MELBOURNE, Australia: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has claimed his first Australian Grand Prix in remarkable circumstances in a chaotic Formula 1 race filled with drama from the green light to the checkered flag.
Although Red Bull’s first triumph in Melbourne since 2011 was expected, the carnage that unfolded in the latter stages of the race at Albert Park made it an extremely hard-fought triumph.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who drove superbly in his Mercedes, finished second, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso filled third spot on the podium.
“That is a really good weekend for us. I am happy with that,” Verstappen said to his team on radio.
Verstappen had appeared to be coasting to victory with an eight-second lead when debris from Kevin Magnussen’s Haas forced the second of three red flags issued in the race with three laps remaining.
On the restart, Verstappen was able to hold Hamilton to the first turn as bedlam unfolded behind his RB19, sparking a massive reshuffle of the finishing order in the 58-lap race.
Alonso, who had challenged Hamilton for second position throughout much of the race, was hit by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on the first corner of the restart. Sainz, whose Ferrari showed good speed throughout the race, was issued with a five-second penalty which relegated him to 12th.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant also drove into the back of Nyck DeVries and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly also crashed.
Earlier, Ferrari’s defending champion Charles LeClerc exited after crashing on the opening lap, while the Mercedes of one-time leader George Russell caught fire on Lap 18.
Australian Oscar Piastri claimed his first championship points when finishing eighth in his McLaren.
Verstappen wins in wild finish to F1 Australian Grand Prix
https://arab.news/wqgkq
Verstappen wins in wild finish to F1 Australian Grand Prix
- Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished second
- Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso filled third spot
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MIAMI: Four times Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was withdrawn from scheduled media commitments at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday as the Red Bull driver awaited the birth of his first child.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
- 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.
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
- 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
- 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
- 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.”
