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FACTS AND STATS: Perez leads a Red Bull 1-2 for the very first time as Alonso joins select group of drivers

Virtual Statman

Sean Kelly

19 March 2023

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 19: Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez scored a significant career first in Jeddah on Sunday, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso briefly looked to have secured his own F1 milestone. Here’s our round-up of these and the other fascinating figures thrown up by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Red Bull have only scored consecutive one-two finishes once before (at the 2009 British and German Grands Prix).

REPORT: Perez fends off Verstappen to win action-packed Saudi Arabian GP as Alonso loses podium following time penalty

Today was the first time Perez has won a race with Verstappen in second place.
Verstappen’s 79th career podium puts him just one short of Ayrton Senna's career total.
Verstappen kept the championship lead by setting the fastest lap of the race.
Today was Verstappen’s 21st consecutive finish, the longest active streak on the grid.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 19: Third placed Fernando Alonso of Spain and Aston Martin F1 Team — Alonso was celebrating a century of podiums - until a post-race penalty came in

Alonso led the opening lap of a Grand Prix for the first time in nearly 11 years, the last time being Germany 2012.
Alonso claimed his 100th career podium, becoming only the sixth driver in F1 history to reach this milestone, behind Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost and Kimi Raikkonen.
Alonso’s podium also meant that, having not scored a podium since the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix ahead of the 2023 Bahrain season opener, Alonso has now taken consecutive podiums for the first time since the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has finished fifth in both Grands Prix so far in 2023.
At Ferrari, Carlos Sainz continues to lead team mate Charles Leclerc in the drivers' championship.
Leclerc scored his first points of 2023.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 19: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark driving the (20) Haas F1 VF-23 Ferrari — P10 for Magnussen put Haas on the 2023 scoreboard

Esteban Ocon’s eighth place for Alpine was his worst result in Jeddah in three starts.
Team mate Pierre Gasly finished ninth from ninth on the grid tonight, having finished ninth from last on the grid in Bahrain.
Kevin Magnussen scored Haas's first point of the 2023 season.

TECH TALK: How are Mercedes going to fix their car and return to winning ways?

Yuki Tsunoda has finished 11th in both races this season for AlphaTauri.
With Oscar Piastri finishing in P15 and team mate Lando Norris in P17, McLaren are bottom of the constructors' championship after two races.