Verstappen Wins Saudi Arabian Grand Prix And Records 100th Career Podium

Max Verstappen stayed perfect in 2024, winning the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a healthy margin.

Entering the second race weekend of the 2024 F1 season, the Dutch driver already had 26 points to his name in the World Drivers' Championship, and he wanted to extend his lead at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

He qualified on the pole position, making his job in the race much easier, and after the first corner of the race, it was clear that Verstappen would have a healthy advantage over his competition.

While others fought for the podium spots, the Dutch driver got away, with his teammate in Red Bull, Sergio Perez, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc fighting for the second place.

Eventually, the Mexican managed to stay ahead of the Monegasque driver, but on Lap 7, the race got a bit interesting after Lance Stroll in Aston Martin crashed in turn 22, triggering a safety car.

Almost everyone in the Top 10, except for Lando Norris in McLaren and Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes boxed for new tires, as the two British drivers tried an alternative strategy, finding themselves first and third, respectively, prior to the safety car restart.

Obviously, they were not able to keep their positions. In the fight for the win, Perez received a five-second penalty for unsafe release, and Verstappen's advantage at the top increased even further.

Still, the Mexican driver managed to keep relatively close to his teammate, compared to the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he was 22 seconds slower across the full race distance.

Yet, he wasn't fast enough to catch Verstappen, who crossed the finish line first, recording his 56th career Grand Prix victory, and 100th podium.

In the World Drivers' Championship, the 26-year-old driver increased his advantage to second Perez by another seven points, as this time around, the fastest lap of the race went to Charles Leclerc.