SAKHIR: 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 favorite for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year.
It was his first win in the Gulf state at the 10th attempt.
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.
“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 tires.”
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 tire 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.
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.
Verstappen wins season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as Alonso shines
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Verstappen wins season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as Alonso shines
- The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favorite for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year
Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet
- “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram
- “Our hearts are fuller than ever — you are our greatest gift. We love you so much”
FLORIDA, USA: Four-time defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen arrived at the Miami Grand Prix on Friday as a first-time father after announcing he and partner Kelly Piquet had welcomed a daughter.
“Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram. “Our hearts are fuller than ever — you are our greatest gift. We love you so much.”
Verstappen had skipped Thursday activities at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to be with Piquet, the daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet. The couple released no details about the birth, including when his daughter was born.
Verstappen and Piquet went public with their relationship in 2021. She has a daughter, Penelope, with driver Daniil Kvyat that Verstappen is very close with but this is the first child for Verstappen.
“He’s going to be a very present father,” predicted Christian Horner, Verstappen’s boss at Red Bull. “I’m just thinking of the genes of that child — it is quite incredible when you think of it: a Verstappen and then Piquet. If it was a racehorse, it would be worth a fortune.”
Verstappen joins Nico Hülkenberg as the only active F1 drivers this season with children.
“He’s joining that club. I hope it’s a good sleeper,” Hulkenberg said. “I think there’s lots to discover — many beautiful, nice things that come with that. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton said he spoke to Verstappen at F1’s last race and could tell the Dutchman was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his child.
“It’s such an amazing, special thing,” Hamilton said. “I spoke to him briefly in Saudi and saw how excited he was. Big congrats to him.”
But there’s a myth that racers often slow down when they become parents because they begin driving more cautiously and lose some of the edge that made them successful.
“Judge for yourself, look at the stats and what happens. Everyone is obviously different, but personally, I don’t feel that’s the case,” Hulkenberg said. “I feel once we step in the car — visor down, go out — even for me, I tend to forget what goes on outside because we’re just so focused and so driven to perform and maximize.
“I just personally feel it’s added benefit because it’s giving me so much outside of work and outside of being in Formula 1,” he added. “So I would even say it’s kind of been helpful for me, if anything.”
Horner doesn’t believe there will be any change in his star driver’s performance.
“I think he’s a pretty measured guy, he’s obviously got a step-daughter and he enjoys family life,” Horner said. “For him, it is business as usual. He’s obviously tremendously proud and it’s a great thing for him and Kelly to welcome a baby girl. That’s a different achievement and a different perspective for him.”
Mercedes driver George Russell doubted being a father will change Verstappen’s on-track performance.
“As Nico says, I think for many people it probably brings things to your life. I know what it’s like when I see my nieces and nephews — they’re not my kids, but they bring me so much joy when I spend time with them,” Russell said. “And you’ve seen drivers in the past win championships and races who’ve got kids, so I don’t see it changing anything on his professional level.”
Verstappen, who has 64 career victories, has won the last four F1 titles. He’s won just once this season as McLaren has shown an early edge over Red Bull headed into Sunday’s race, the sixth of the season. He is third in the series standings.
Verstappen won the first two Miami Grand Prix races, while Lando Norris of McLaren scored the first F1 victory of his career at this race last year.
Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day
- The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet
- The Dutch driver is third overall after five races
MIAMI: Four times Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was withdrawn from scheduled media commitments at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday as the Red Bull driver awaited the birth of his first child.
The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson, who already has a daughter from a previous relationship with Russian former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
A team spokesman said all was well and Verstappen “will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.”
Friday has a sole practice session ahead of sprint qualifying, with a 100km sprint race followed by regular qualifying on Saturday before Sunday’s race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dutch driver is third overall after five races, 12 points behind McLaren’s Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Reem Al-Aboud and Hanna Riehle crowned champions of Rally Jameel 2025
- The six-day, 1,600km race took contestants from Petra in Jordan to Tabuk, AlUla, Hail and then Qassim in Saudi Arabia
QASSIM: Reem Al-Aboud from Saudi Arabia and her German co-driver Hanna Riehle of Jameel Motorsport were crowned winners of Rally Jameel 2025, which concluded on Saturday in Qassim.
The closing ceremony was attended by the governor of Qassim province, Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz.
Saudi driver Mashael Al-Howaish and her co-driver Taye Perry from South Africa, competing for Lexus Racing Team, finished second, while Farah Zakaria and Farah Ateyyat, both from Jordan and representing Al Markazia Toyota, ended third.
Over six days and across more than 1,600 kilometers, participants followed a route that blended technical challenge with cultural discovery.
From Petra’s awe-inspiring stone passageways to the dramatic mountain ranges of Tabuk, the historic landscapes of AlUla, and the desert trails of Hail, the rally offered a journey through some of the region’s most breathtaking and diverse terrain, finishing in Qassim, a region celebrated for its palm groves and lush farmland.
The route not only tested skill and endurance but also reaffirmed the growing status of Saudi Arabia and Jordan as global destinations for adventure tourism and motorsport.
At the post-press conference, Al-Aboud expressed her pride in the achievement, saying: “Standing at the top of the leaderboard today is an incredible honor — and a reflection of every decision, every calculation, and every moment of resilience throughout this rally.
“Rally Jameel pushed us beyond our limits and brought together a global community of women who are boldly claiming their place in motorsport.”
Riehle, who won the last two titles as a co-driver, said she was happy to win the Rally Jameel for the third time in a row, and this time with Reem Al-Aboud. “I think securing first place after a consistent and high-performing run across all four stages proves that we are a good team,” she said.
Second-placed Al-Howaish said she was “so glad to end up in second with Taye Perry who really helped me to improve my way.”
Munir Khoja, managing director of Jameel Motorsport and Marketing Communications at Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, said: “Rally Jameel continues to push boundaries, redefining what’s possible in motorsport and beyond.”
It is “deeply rewarding” to see the Saudi-born initiative has “evolved into a global platform, reflecting the values of ambition, progress, and empowerment that lie at the heart of Vision 2030,” Khoja added.
(With agencies)
Quartararo denies Marquez his home Spanish MotoGP pole
- The 26-year-old Yamaha rider clocked a time of one minute and 35.610 seconds to take his first pole since 2022
JEREZ, Spain: Frenchman Fabio Quartararo beat crowd favorite and six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to take pole position at the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez on Saturday, where the lap record was broken twice.
Championship leader Marquez looked on course for a fifth successive pole after he sped to a time of one minute and 35.643 seconds early in the second qualifying, but Quartararo put on a blistering lap in the final moments to stun the Ducati rider.
The 26-year-old Yamaha rider clocked a time of one minute and 35.610 seconds to take his first pole since 2022.
Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia came third to complete the front row.
“It’s a really special feeling, a special emotion for everybody,” Quartararo said.
“We know that the points are on the sprint and the race, but already to feel the atmosphere close to all these guys is something.”
“Hopefully, we can make a great fight on the sprint, on the race we know it’s a little more difficult. But super happy to be here. We are working hard and the work will pay off.”
Gresini’s Alex Marquez was the fourth fastest, ahead of Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Racing in fifth.
Marquez leads his younger brother Alex by 17 points in the championship and Italian Bagnaia in third by 26.
Rally Jameel ‘not just a race’ for drivers
- Noelia Benitez of Spain, competing for the fourth year in a row, stresses significance of all-female rally
- US driver Gabby Downing described Rally Jameel as an ‘amazing experience’
QASSIM: When the women competing in Rally Jameel come to Saudi Arabia, they not only get to discover the Kingdom’s terrain, but its people and culture.
Spanish driver Noelia Benitez, competing in the all-female race — which began April 21 in Jordan and ends April 26 — for the fourth consecutive year, told Arab News: “It’s a fun week — drivers and co-drivers enjoy every minute of it.”
For Benitez, the rally is about more than just the racing.
“We’re not just enjoying sitting behind the wheel and competing for the title,” she said. “The race takes us through the stunning landscapes of Tabuk, AlUla, Hail and Qassim and showed us the culture and traditions of Saudis in different places. That’s why it’s an extraordinary race.”
She added: “Saudi Arabia has an amazing landscape offering all kinds of desert riding from sand to rocks and stunning views all day long.”
US driver Gabby Downing called the rally “the experience of a lifetime.”
From women racing through the desert, to experiencing the culture of Saudi Arabia. I’ve seen one of the seven wonders of the new world in Petra, Jordan; had dinner in the Old Town in Al Ula; seen the famous Elephant Rock, the tombs at Hegra, and learned about the sister cities of Petra and Al Ula.
“I’ve crossed the border from Jordan to Saudi Arabia, and I learned that it is a privilege to see Saudi Arabia as a tourist. Saudi Arabia had its borders closed until September 2019, so being able to see these points of interest and experience the culture is something that many tourists have never been able to do,” she continued.
This year’s rally welcomed competitors from 37 countries, representing 45 teams, with backing from 25 international motorsport federations including those of the US, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Jordan, and Brazil.
