Sergio Perez wins the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen

Sergio Pérez won a private duel with his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The rest of the cast were spectators at best, or animals to the slaughter to put it in a more graphic, depressing, and terminal coinage.

The extent of Red Bull’s dominance was made clear by the fact that Verstappen came from 15th on the grid, as a result of a driveshaft failure in qualifying, to challenge for the lead and finish second. Aside from not being able to get past Pérez, his progress on the field was overwhelming. Now you see it, now you don’t.

Fernando Alonso had finished an excellent third for Aston Martin, but was demoted after a 10-second penalty for serving his penalty incorrectly.

George Russell drove better than the two Mercedes men, as he had done in qualifying. He started third and finished third after Alonso’s mistake, 26 seconds off the lead.

The Mexican kept pole position for most of the race, always showing an irresistible pace.

The race further underlined the feeling that Red Bull will dominate this season with another one-two.

Lewis Hamilton, who started eight, finished fifth, helped by a safety car 18 laps (as Lance Stroll parked his Aston Martin) as he struggled on hard tires having been passed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. .

The interruption to racing allowed Hamilton, who had been shown a black and white warning flag to weave, a cheap pit stop.

The senior Briton was close to Russell’s tail for some time after his one stop, but was unable to dodge the other Silver Arrow. He finished 5.1 seconds behind his teammate.

As for Red Bull’s superiority, not even Alonso thought it worth holding out as Verstappen closed in on him on the long straight, the scene of so much killing at the hands of Max. And Alonso was in the second fastest car, which, through his enduring skill, he topped for much of the 50 laps under the lights.

At 41 years old, Spanish skills are still sharp. He’ll surely win at some point this season, but he’ll need the Red Bulls to falter for that opportunity to present itself.

It looked like he might have the slimmest chance of victory as he passed Perez from the start and into the first corner, but he was soon overtaken by the Mexican, and had to serve a five-second penalty for starting off position on the grid anyway. , to the left of the center of the box.

He received the penalty during the safety car phase, minimizing the damage, but was still 21 seconds behind Perez when the checkered flag waved.

Aston Martin celebrated in delight after Fernando Alonso produced a solid drive to finish what they thought was third, but was demoted after taking a 10-second penalty.

Lewis Hamilton had struggled in qualifying but seemed more comfortable in the race.

Max Verstappen left too much to do to catch Pérez who started 15th on the grid

George Russell held off a late challenge from his Hamilton teammate to finish fourth

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were fifth and sixth for Ferrari, a team as messy as Mercedes, and at Fred Vasseur, a man whose unsuitability for the job of team boss is revealed by the fact that he only recently realized what box Politics. tricks he faces.

Britain’s Lando Norris finished 17th in another difficult weekend for him and McLaren. His rookie teammate Oscar Piastri was two places ahead.

The win was Perez’s fifth. Thanks to Red Bull for not asking him to make way for Verstappen, who took the extra point for fastest lap by dying.

But honestly, ordering them to switch would have looked terrible on them and the sport, and there’s no need anyway. They fight against no one but themselves.