For the first time in what seems like forever, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen didn’t win a Formula 1 grand prix. Instead, his teammate did. Sergio Perez, who started in pole position, was quickly overtaken by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso but then quickly retook the lead and never let it go. Perez went on to win the Saudi Arabi GP after fighting off a tenacious Alonso and hard-charging Verstappen.
Verstappen, who seems to start from pole position in every race, actually started from 15th on the grid due to a mechanical failure during qualifying. The last driver to win a GP from 15th was ironically Fernando Alonso back in 2008, so things weren’t looking great for the Dutchman early on. However, some expert driving, along with a car that seems like it’s in a different league than the rest, allowed Verstappen to slowly slice through the traffic and reach the podium in second place.
Alonso and Aston Martin have been a true delight over the past two races, giving us a break from the typical Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari dominance. The veteran driver was able to expertly keep himself in second place for the vast majority of the race. While his Aston Martin could never quite catch Perez in his almost unfair looking Red Bull, he kept pulling away from whoever was behind him, to keep himself firmly locked in second. Toward the end, though, Verstappen’s astonishing car and impressive driving saw him finally overtake Alonso to snag silver.
Fernando Alonso lost his third place finish due to a ten second penalty