Takeaways from Saudi Arabian GP: A Red Bull dog fight, the Alonso show and signs of life at Mercedes
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday was another triumph for Red Bull as Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen took a second successive 1-2, but there were also shafts of light for Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG.AFP Sport looks at three lessons learned from the second race of the 2023 Formula 1 season under the floodlights at the Jeddah Street Circuit: Red Bulls have wings This was less a lesson learned than a lesson confirmed: the Red Bulls are on another planet, having lapped a second per lap faster than all the rest.Their performance was brutal, relentless, and pretty much wrapped up the title race.
It is not a question of whether a Red Bull driver wins the championship, but rather when and which one.Well... that was an enjoyable evening ????
pic.twitter.com/nIgsIg6zRiPerez won the race with a tremendous drive, but how good was defending double world champion Max Verstappen, who climbed from 15th on the grid following a driveshaft failure in qualifying, to second?
The ease with which he sliced through the field was astonishing and pitiful in equal measure.The interest this season will come from the battle within the team.Verstappen's single-minded approach to accumulating wins and titles will not often allow Perez any hope, except for reliability problems.