Verstappen Opens with a Win as Red Bull Takes 1-2 in Bahrain

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates with the winner's trophy on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 5, 2023. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates with the winner's trophy on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 5, 2023. (AFP)
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Verstappen Opens with a Win as Red Bull Takes 1-2 in Bahrain

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates with the winner's trophy on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 5, 2023. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates with the winner's trophy on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 5, 2023. (AFP)

New season, another victory. Max Verstappen won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, leading almost the entire race as he opened the defense of his back-to-back Formula One titles.

Red Bull also clinched a dominant 1-2 with Sergio Perez finishing second while 41-year-old Fernando Alonso took a brilliant third place — and claimed a 99th career podium — on a stunning race debut for Aston Martin.

“I'm so proud of you guys,” a jubilant Alonso told his team.

It was Verstappen's 36th career win but the Dutchman's first at the flood-lit Sakhir circuit, where he retired just laps from the end in last year's opening race.

“That was exactly the start to the season we needed,” Verstappen said.

This time it was Charles Leclerc, after winning last year, who retired on Lap 41 of 57 when his Ferrari lost power.

“No, no, no, no,” pleaded Leclerc over his radio as his car slowed to a stop. Ferrari had changed an engine battery before the race but that didn't stop Leclerc from making a dismal start to the year after such a frustrating season in 2022.

“There was just no more power. It’s a pity because it’s at these weekends where you have to maximize points,” Leclerc said. “Unfortunately, we’ve taken a step back and Red Bull’s on another planet. Third was the best we could hope for.”

Leclerc's retirement caused panic at Ferrari, and Carlos Sainz Jr. didn't even bother trying to defend from Alonso — probably through concern he might lose power himself — and Aston Martin overtook him with 11 laps left.

Sainz finished fourth ahead of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton in fifth place ahead of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in sixth. Hamilton's teammate George Russell was seventh for Mercedes.

Verstappen started from the pole with Perez alongside him. Leclerc and Sainz were on the second row with Alonso going from fifth.

Logan Sargeant, the first American driver on the grid since 2015, was 12th after starting from 16th.

Stroll's performance was impressive considering he missed preseason testing because of an injury picked up in a bicycle accident that required minor surgery on his right wrist.



Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
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Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan is set to go ahead after a legal challenge against the decision to approve the proposal was dismissed by a High Court judge on Monday.

The 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign group took action against the Greater London Authority's decision last year to grant a planning permission that would almost triple the size of the site for the grass-court Grand Slam.

The proposals would see the construction of 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which would allow it to host All England Club qualifiers on site instead of across south London at Roehampton.

The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.

But Wimbledon chiefs defended the challenge, with the court told that the decision was a "planning judgement properly exercised" and that the restrictions were not "material".

In a ruling on Monday, Justice Saini dismissed the challenge, AFP reported.

"In short, the defendant's decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgement rationally exercised and having regard to appropriate and relevant factors," he said.

Planning permission for the scheme was initially granted by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals "would facilitate very significant benefits" which "clearly outweigh the harm".

Following Monday's High Court ruling, the campaign group said it had been "advised that it should" seek to challenge the decision.

"SWP is not taking this step lightly but believes that the GLA did make a significant legal error in the way it dealt with the special legal status of the park," a statement said.

The latest edition of Wimbledon concluded on July 13, with Jannik Sinner winning the men's title and Iga Swiatek lifting the women's trophy.