DHL FASTEST LAP AWARD

Max Verstappen wins close battle for DHL Fastest Lap

Red Bull in a league of their own as the 2023 Formula 1 season picks up speed. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were well ahead of the field again as they fought for victory in the Saudi Arabian GP and also duelled for the DHL Fastest Lap this time round. However, it was Verstappen who stepped up to the mark, taking best time from Perez on the very last lap much to the Mexican’s disappointment.

While Perez secured victory, Verstappen in second place claimed the bonus point and as a result, was able to retain his lead in the overall standings, which was no easy task after a tough qualifying session, during which the Dutchman’s Red Bull had come to a stop with a driveshaft failure.

From 15th on the grid, Verstappen had to fight his way back to the front in the race. A safety car period helped, but Perez out in the lead had an error-free drive and maintained a five-second advantage on his team-mate over the final few minutes. On Lap 38, it looked like he had also secured the DHL Fastest Lap.

Victory was out of reach for Verstappen, but not the bonus point: “With a few laps ago, I asked what the fastest lap was. We were first of all free to race, and of course, we had a target lap time to the end. It’s a point on the line; it was the same also in Bahrain. Especially when it’s just between the two cars, I think it’s quite normal that you ask what the fastest lap is.”

Verstappen turned up the power once again on the last lap. With a 1:31.906, he was 0.282 seconds faster than the mark in the sand laid down by Perez. But the Mexican was totally oblivious to what was going on and didn’t counterattack. Perez: “Yeah, I asked two laps from the end, while they were telling us... where they told me to keep a certain pace.” So, while he was pleased with the win, he was a little bit put out at missing out on the lead in the world championship: “I thought the communication was the same to Max or something. We need to review, because I got different information, and I just couldn’t push it there.”