Formula 1

Max Verstappen dominated the field en route to his ninth consecutive race win at the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.

Verstappen opened the 2024 F1 season with a convincing win in Bahrain last week, and it was more of the same on Saturday, as he won by over 13 seconds.

Sergio Pérez, who is Verstappen's Red Bull Racing teammate, was the runner-up for a second week in a row, while Charles Leclerc finished third. Here is a full rundown of the finishing order, courtesy of ESPN.com:

1. Max Verstappen

2. Sergio Pérez

3. Charles Leclerc

4. Oscar Piastri

5. Fernando Alonso

6. George Russell

7. Oliver Bearman

8. Lando Norris

9. Lewis Hamilton

10. Nico Hülkenberg

11. Alexander Albon

12. Esteban Ocon

13. Yuki Tsunoda

14. Logan Sargeant

15. Kevin Magnussen

16. Daniel Ricciardo

17. Valterri Bottas

18. Zhou Guanyu

19. Lance Stroll

20. Pierre Gasly

---

Verstappen led 48 of 50 laps Saturday after leading every lap last week, and the fan reaction on social media once again focused on the huge gap between Verstappen and his peers:

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX

He is in another world. pic.twitter.com/Gg4cp7SOzO

— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) March 9, 2024

MAX VERSTAPPEN ONCE AGAIN WINS

HE IS INSANE. THE GOAT.

MAX EMILIAN VERSTAPPEN EVERYONE pic.twitter.com/gKmwsLSZne

— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) March 9, 2024

… and Max Verstappen wins the #SaudiaArabianGP pic.twitter.com/x5QfZp68z2

— CRK (@caroquecarocaro) March 9, 2024

Max Verstappen wins his 9th GP in a row, and his 56th GP becoming the first person to win Jeddah more than once in the process

Faultless again, it’s becoming the standard for him.

2 wins down 22 more to go! let’s go Max! pic.twitter.com/0cOd12hcw4

— Clapped 🚀 (@F1Clapped) March 9, 2024

Another clinical display for Max.

Honestly, whether you like it or not, in my view he’s the best driver since Schumacher.

Vettel had 2013, Hamilton obviously had a longer run of wins but Verstappen just never lets anything go, even when he doesn’t need to, utterly dominant.… pic.twitter.com/dC2JNO2G9h

— Jason Hassett (@Jayhassett) March 9, 2024

The 26-year-old Verstappen is the three-time defending F1 points champion, and he is well on his way to a fourth consecutive title.

With a ninth straight race win, Verstappen tied Sebastian Vettel for the second-most consecutive wins in F1 history. Verstappen holds the record with 10, and he will have a chance to match it in Melbourne in two weeks.

While Verstappen was the star of the show once again on Saturday, Pérez continued to show that he is an elite driver in his own right with another second-place finish.

Also, Oliver Bearman put himself in elite company, becoming the third-youngest driver to ever start an F1 race at just 18 years of age.

The young phenom started in place of Carlos Sainz Jr., who was unable to compete due to appendicitis.

Lewis Hamilton, who is in the midst of his final season at Mercedes before making the move to Ferrari, never threatened the leaders Saturday and had to settle for a ninth-place finish.

Hamilton is arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time with a record 103 race wins to his credit, but the 39-year-old veteran has not been himself lately.

Last season, Hamilton did not win a race for the first time in his career, and he has finished outside the top five in each of the first two races this season.

The stars of F1 will have next week off before getting back on the track Down Under for the Australian Grand Prix on March 24.

Red Bull and Mercedes have one of the defining rivalries in F1, but a shocking move that would change the dynamics between the teams could eventually be in the works.

Lewis Hamilton, who has long been the face of the Mercedes team but will be heading to Ferrari in 2025, told reporters Wednesday his current team could replace his spot on the grid with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

Hamilton went as far as to say Verstappen is "definitely on the Mercedes list."

Verstappen responded to questions about his future, telling reporters his intention is to "absolutely to stay with this team because I really enjoy it, and I'm really happy within the team." Verstappen added that "as long as we perform, there is no reason to leave."

It wasn't long ago Hamilton and Mercedes were the gold standard of the sport.

He won six world championships in seven years from 2014 through 2020, which brought his career total to seven world championships. However, things have changed of late with Verstappen winning the last three world titles and Red Bull claiming two constructors' titles.

The two constructors' titles snapped Mercedes' eight-year winning streak.

Yet it is a time of upheaval in F1 with Hamilton leaving his longtime team for Ferrari and Verstappen's future with Red Bull at least in doubt enough for his rival to mention a potential move to Mercedes.

What's more, Red Bull has been under the spotlight recently thanks to an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior by an employee.

Nate Saunders of ESPN noted Red Bull GmbH, which is the parent company of the race team, cleared team principal Christian Horner of misconduct. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and McLaren team principal Zak Brown asked F1 to seek more transparency from the investigation.

Perhaps most notably, Saunders reported Verstappen's father, Jos, "reportedly told those close to him that his son will leave Red Bull if Horner stays" and even was "reported to have had dinner with Wolff."

Jos Verstappen also told the Daily Mail, "There is tension here while [Horner] remains in position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems."

Wolff even addressed speculation about Verstappen's future during a discussion with Sky Sports F1 (h/t Lydia Mee of FanNation).

"The market is very interesting," he said. "For a driver, the most important thing is to be with whoever is fastest, and there is no reason now for Max to leave Red Bull anytime soon. But we'll see what happens."

Losing Hamilton figured to be difficult for Mercedes given his history and overall meaning to the team.

However, replacing him with the three-time reigning world champion would both keep it in position to compete in 2025 and beyond and be quite the blow for its rival, Red Bull, in the process.

Max Verstappen's quest for a fourth consecutive Formula One title started in style Saturday, as he won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in dominant fashion at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Verstappen, who started on the pole, led all 57 laps and beat second-place finisher and Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez by 22.457 seconds.

Here is a full rundown of how the 20 drivers competing in Saturday's race fared:

1. Max Verstappen
2. Sergio Pérez
3. Carlos Sainz
4. Charles Leclerc
5. George Russell
6. Lando Norris
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Oscar Piastri
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Lance Stroll
11. Zhou Guanyu
12. Kevin Magnussen
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Alexander Albon
16. Nico Hülkenberg
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Pierre Gasly
19. Valterri Bottas
20. Logan Sargeant

Verstappen won a remarkable 19 of the 22 races that were run last year, and Pérez won two, so it came as little surprise that they opened the 2024 season in familiar territory.

During the 2023 campaign, Verstappen and Pérez finished first and second on six occasions, and they are already on their way to perhaps equaling for surpassing that number in 2024.

Given how clearly Verstappen outclassed the field in Bahrain, there was a great deal of social media reaction regarding how easy the 26-year-old superstar made it look:

https://twitter.com/sirhqmilton/status/1763945794569158826

Max Verstappen wins the opening race of the F1 season by 22 seconds… pic.twitter.com/Oj1VRSAWQy

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 2, 2024

max verstappen in p1 while everyone else fights for their lives with car issues pic.twitter.com/WAVlqIYv7g

— can (@rosbergcore) March 2, 2024

Verstappen vs the rest of the grid pic.twitter.com/l4GIgDMy7y

— Mahir 🇹🇷🇬🇧 (@ScrewderiaF1) March 2, 2024

https://twitter.com/ScrewderiaF1/status/1763966572459172197

Max Verstappen right now #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/Bc4oIpNoxC

— Mr.Opinion (@Allsport241) March 2, 2024

https://twitter.com/BEGUMV1/status/1763960882067894458

Max Verstappen really said 'nah' to anyone hoping for a close championship fight this year 🤣

— Matt Gallagher (@MattP1Gallagher) March 2, 2024

With his eighth race win in a row, Verstappen is in the midst of the third-longest winning streak in F1 history. Only Sebastian Vettel (nine) and Verstappen himself (10) have won more consecutive races.

The all-time F1 record for most points titles in a row is five by Michael Schumacher. Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio and Vettel are second on that list with four, and Verstappen is aiming to join that elite group.

Pérez is perhaps the driver with the best chance of interrupting Verstappen's championship streak, but even he didn't pose a threat on Saturday.

Carlos Sainz, who was the only driver besides Verstappen and Pérez to win a race last season, could also be in the mix over the course of the season after finishing third in Bahrain.

Hamilton, who is tied with Schumacher for the most career championships with seven, kicked off his final season at Mercedes with a seventh-place result.

The 39-year-old veteran, who will join Ferrari next year, finished third in the standings last year, but he didn't win a race for the first time in his F1 career.

Although Hamilton had nothing for Verstappen on Saturday, he is one of a handful of drivers that may have a chance to provide some competition on a week-to-week basis.

Verstappen will look to make it nine wins in a row next Saturday when the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix takes place in Jeddah.

Formula One's Red Bull Racing team announced Wednesday that team principal and CEO Christian Horner has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Per Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press, Red Bull Racing released a statement Wednesday expressing confidence that the investigation was "fair, rigorous and impartial" while also noting the the complainant can appeal if they so choose:

#F1: Red Bull clears Christian Horner pic.twitter.com/3vP7fSrfRl

— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) February 28, 2024

Earlier this month, ESPN's Nate Saunders reported that the investigation stemmed from a Red Bull Racing employee alleging that Horner was responsible for "controlling text messages and behavior."

At the time, a spokesperson said Horner "rejects these claims entirely," and he was subsequently allowed to carry out his usual duties without facing any discipline.

The 50-year-old Horner has been the head of Red Bull Racing's F1 team since its inception in 2005.

With Horner at the helm, Red Bull has enjoyed enormous success, winning six Constructors' Championships and seven individual driver titles. Sebastian Vettel won four in a row from 2010 through 2013, and Max Verstappen has won each of the past three.

The Englishman was a driver before becoming an executive, competing in the British Formula Renault Championship, British Formula Three, British Formula Two and Formula 3000 in the 1990s.

Red Bull Racing is once again considered the team to beat in 2024, as drivers Verstappen and Sergio Pérez finished first and second in the standings last season and combined to win 21 of the 22 races.

The only race they didn't win saw Carlos Sainz Jr. prevail in the Singapore Grand Prix.

F1's 2024 season will officially begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, and Verstappen will begin his quest to become only the fifth driver in Formula One history to win four or more consecutive championships.

Legendary Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton released a statement Saturday on Twitter, formerly known as X, explaining his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025.

In the statement, Hamilton thanked Mercedes and reflected on the great times he had, but also expressed his belief that it is time for a new challenge:

It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions.

But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.

I… pic.twitter.com/ysie0XxAFe

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) February 3, 2024

"The time is right to make a change and take on a new challenge. I still remember the feeling of taking a leap of faith into the unknown when I first joined Mercedes in 2013. I know some people didn't understand it at the time, but I was right to make the move then and it's the feeling I have again now. I'm excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together."

On Thursday, Hamilton's upcoming move to Ferrari was confirmed, meaning he will leave Mercedes-AMG Petronas after 12 seasons with the team.

The 39-year-old Hamilton enjoyed unprecedented success with Mercedes, winning six points titles over a seven-year stretch from 2014 through 2020.

When taking into account his 2008 points title while with McLaren, Hamilton is a seven-time F1 champion, tying him with Michael Schumacher for the most all time.

Hamilton is also the winningest driver in F1 history, winning 103 races during his illustrious career.

As great as Hamilton's run has been, the past two seasons have been something of a struggle, as he finished sixth in the standings in 2022 and third last season. Hamilton didn't register a win in either season.

In his statement, Hamilton noted that "driving in Ferrari red" is a "childhood dream" that he will get to fulfill starting in 2025.

Although he is clearly looking forward to the move, Hamilton made it clear that he is also focused on ending his time with Mercedes on a high note, saying:

"Right now, I'm not thinking about 2025. My focus is on the upcoming season and getting back out on track with Mercedes. I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focused than than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100 percent committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high."

Preseason testing begins later this month for the 2024 F1 season, followed by the season-opening race in Bahrain.

On March 2, the Bahrain Grand Prix will mark the start of Hamilton's final season with Mercedes, and once he departs, it will be the end of one of the most successful partnerships in motorsports history.

Legendary Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season and join Ferrari.

Mercedes and Hamilton confirmed the split Thursday.

"I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together, Hamilton said. "Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember."

Ferrari confirmed the agreement with Hamilton shortly after the announcement of his impending Mercedes exit.

Team Statement

Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract. pic.twitter.com/moEMqUgzXH

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 1, 2024

According to Sky News, Hamilton signed a two-year, £100 million contract last summer to stay with Mercedes through 2025, but the team confirmed he exercised an out after the 2024 season.

Hamilton has been a Mercedes driver for the past 11 years.

"We start with MASSIVE transfer news this deadline day. Not in football, but in Formula 1." 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fpNhCPR7zZ

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 1, 2024

"It's a calculated risk he's taking" 😮

What is the reasoning behind Lewis joining Ferrari? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/dQ9DXuatXt

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 1, 2024

Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz Jr. at Ferrari, who confirmed he will part ways with the team at the end of his contract following the 2024 season.

pic.twitter.com/WbedglDjGT

— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) February 1, 2024

Sainz finished seventh in the F1 standings last season, and he has finished 10th or better in each of the past seven campaigns.

Hamilton will be teammates with Charles Leclerc, who finished fifth in the standings last season following a second-place finish in 2022.

According to Sky News, Hamilton told ESPN last May that he would be "lying" if he said he didn't ever think about driving with a team other than Mercedes before adding: "I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red."

Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 for McLaren, and after six seasons with that team, during which he won an F1 title, he made the move to Mercedes in 2013.

It was there that Hamilton established himself as one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, winning six championships in seven seasons from 2014 through 2020.

Overall, the 39-year-old is first on the F1 all-time race wins list with 103, putting him well ahead of Michael Schumacher's 91 wins in second place.

Hamilton is also tied with Schumacher for the most career F1 points titles with seven.

While Hamilton's place in F1 history is undeniable, the past couple of years have been a bit of a struggle for him and could explain his decision to leave for Ferrari.

Hamilton finished second in the points in 2021, followed by sixth in 2022 and third last season. While he won eight races in 2021, he has no wins in two seasons since then.

That has put Hamilton in unfamiliar territory, as he won at least one race in each of his first 15 Formula One seasons.

Hamilton is still a great driver capable of running up front and contending, but he is banking on the idea that Ferrari will help take him from contending back to winning races regularly once again.

Carlos Sainz, the father of Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr., won the 2024 Dakar Rally on Friday in Saudi Arabia to give Audi it's first-ever victory in the race.

Sainz, who has now won the race four times, finished one hour, 20 minutes and 25 seconds ahead of Guillaume de Mevius to claim the title. He broke his own record as the oldest winner in Dakar Rally history at 61 years old.

The Spaniard also won the race in 2010, 2018 and 2020. However, he was racing for different manufacturers in each of those races—Mini, Volkswagen and Peugeot.

"To be here at my age and to stay at the level, you need to work a lot beforehand. It doesn't just come like that," Sainz said after the race, according to BBC.

"It shows that when you work hard, normally it pays off."

Seguimos soñando!
X4 @dakar 🏆💪🏻

We keep dreaming!
X4 @dakar 🏆💪🏻@LucasCruz74 @redbullmotors pic.twitter.com/RuJaYV1qzn

— Carlos Sainz (@CSainz_oficial) January 19, 2024

"I'm proud, relieved and happy, obviously, of what he has achieved," Sainz Jr. said of his father after the race. "He is incredible at his age and this project was his dream and he made it happen."

Praise for father @CSainz_oficial from son @Carlossainz55 on his #Dakar2024 VICTORY 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6gJG7AnZUJ

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 19, 2024

The win is particularly impressive for Sainz, who was forced out of the 2023 Dakar Rally after he fractured his back when his Audi rolled over while driving over a dune.

The only racers to win the Dakar Rally more times than Sainz are Qatar's Nasser Al Attiyah, who has won five titles, and France's Stephane Peterhansel, who has won eight titles.

The Dakar Rally is considered one of the toughest motorsport races in the world. That said, it's unclear if Sainz intends to return to defend his title next year.

"At the moment, I want to enjoy this victory and I will think about my future in the next weeks," Sainz said after the win.

Max Verstappen dominated the Formula One circuit to an unprecedented degree in 2023, which allowed the Red Bull Racing star to remain the highest-paid driver in the world.

According to Forbes' Brett Knight, Verstappen earned $45 million in salary and $25 million in bonuses for 2023. That put him well ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who collected $55 million total, in second place, and his payout was more than double Fernando Alonso ($34 million) in third place.

Knight noted Formula One drivers are somewhat atypical in that they don't make a lot of money through endorsements.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, for example, was the highest-paid NBA player this year, and his off-court earnings ($70 million) far surpassed what he earned on the court ($47.6 million), per Knight.

Verstappen's overall haul illustrates how F1's biggest stars nonetheless have little trouble raking in the cash.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a campaign for the record books, one that might not be replicated for a long time. He won 19 races and earned 575 points, both of which were the most ever in a single season.

Verstappen's performance on the track had an accompanying effect on his earnings. He made $60 million in 2022, $5 million more than Hamilton.

In 2022, Red Bull signed Verstappen to a five-year extension that's reportedly worth $55 million annually. Considering he has won two more Formula One titles since penning the deal, his team might be getting a bit of a bargain now.

Stop us when you've heard this before: Max Verstappen just won a Formula 1 race.

Verstappen concluded putting together the greatest season the sport has ever seen as Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, walking away with his record-setting 19th win of the 2023 season.

A three-time champion of the world celebrating how you should... 🏆🏆🏆

Donuts on the grid for Max Verstappen! 🔄 pic.twitter.com/Fa1Et5UVjv

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 26, 2023

MAX VERSTAPPEN BECOMES THE FIRST DRIVER TO LEAD FOR 1,000 LAPS DURING A SINGLE SEASON 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3ya4ayW977

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 26, 2023

"You've smashed it out of the park this year, we are incredibly proud" 🤝

Christian Horner ❤️ Max Verstappen pic.twitter.com/xuWpX3DiH4

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 26, 2023

Charles Leclerc finished second and George Russell rounded out the podium.

With Sunday's race concluding the 2023 campaign, it's only right to look back on what was one of the most impressive feats in sports history. Verstappen was victorious in 19 of the 22 races on the F1 circuit, breaking his own record for wins in a season by four—which was set just once year ago.

The 26-year-old now ranks third in the history of Formula 1 with 54 wins. Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher rank ahead of him, and Verstappen has at least another decade of prime driving ahead of him.

"Of course it's quite a crazy number. We had a crazy, crazy year," Verstappen told reporters this week. "It will end at one point, but hopefully not too soon. ... I love driving, that's the foremost (thing) and winning is the best thing in Formula One. At the same time, I'm very focused on what's ahead of me and hopefully next year we have a competitive car again and continue that momentum."

It's impossible to contextualize Verstappen's dominance in modern times. No one has ever been this dominant this often. Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Novak Djokovic, all historically dominant but none of their peaks had them so far ahead of the competition.

Verstappen has now won three straight F1 championships, making him one of 11 drivers to pull off that feat. He could move into a tie for fourth on the all-time list if he wins next season, and there's no sign of him letting up anytime soon.

Max Verstappen might not have loved his entire Las Vegas experience, but that did not stop him from walking away with another victory.

Verstappen once again dominated to capture Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix, capturing his record-setting 18th victory of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He's now three wins clear of the previous single-season record, which was set by Verstappen just one year ago.

The most dominant figure in all of sports at the moment, Verstappen has won 33 of the last 43 F1 races.

can we all agree that we won’t ever see a driver like Max Verstappen.

he’s just in another league 🐐 pic.twitter.com/LyRQeD99Ns

— elyess_25 (@elyess_25) November 19, 2023

Max Verstappen has now won all three races in the United States this year.

Captain America 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/KJ1aBw6LNo

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) November 19, 2023

they threw everything at him!!! media duties!! a track he despises!!! terrible tarmac conditions!! an ugly racesuit!!! a 5s penalty!!! george russell!!! and he still won!! max verstappen everyone

— emma (@emveone) November 19, 2023

The stunning race-winning move for Max Verstappen on Charles Leclerc 😮‍💨#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vuPtUXRt2Y

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023

"A great crowd. I hope everyone enjoyed it. We definitely did," Verstappen said after the race. "I'm already excited to come back here next year and hopefully try to do something similar."

Of course, Verstappen was singing a bit of a different tune leading up to Saturday night. He spoke openly about his distaste for the Las Vegas-style spectacle attached to the race, saying it distracted from educating fans about F1 as a sport.

"I understand that fans, they need maybe something to do as well around the track," Verstappen told reporters. "But I think it's more important that you actually make them understand what we do as a sport because most of them just come to have a party, drink, see a DJ play or a performance act.

"I can do that all over the world. I can go to Ibiza and get completely s--t-faced and have a good time. But that's what happens, and actually people … they come and they become fan of what? They want to see maybe their favorite artists and have a few drinks with their mates and then go out and have a crazy night out. But they don't actually understand what we're doing or what we're putting on the line to perform."

Regardless of his opinion on the event itself, Verstappen once again proved he's the best in the world.

Charles Leclerc finished in second, while Sergio Pérez rounded out the podium.

Meanwhile, it was a miserable day for Lando Norris, who crashed out in Lap 4 and Lewis Hamilton, who somehow wound up finishing seventh despite dropping to 14th in the first lap after colliding with Carlos Sainz Jr. and then suffering a punctured tire later in the race.

Sainz finished sixth after his own whirlwind week that was lowlighted by needing a battery change after the first practice session.