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☆ Verstappen pips Piastri to pole for Spa sprint race
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

McLaren's Piastri had been on top of the timesheets until the final seconds when double world champion Verstappen went 0.11 quicker with a lap of one minute 49.056 seconds on a drying track. The standalone sprint format is being used at Spa for the first time, the third of six such events this season. Piastri said he "couldn’t have got much more out of that" and was happy to be on the front row. The provisional pole changed hands swiftly in the final shootout, with Hamilton fastest then Red Bull's Sergio Perez, Gasly, Sainz and Piastri before Verstappen's predictable final flourish. "It's good to get a clean end to qualifying," said Verstappen, with more rain forecast later.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Stephanie Lecocq, Perez, Max Verstappen pipped, Oscar Piastri, McLaren's Piastri, Verstappen, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Piastri, McLaren's Lando Norris, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Bull's Sergio Perez, Gasly, Sainz, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Mercedes George Russell, Daniel Ricciardo 11th, Russell, Aston, Lance, Fernando Alonso, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Belgian, Prix, Spa, Ferrari, Sunday's, Hamilton, Thomson Locations: Spa, Belgium

☆ Daniel Ricciardo returns to F1 grid as Australian driver replaces Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Daniel Ricciardo is making a surprising mid-season return to the Formula One grid, with the Australian driver replacing the struggling Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. Ricciardo, currently a Red Bull reserve driver, is being sent “on loan” to Red Bull’s feeder team for the remainder of the 2023 season, the team announced Tuesday. The 34-year-old, who will race for AlphaTauri in the next grand prix in Hungary on July 23, said he was “stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family,” according to the F1 website. “It was great to see Daniel hasn’t lost any form while away from racing and that the strides he has been making in his SIM sessions translate on track,” Red Bull team principle Christian Horner said. After a fast start to the season, Perez has made the podium just once in the last five races.

Persons: CNN — Daniel Ricciardo, Vries, Ricciardo, “, ”, Bull, Lawrence Barretto, Daniel hasn’t, Red, Christian Horner, Daniel, ” Ricciardo, AlphaTauri –, Toro Rosso –, Red Bull, De Vries, Mark Thompson, Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso, Alex Albon, ’ Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, Perez Organizations: CNN, Red Bull, AlphaTauri, Scuderia AlphaTauri, Bull, Renault, McLaren, Red, Monaco Locations: AlphaTauri, Hungary, British

☆ Wimbledon 2023: See the Best Style in the Stands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pierre GaslyThough he placed a brutal 18th at the Silverstone Grand Prix earlier in the day, the French F1 driver arrived at Wimbledon in cheery, yacht-club-ready Ralph Lauren. Getty Images

Persons: Pierre Gasly, Ralph Lauren, Getty Organizations: Silverstone, French F1, Wimbledon Locations: French

☆ Verstappen dominant in Austria to go 81 points clear
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Verstappen, who also won Saturday's 100km sprint race and leaves Spielberg's Red Bull Ring with maximum points, stretched his lead over Mexican team mate Sergio Perez to 81 points with his fifth win in a row. It was also the Dutch driver's seventh of a dominant campaign taking him ever closer to a third title. It was also his fifth success at the Red Bull Ring, more than any driver, and left him more than three race wins clear of Perez. The Sprint weekend is always hectic and a lot of things can go wrong but luckily a lot of things went right," said Verstappen. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for Mercedes, with team mate George Russell eighth, and Pierre Gasly was ninth for Alpine.

Persons: Perez Leclerc, Ferrari's, Perez, Max Verstappen, Red, Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Ayrton Senna, I'm, Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Pierre Gasly, Hamilton, Norris, Ferraris, Sainz, Gasly, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Williams, Alex Albon, AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas, Dilano van't Hoff, Alan Baldwin, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Austrian, Bull, Red Bull's, Prix, Dutch, Sprint, Monegasque, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston, Mercedes, Alpine, Belgium's, Thomson Locations: London

☆ Team by team analysis of the Canadian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Russell brought out the safety car when he hit the wall on lap 12. Stroll started 16th after a three-place drop for impeding. Gasly pitted just before the safety car period, while Ocon came in during it from fourth place. The German pitted on lap 11 before the safety car was deployed and fell back due to tyre degradation. Magnussen started 13th on hard tyres and stayed out when the safety car was deployed.

Persons: Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Ayrton Senna, Red, Bull, Perez, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Hamilton, Russell, Fernando Alonso, ASTON MARTIN, Lance, Alonso, Valtteri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, Sainz, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Gasly, Ocon, MCLAREN, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Norris, ALFA ROMEO, Guanyu Zhou, Haas, Bottas, Zhou, HAAS, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Nyck de Vries, WILLIAMS, Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, Williams, Albon, Sargeant, Yuki Tsunoda, Vries, Alan Baldwin, Sonali Paul Organizations: Montreal's Circuit, Miami, FERRARI, Alfa, Thomson Locations: Canada, Hamilton, Tsunoda, London

☆ Verstappen on pole after wild Canadian GP qualifying
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 17, 2023 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses with former F1 driver Jean Alesia after qualifying in pole position REUTERS/Mathieu BelangerMONTREAL, June 17 (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix after heavy rain shook up qualifying on Saturday. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-times winner in Canada, will line up fourth with his Mercedes team mate George Russell fifth. The pole, in a time of one minute and 25.858 seconds, was the 25th of Verstappen's career. Verstappen started from pole last year and held off Ferrari's hard-charging Carlos Sainz for his 26th career win. Fast forward one year and Verstappen with another victory on Sunday can bring his career total to 41, matching Brazilian Ayrton Senna's haul.

Persons: Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Jean Alesia, Mathieu Belanger MONTREAL, Bull, Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, Haas, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, George Russell, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Ayrton Senna's, Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Perez, Christian Horner, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Aston, Lance, Williams Alex Albon, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Frenchman, Sainz, Steve Keating, Alan Baldwin, Ed Osmond Organizations: Prix, REUTERS, Canadian, Aston, Ferrari, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Canada, Holland, London

☆ Verstappen puts Red Bull back on top in final practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 17, 2023 Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during the final practice session REUTERS/Evan BuhlerMONTREAL, June 17 (Reuters) - Championship leader Max Verstappen lapped fastest in a rain-hit final practice for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday as normal service returned to Formula One with Red Bull back on top of the time sheets. After Lewis Hamilton and George Russell put Mercedes top of the time sheets in an extended second practice session on Friday it was a miserable day for the two Britons. Alpine's Pierre Gasly was sixth best followed by Canadian hope Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin in seventh. Yuki Tsunoda had a wild session, twice spinning, but on both occasions he managed to keep his AlphaTauri out of the barriers to place eighth. Reporting by Steve Keating in Montreal, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Evan Buhler MONTREAL, Red Bull, Verstappen, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Mercedes, Russell 15th, Haas, Kevin Magnussen, Sainz, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Aston Martin, Yuki Tsunoda, Steve Keating, Ed Osmond Organizations: Prix, Canadian, Formula, Circuit, Ferrari, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Canada, Hamilton

☆ Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Red Bull's Sergio Perez, Verstappen's closest rival in a season that looks sure to crown the dominant Dutch 25-year-old for a third time, finished fourth after fighting back from 11th at the start. The victory was Verstappen's fifth of the season, third in a row, third in Spain and the double world champion's 40th in Formula One. TALKING POINTThe form of the Mercedes drivers, with a re-designed car after a disappointing start to the season, provided a main talking point. Mercedes moved up to second in the championship on 152 points to runaway Red Bull's 287 and with Aston Martin dropping to third on 134. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who started from the pitlane after a nightmare in qualifying left him on the back row, finished 11th.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Albert Gea, Mercedes, Perez, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Bull's Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Max, Christian Horner, McLaren's Lando Norris, Aston Martin, Hamilton, Russell, Ferraris, Sainz, Aston Martins, Lance, Fernando Alonso, Alonso, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Alfa Romeo's, Zhou, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Alan Baldwin, Angus MacSwan, Pritha Sarkar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Prix, Spanish, Prix REUTERS, Spain Dutch, Mercedes, Barcelona's, Formula One, Hamilton, Aston, Alfa, Renault, Thomson Locations: Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, Verstappen's, London

☆ Rossi proud to see Alpine back on the podium
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

I am happy for the team," the Frenchman told Reuters as he walked to the pitlane for a celebratory group photograph. On Sunday, in Alpine's 50th race under that branding, Gasly was seventh and the team overtook McLaren for fifth in the constructors' standings. "I’m proud of them and they should be proud too," said Rossi. Ocon, a winner in Hungary in 2021 with Alpine, said his third career podium capped a "superb weekend" for the team and hoped it was the start of something bigger. "From the simulator to really all the practice sessions, we improved the car from beginning to end and we didn't make a wrong foot any time," said the first Frenchman on the Monaco podium since Olivier Panis in 1996.

☆ Verstappen wins in Monaco to make it six out of six for Red Bull
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"That was a real Monaco," Verstappen said after a 78-lap race that lasted an hour and 48 minutes. CLOSEST RIVALThe win was Verstappen's fourth of the season, second in Monaco and 39th of his career. Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, his closest title rival, started in last position after a qualifying crash and finished two laps down in 16th. Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, McLaren's Lando Norris and team mate Oscar Piastri completed the points positions. While Alonso celebrated his fifth podium of the season, and best result yet for Aston Martin, Canadian team mate Lance Stroll retired after repeated tangles with rivals.

☆ Verstappen takes first Monaco pole as Perez crashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had been hoping for his third home pole in a row, had to settle for third while Verstappen's team mate and closest title rival Sergio Perez crashed and will start last. "I think that is one of the best laps he’s ever driven in qualifying," said Horner of his champion's 23rd career pole. Last year's winner Perez, 14 points behind Verstappen after five races, crashed at the Sainte Devote first corner in the opening session. The Mexican crashed in the final phase of qualifying last year but started third, and ahead of Verstappen. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was only 14th on the grid and behind the Williams of Alex Albon in 13th.

☆ Alpine F1 boss warns of 'consequences' of failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alpine ended last year fourth but are now sixth with French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scoring just 14 points from five races. Rossi made clear Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, who joined in February 2022 from Aston Martin, was in the hot seat. Alpine started the season with a target of defending fourth place and closing the huge gap to Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. McLaren, who have former Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri in their line-up after the Australian rejected the French team, are fifth. "When you compound that relatively lower performance and lack of operational excellence you end up in a difficult position."

☆ Verstappen fastest in final practice for Miami Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MIAMI, May 6 (Reuters) - Red Bull's Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets in the final practice session for the Miami Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc as Ferrari enjoyed another lively session in the Florida heat on Saturday. Verstappen, winner of last year's inaugural Miami Grand Prix, went fastest early in the one-hour session and remained there clocking a time of one minute, 27.535 seconds on the 3.36 mile (5.41km) temporary street circuit around Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Carlos Sainz was fourth fastest in the other Ferrari followed by the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Sainz and Leclerc have been quick all weekend offering hope Ferrari might challenge Red Bull for pole later on Saturday. Leclerc was third fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions while team mate Sainz was second in practice two.

☆ Mercedes' Russell fastest in first Miami Grand Prix practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, U.S. - May 5, 2023 Mercedes' George Russell during practice REUTERS/Mike SegarMIAMI, May 5 (Reuters) - George Russell overcame steering issues that threatened to scuttle his first practice session of the Miami Grand Prix on Friday to put his Mercedes top of the timing sheets ahead of team mate and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen had spent much of the hot and steamy practice at the top of the charts but ended the session fourth fastest behind the two Mercedes and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fifth fastest followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton was just 0.212 seconds back while Verstappen, the winner in the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, was nearly a half-second off the pace. Until the spin Hulkenberg had been enjoying a lively practice for the U.S.-owned outfit, sitting second behind Verstappen when the session was paused.

☆ Ocon says FIA and F1 apologised for Baku pitlane incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, May 4 (Reuters) - Formula One and governing FIA have apologised for a dangerous pitlane incident at the end of last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Alpine's Esteban Ocon said on Thursday. "The FIA have assured us they are making sure they are changing the protocols and making sure there is nobody in the pitlane until the end. Ocon said upgrades taken to Baku had worked, even if not evident at the time with only a handful of laps in the only practice session and the car not optimised. Team mate Pierre Gasly's car caught fire in Friday practice and he then crashed in qualifying. In the previous race in Australia, Ocon and Gasly collided in a late restart after red flags.

☆ Team by team analysis of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He passed Leclerc for the second time at the safety car restart on lap 14. He went side by side with Russell in the pitlane during the safety car and was passed by Hamilton on lap 20. Hamilton started fifth but pitted a lap before the safety car was deployed, dropping to 10th. Leclerc, second in the Saturday sprint, started on pole position and took his team's first podium finish of the season. Norris started seventh, lost out when he pitted before the safety car but managed to pass Hulkenberg to move into the points.

☆ Leclerc completes Baku pole hat-trick for Ferrari
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The pole, in a session twice red-flagged early on due to crashes, was Ferrari's first of the Formula One season after Red Bull had qualified fastest in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen will line up alongside on the front row with his team mate Sergio Perez third. "It feels good...It's good to be back on top," said Leclerc after whooping in delight over the team radio. There was nothing to separate him and Verstappen after the initial flying laps, with both clocking one minute 40.445 seconds but the Red Bull driver on provisional pole due to setting his time first. "We must not forget that our car is probably behind the Red Bull, so it's going to be difficult to keep the lead.

☆ Verstappen fastest in chaotic Baku practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - 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.

☆ Formula One under scrutiny over balance between safety and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Stewards had hoped racing would decide the winner but the carnage only served to trigger a third red flag and a processional win behind a safety car for Red Bull's Max Verstappen. DAMAGE BILLSStriking the right balance between safety and sport has long challenged Formula One, which moved to tighten its safety car rules after controversy hit the title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Officials no longer have such discretion but the application of safety car rules continues to flummox drivers and team bosses alike. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he was not sure when to expect a standard safety car versus a virtual one or a red flag after incidents. "Standing starts are the most vulnerable part of any grand prix and we did three of them," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

☆ Team by team analysis of the Australian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ASTON MARTIN (Fernando Alonso 3, Lance Stroll 4)Alonso's third third-place finish in three races for the team he joined this season from Renault-owned Alpine. The Spaniard started fourth, dropped to fifth but was third by the second red flag. Russell pulled up with his car flaming at the rear on lap 18, triggering a virtual safety car. He had fought back from 11th after pitting during the second safety car period, just before the first red flag. The German was fourth at the final red flag but the positions were reset to the previous grid because no sector had been completed.

☆ Verstappen wins Australian Grand Prix after red flag chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Verstappen wins his second race of the seasonHamilton finishes runner-up ahead of AlonsoRace interrupted by red flags, crashesMELBOURNE, April 2 (Reuters) - Max Verstappen was crowned Australian Grand Prix winner on Sunday after two late red flags and a slew of crashes threw the race into chaos before the Red Bull driver was allowed a processional victory lap around Albert Park. That allowed Verstappen to claim his second win of the season ahead of Hamilton with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso third. Red Bull have now claimed all three grand prix wins in the new season, a record for the team, resuming their dominance after their runaway success in 2022. The Dutchman now has 69 points in the championship race, 15 ahead of team mate Sergio Perez. Verstappen opened up a big gap before the late red flags saw the race turn from procession to drama and back again.

☆ Australian GP: Max Verstappen holds off Lewis Hamilton for victory after wild finish to chaotic race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia. Max Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton to claim a maiden Australian Grand Prix victory after a chaotic race, which finished with a processional safety-car lap following a wild late restart. Verstappen looked to be cruising to a comfortable win having reclaimed the lead after losing out to George Russell and Hamilton during a frantic opening, but Kevin Magnussen's crash and an ensuing second red flag of the race set up a two-lap sprint to the finish from a standing start. A third red flag followed, along with further confusion and controversy as there was a long wait before the FIA decided to restore the order from before the restart because the cars had not made it far enough around the track before for the new classification to be confirmed before the red flag came out. That meant that Alonso returned to third, but Sainz was left devastated as a five-second penalty for causing the collision saw him relegated to 12th, leaving Ferrari pointless after Charles Leclerc's first-lap retirement.

☆ Verstappen fastest in first practice at Australian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 31 (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Max Verstappen topped the timesheets for Red Bull before taking a late spin at Albert Park in an eventful first free practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday. The Dutchman lapped the lakeside circuit in one minute, 18.790 seconds, nearly half a second quicker than second fastest Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, as two red flags disrupted the session. A second red flag cut the session short by a few minutes as Williams rookie Logan Sargeant came to a halt on track-side grass with an apparent power failure. Verstappen finished his session with a bit of drama, taking a big spin at turn four to ruin his tyres. But he squeezed in a fast lap between the red flags to sandwich himself between Verstappen and Perez's times.

☆ Perez wins Saudi GP as Verstappen goes from 15th to second
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"That safety car again tried to take the victory away from us in Jeddah but not this time," said Perez, who started on pole last year but was caught out by a safety car deployment and ended up fourth. "I was on for victory last year so finally I got it," added the Mexican, who now has five career wins and finished 5.355 seconds clear despite the safety car cutting his early advantage. It took Perez four laps to take charge with the Mexican meeting no resistance as he swept past for the lead, but he could not relax. When the safety car period ended on lap 20, Verstappen was pushing Russell for third and took the place three laps later. Verstappen went second, 5.6 seconds behind Perez, at the half-distance but the gap stayed constant with the Red Bulls in a race of their own.

☆ Verstappen completes practice sweep in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 18 (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Max Verstappen completed a dominant hat-trick of top times in practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday. Mexican team mate Sergio Perez was second fastest, but a considerable 0.613 seconds slower than Verstappen's best effort of one minute 28.485 on the soft tyres. Apart from Perez, Alonso was the only driver within a second of Verstappen. McLaren's Lando Norris was seventh, and Australian rookie team mate Oscar Piastri eighth, a mere 0.008 behind. Verstappen apologised after lifting off the throttle on track and forcing Norris, coming up fast behind, to swerve around him.

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