SUMMARY
- Max Verstappen extends winning streak, securing ninth consecutive victory at Saudi Arabian GP.
- Verstappen shares insights on challenges of Australian GP, preparing diligently for the race.
Max Verstappen effortlessly clinched another victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, adding to his impressive streak of wins. With his ninth win in a row since the Japanese Grand Prix the previous year and his 29th win in the past 34 races since mid-2022, Verstappen appears to be unstoppable. As controversies are brewing within the team, the 3x champion seems to have a clear goal in his head.
This victory comes amid an ongoing scandal over accusations made against Christian Horner, the team principal. The Briton was accused of sexual misconduct by a female coworker. This has led to speculations and talks regarding the departure of Verstappen as well. However, the Dutchman has asserted that his only mission is improved performance as he is heading towards the championship title.
Max Verstappen gave insights into the Australian GP challenges
Right after his grand win at Jeddah, Verstappen engaged with the media who questioned him on his plans for the upcoming race. To this Verstappen replied, “Yeah it’s a different track again, especially now with the new layout, we’ll go next week in the simulator again, try to set it up as well as we can before we get there and we’ll just see throughout the weekend where we are, I mean it’s impossible to know how competitive we are going to be.”
The driver has solidified his position for this season’s championship victory. Verstappen dominated the race leaving teammate Sergio Perez trailing by 13.643 seconds. The duo maintained a significant lead over Charles Leclerc, with rookie Oliver Bearman making an impressive debut as he finished seventh. Verstappen continues to break records previously held by Sebastian Vettel, including becoming the youngest race winner and podium finisher.
In the previous season, the 26-year-old claimed victory at the Albert Park Circuit ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Australia GP track layout
The Australian Grand Prix, a veteran fixture on the F1 calendar, has been a staple since its inception in 1995. Following a brief pause after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, drivers are excited to get back into the race as F1 sets up for another dramatic showdown down. It will be the third race of the season which will follow the traditional Friday to Sunday schedule.
Melbourne will now be the home of Formula 1 until 2037! 🇦🇺
The additional two year extension is on top of the 10 year deal secured earlier this year 🙌 #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/elVRT9FOgj
— F1 Australian Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) December 16, 2022
However, there have been a few tweaks made in the circuit in the last few years, boosting the average speed of the cars. To broaden overtaking options at Turn 11, the 2022 season saw specific areas enlarged and chicanes withdrawn at Turns 9 and 10 in favor of DRS zones. The 3.28-mile Albert Park circuit, which had 16 turns, was still untouched until 2020.
Fans are treated to an exciting show as lap timings usually fall between one minute and twenty seconds. Red Bull reinforced their dominance and became the dominating team as the 2024 season continues. The reigning champion kept his lead in the championship standings after winning the previous race in Jeddah.