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Michael Doyle with Reuters

Sergio Perez wins F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Max Verstappen second, Oscar Piastri 15th, Fernando Alonso regains third on appeal

Sergio Perez is a winner in F1 again, taking victory around the streets of Jeddah. (Reuters: Ahmed Yosri)

Red Bull has continued their early dominance of the Formula 1 season, as Sergio Perez took victory in Saudi Arabia ahead of his charging teammate.

Max Verstappen produced a terrific drive to finish second after starting 15th, but the final placings were not settled for hours after the race, following dramatic scenes.

Fernando Alonso was third across the line in what was another terrific drive from the Spaniard, but he was given a 10-second penalty after the trophy presentation, only for it to be later overturned.

The Spaniard was given a five-second penalty following the start, when Alonso did not line up in his grid box correctly.

Aston Martin served the penalty during Alonso's pit stop, but the mechanic holding the rear-jack was touching his car before the five seconds had been served.

Alonso was given a 10-second penalty moments after he was presented the trophy for third place, dropping him to fourth.

Aston Martin's celebration of third place for Fernando Alonso was short lived. (Reuters: Hamad I Mohammed)

Alonso told the UK's Sky Sports F1 that the stewards should have informed his team during the race.

His pit stop happened with more than 30 laps left in the race.

"It doesn't hurt much to be honest," he said about the penalty.

"I was on the podium, I did pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated with champagne and now apparently I have three [championship] points less.

"You cannot apply a penalty 35 laps after the pit stop. They had enough time, really, to inform [us] about the penalty.

"If I knew that, maybe I open 11 seconds [gap] to the car behind."

Alonso's Aston Martin team did not accept the penalty, and eventually the Spaniard celebrated his 100th F1 podium after Saudi Arabian Grand Prix stewards reversed the penalty decision.

The stewards said in a statement they had reviewed new evidence presented by the team, including video footage showing seven similar previous incidents where teams had not been penalised.

The decision meant Mercedes's George Russell dropped back to fourth from third.

Perez was near-flawless around the Jeddah street circuit, converting pole position into the fifth victory of his F1 career.

The Mexican briefly lost the lead at the start of the race to Alonso, whose career resurgence continued with another brilliant weekend.

But once Perez took the lead back at the start of lap 4, he never looked threatened.

Perez, who finished fourth in Saudi Arabia in 2022 after starting on pole, said he was thrilled to correct last year's disappointing result.

"It turned out to be tougher than expected. I was on for the victory last year, so finally I got it,' he said.

"The team have worked so hard across the weekend, we had a lot of mechanical issues.

"We will keep pushing, we were the fastest car out there."

Max Verstappen made up 13 places to finish second in Saudi Arabia. (Reuters: Hamad I Mohammed)

Verstappen kept the lead of the drivers' championship after securing the fastest lap of the race, scoring an extra point.

The Dutchman snatched the point from Perez on the final lap.

Lap 1 contact foils Piastri's hopes of top 10 finish

Oscar Piastri's brilliance in qualifying did not translate to the race around Jeddah, with the Australian finishing the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 15th.

Starting eighth, Piastri was involved in an incident with the Alpine of Pierre Gasly on the opening lap, damaging his front wing.

Piastri was forced to pit at the end of the first lap, sending him to the back of the grid.

Oscar Piastri's hopes to score his first championship points were foiled on lap 1, when a collision damaged his front wing. (Reuters: Hamad I Mohammed)

It got worse for McLaren, when Lando Norris came into the pits with the same issue at the end of the second lap.

Piastri and Norris were both on the hard tyres, with the Australian pulling away from his more experienced teammate.

The safety car on lap 18 made no difference to Piastri, who did not pit for new tyres. McLaren did opt to pit Norris, who was running last, for faster medium tyres.

The faster tyres were enough for Norris to pass the Australian in a bid to climb up the grid and pass those on the hard tyres, which never materialised.

But Piastri was was able to show his skill in the final laps, overtaking Norris and the Williams of Logan Sergant.

McLaren have failed to score any points from the first two races of the season.

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