Carlos Sainz Jr. wins Australian GP in Ferrari 1-2 as Verstappen fails to finish

Despite not being fully fit, Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr., whose seat at Ferrari is to be taken by Britain’s Lewis Hamilton next year, topped Q1 and Q2 to fire a warning shot. (Reuters)
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Updated 24 March 2024
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Carlos Sainz Jr. wins Australian GP in Ferrari 1-2 as Verstappen fails to finish

  • Spaniard missed the last race in Saudi Arabia and went through surgery two weeks ago

MELBOURNE: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. surged to victory at the Australian Grand Prix Sunday to snap Red Bull’s winning start to the season after three-time world champion Max Verstappen sensationally failed to finish.

The Spaniard, who had appendicitis surgery two weeks ago, took the chequered flag 2.3 seconds ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris a bold third.

It was his third grand prix win and first since Singapore last year.

“I’m happy to be in a one-two with Charles here. It shows that hard work pays off,” said Sainz, who missed the last race in Saudi Arabia and was bed-ridden for a week afterwards.

“Life sometimes is crazy ... the podium in Bahrain, then the appendix, the comeback, the win. It’s a rollercoaster but I loved it and I’m extremely happy.”

While he celebrated, it was a disastrous day for pole-sitter Verstappen, who limped out with smoke billowing from his car after being passed by front-row partner Sainz on lap two.

The Dutchman blamed a brake issue for his first retirement in two years.

“What we can see so far from the data is that as soon as the lights went off the right-rear brake just stuck on,” he said.

“It just caused the damage and it kept on increasing so it was also basically driving with the handbrake on.” 




Carlos Sainz Jr.

It was also a horror race for Lewis Hamilton in his inconsistent Mercedes, with the British seven-time world champion suffering engine failure on lap 17.

To add to Mercedes’ woes, teammate George Russell crashed heavily on the last lap with the car ending on its side.

Russell climbed out unscathed, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso faulted for “potentially dangerous” driving over the incident and slapped with a 20-second penalty.

Verstappen emphatically won the opening two grands prix of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with both a Red Bull 1-2, and was hot favorite to make it three from three.

He had been aiming to match his own record set last year of 10 consecutive wins — one more than Sebastian Vettel in 2013 — and was unbeaten in his last 18 starts from pole position.

But while Verstappen was favored to win, the Ferraris had proved highly competitive in practice and qualifying on the fast and flowing Albert Park track.

Despite not being fully fit, Sainz, whose seat at Ferrari is to be taken by Hamilton next year, topped Q1 and Q2 to fire a warning shot.

Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren was fourth ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Alonso dropped to eighth after his penalty with teammate Lance Stroll elevated to sixth and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda to seventh.

Haas pair Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10.

“It feels good mostly for the team of course, first and second didn’t happen since Bahrain 2022,” said Leclerc. “Carlos has had an incredible weekend to come back from his surgery, he’s done an amazing race.”

Verstappen made a clean start and pulled clear of Sainz when the lights went out, with Norris holding onto third as they jostled for position.

But his lead didn’t last with Sainz opening his DRS on lap two to slice past before smoke started pouring out of the Red Bull and the Dutchman retired.

Sainz led from Norris and Leclerc before the first pit stops.

Sainz put on fresh rubber on lap 17 and had a 2.6sec lead from Leclerc at the halfway mark, closely followed by Piastri and Norris.

With no Verstappen to contend with, the Spaniard gradually built the gap as Norris passed Piastri to move into third.

Leclerc pitted again and he came back out in fifth on hards, but quickly surged back to second.

Sainz also pitted for a second time and retained his narrow lead to cruise home in front of 130,000 fans.


Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day

Updated 01 May 2025
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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

Updated 27 April 2025
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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.

The participants in the six-day race pose for a souvenir picture after the awarding ceremonies in Qassim on Saturday. (Supplied)

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

Updated 26 April 2025
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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

Updated 26 April 2025
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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.


FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem nominates Malcolm Wilson for deputy role

Updated 23 April 2025
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FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem nominates Malcolm Wilson for deputy role

  • Federation members will vote in June on whether to endorse the former British Rally champion and founder of M-Sport
  • Malcolm Wilson: There has never been a more exciting time to be in motor sport, and I know first-hand the benefits the sport brings to families and communities across the world

DUBAI: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has nominated Malcolm Wilson, a leading figure in British motor sport, for the position of deputy president for sport.

The FIA, the global governing body for motor sport and advocacy group for motoring organizations, said on Wednesday that members will vote on the nomination during the federation’s Extraordinary General Assemblies and Conference in Macau in June.

Wilson is the managing director of M-Sport, which has operated Ford’s World Rally program since 1997. Previously he was a highly successful rally driver, who won the British Rally in 1994. He is an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club, and in 2009 he was awarded an OBE for services to motor sport in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list.

Under his leadership, M-Sport won the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 2006 and 2007 and 2017, and back-to-back driver and co-driver championships in 2017 and 2018. It also served as a technical partner with Bentley Motors, leading the design and development of the Continental GT3 race car, and in electric motor sport with Jaguar in the Ipace eTrophy event.

The deputy president for sport, one of the most senior elected roles within the FIA, serves on the World Motor Sport Council and has a wide range of responsibilities, including development of global motor sport policies in collaboration with FIA commissions and national sporting authorities, and the promotion of safety, sustainability and innovation in the sport.

Ben Sulayem said: “I am delighted to nominate Malcolm Wilson OBE for the role of FIA deputy president for sport. Malcolm has had a distinguished career in global motor sport.

“For over 40 years he has competed at the highest level, both as a driver and technical partner to teams. This experience will be invaluable to the FIA and our member clubs as we continue to grow grassroots and professional motor sport, driving innovation in the sport to benefit fans, drivers and teams.”

Wilson said: “Having started my career in motor sport in the 1970s as a driver and then technical partner to teams, it is a great honor to be nominated for the role of FIA deputy president for sport.

“The FIA has played a central role in my career and I very much look forward to supporting the president and all the FIA family in its important mission. There has never been a more exciting time to be in motor sport, and I know first-hand the benefits the sport brings to families and communities across the world.

“I look forward to working with the president for the duration of his current term of office, bringing our sport to new audiences and ensuring we deliver the very best championships for all our competitors.”