With Verstappen cantering to his second win in a row at the start of the new 2024 season - and a ninth in succession overall, one shy of his own all-time F1 record - around the high-speed Jeddah street track, much of the focus in the race was again on the fights behind him, with British debutant Bearman capturing much of the attention.

The 18-year-old, who had only learned on Friday morning after the opening day of practice had been completed that he would be making his F1 debut this weekend after Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to undergo surgery, had already qualified an impressive 11th in a car he had never driven in a sure-footed performance on Friday.

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The Ferrari reserve driver's assuredness only grew in his maiden Grand Prix.

Moving into points positions mid-way through the 50-lap race, Bearman eventually moved up to seventh and kept his composure into the closing stages despite knowing he had fellow Britons Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton chasing him down on fresher tyres across the final 10 laps.

By finishing seventh Bearman, who is the third-youngest F1 driver ever and the youngest Ferrari driver of all time, scored the best race result for a debutant since Brazil's Felipe Nasr took fifth at his first race in 2015.

Verstappen had led away from pole position but lost the lead to McLaren's Norris after a lap-seven Safety Car was triggered when Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin.

Norris, who was the second McLaren on the road at the time of the Safety Car behind Oscar Piastri, would have lost ground waiting to pit had the team double-stacked their cars. Mercedes also only pitted their lead car at the time, George Russell, with Hamilton following Norris in staying out.

But after soon overtaking the McLaren when the race resumed, Verstappen then raced away at the front with characteristic dominance.

Perez, who had earlier overtaken Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for second after an initial attempt on the race's opening lap had been rebuffed, soon followed through on the McLaren and such was the pace advantage of the Red Bull RB20 that a five-second penalty he had earlier picked up for an earlier unsafe release from his pit stop under the Safety Car was rendered academic.

Third-placed Leclerc finished 10s behind Perez on the road, which halved in the final classification once the Mexican's penalty was applied at the chequered flag, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri in a distant fourth after spending much of the race unable to find a way past Hamilton, who also did not pit under the Safety Car.

Fernando Alonso capped a strong weekend with fifth place in the sole-remaining Aston Martin, with George Russell sixth for Mercedes ahead of the British trio of Bearman, Norris and Hamilton.

Nico Hulkenberg opened Haas' account for 2024 with the final point after a strong drive.

More to follow...

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