Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole position in a Red Bull one-two on Sunday with team mate Max Verstappen retaining the championship lead by racing from 15th to second with the fastest lap.
Double Formula One world champion Verstappen snatched the bonus point from Perez with a last-lap blast around Jeddah’s floodlit Corniche street circuit to stay a point clear of the Mexican.
The result in Jeddah was Red Bull’s second one-two in as many races this season but a reverse of the March 5 opener in Bahrain.
“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.
“I was on for victory last year so finally I got it,” added the Mexican, who now has five career wins.
Spaniard Fernando Alonso was third at the chequered flag for Aston Martin, in what would have been a 100th career podium for the 41-year-old double world champion, but was then given a 10-second penalty and dropped to fourth.
George Russell was the beneficiary, moving up to the podium for Mercedes, with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton fifth and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in sixth place.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was seventh with the Alpine pair of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly eighth and ninth and Kevin Magnussen taking the final point for Haas.
