainz.

Sainz's Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc will line up seventh behind sixth-placed Lance Stroll of Aston Martin. Alex Albon will be eighth on the grid after a positive day for Williams, ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly (ninth) and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg. Home fan hopes of a big race for McLaren's local boy Oscar Piastri were dashed as he narrowly missed the cut into Q2. He will start 16th on the grid.

(Inputs from Agencies)

&nbsp;

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Max Verstappen took pole position for Red Bull on Saturday (April 1) at the Australian Grand Prix after team mate Sergio Perez came crashing back to earth with a brake failure that left him last on the grid.

Max Verstappen took pole position for Red Bull on Saturday (April 1) at the Australian Grand Prix after team mate Sergio Perez came crashing back to earth with a brake failure that left him last on the grid. Mercedes driver George Russell joins Verstappen on the front row for Sunday's race at Albert Park after qualifying second ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen saved his best for late, roaring around the lakeside circuit in one minute and 16.732 seconds, over two-tenths of a second quicker than Russell. "I think the last run was very good," Verstappen said, celebrating his first pole at Albert Park. "It all worked out in Q3." Hamilton was thrilled Mercedes had bridged the pace to Red Bull, who won both the opening races in the Middle East. ALSO READ | IPL 2023: Blow to Gujarat Titans as Kane Williamson ruled out for whole season due to knee injury - Reports "I'm so happy with this," he said. "I'm really proud of the team - to be up on the two front rows is a dream for us. "To be this close to Red Bull is incredible." Perez, who endured a nightmare final practice earlier on Saturday, locked up braking into turn three during his first out lap in the opening session and beached himself in gravel, bringing his qualifying to a quick end. Twice world champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin will start fourth on the grid ahead of fifth-placed Carlos Sainz. Sainz's Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc will line up seventh behind sixth-placed Lance Stroll of Aston Martin. Alex Albon will be eighth on the grid after a positive day for Williams, ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly (ninth) and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg. Home fan hopes of a big race for McLaren's local boy Oscar Piastri were dashed as he narrowly missed the cut into Q2. He will start 16th on the grid. (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 One: Max Verstappen takes pole position in Australian GP; Red Bulls' first in Melbourne since 2013

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.

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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

American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday.

Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards."

The company said they would provide the power units for both the Red Bull team and the Alpha Tauri team from 2026 until at least 2030.

"This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather (Henry Ford) won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, executive chair.

Ford last featured in F1 in 2004 when they were partnered with Jordan and their return is a further sign of the growth of the sport in the United States.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-niki-lauda-to-jules-bianchi-horrific-crashes-in-the-history-of-formula-1-466040">Read more:&nbsp;From Niki Lauda to Jules Bianchi: Horrific crashes in the history of Formula 1</a>

Ford have played a part in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships – making them the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history with their most recent success coming via Michael Schumacher's win with Benetton in 1994.

Red Bull unveiled their new car for the upcoming season at an event in New York on Friday and team principal Christian Horner said he was looking forward to the link-up.

"It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” he said.

"They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting," he said.

The companies will begin collaborating this year ahead of the change of regulations for engines in F1 and the news was welcomed by Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali.

"The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One," said Domenicali.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-extends-formula-1-deal-saudi-arabia-to-kickoff-2024-season-543369">Read more:&nbsp;Australia extends Formula 1 deal, Saudi Arabia to kickoff 2024 season</a>

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American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday. Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards.

American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday. Ford said they were entering a "long term strategic technical partnership for the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit to be used from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards." The company said they would provide the power units for both the Red Bull team and the Alpha Tauri team from 2026 until at least 2030. "This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather (Henry Ford) won a race that helped launch our company,” said Bill Ford, executive chair. Ford last featured in F1 in 2004 when they were partnered with Jordan and their return is a further sign of the growth of the sport in the United States. Read more: From Niki Lauda to Jules Bianchi: Horrific crashes in the history of Formula 1 Ford have played a part in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships – making them the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history with their most recent success coming via Michael Schumacher's win with Benetton in 1994. Red Bull unveiled their new car for the upcoming season at an event in New York on Friday and team principal Christian Horner said he was looking forward to the link-up. "It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership,” he said. "They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting," he said. The companies will begin collaborating this year ahead of the change of regulations for engines in F1 and the news was welcomed by Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali. "The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One," said Domenicali. Read more: Australia extends Formula 1 deal, Saudi Arabia to kickoff 2024 season WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ford officially returns to F1 in a new partnership with Red Bull

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