BRAKING NEWS: The latest in the world of F1, V8 Supercars and motorsport

Aussie Jack Doohan produced his best result of the fledgling season ahead of a home debut in Melbourne next weekend. Plus, all the latest in the world of motorsport in BRAKING NEWS.

TOPSHOT – Red Bull Racing's Mexican driver Sergio Perez celebrates after winning the Saudi Arabia Formula One Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah on March 19, 2023. (Photo by Luca Bruno / POOL / AFP)

After another dominant display in Saudi Arabia the Red Bulls are looking nigh-unbeatable as they streak toward the Formula One title just two races into the 2023 season.

But could inner team turmoil bring things unstuck?

Sergio Perez was caught self-censoring his title aspirations on Twitter following an impressive victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Monday morning.

The Mexican tweeted (translated from Spanish): “It was tougher than I thought, but in the end I’m happy to get my fifth victory in F1. Very happy with the result of the team. We are going to keep pushing very hard, I want to be champion”.

But two minutes later he had edited the tweet, removing the final line – “I want to be champion”.

It adds another layer of complexity to an already intriguing rivalry between Perez and his world champion teammate, Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez celebrates his victory. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Fans have not yet forgotten the fallout from the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, when Verstappen defied team orders to let Perez past as the Mexican fought for points to help clinch second in last year’s drivers’ championship.

Since that point questions have been raised over the camaraderie of the two Red Bull drivers and the magnifying glass has been applied early in the 2023 season, given the car’s serious pace advantage over the rest of the field.

With Verstappen and Perez seemingly the only two capable of winning the championship this year, Red Bull will no doubt have to manage a burgeoning rivalry while the two stay close in the standings.

A chink in the armour may have appeared late in the race in Jeddah on Monday morning, when Verstappen hit the radio asking who owned the fastest lap and what time had been set.

The pit wall responded by saying they were “not concerned about that Max”, to which Verstappen retorted: “Yeah, but I am”.

The Dutchman charged his battery in the dying stages before laying down a blistering pace on the final lap to steal the top time from his teammate’s clutches and with it, retain the championship lead by a solitary point over Perez.

Questions remain over the relationship between Verstappen and Perez. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

In celebrating his fifth career race victory, Perez looked bemused when told that Verstappen had clinched the fastest lap bonus points at the death.

Speaking with Mexican news outlet El Capitalino after the race, Perez said: “I was told the fastest lap belonged to me and to keep the pace. Then I found out Max took it away from us. We will have to discuss that with the team to clear things up.”

In the post-race press conference, the two drivers shared their view on the situation.

“We were first of all free to race – and of course we had a target lap time to the end, but you know, there’s a point on the line,” Verstappen said.

“It was the same also in Bahrain, it got asked. Especially when it’s just between the two cars, I think it’s quite normal that you ask for what the fastest lap is.”

But Perez intimated he was given different information than Max.

“Two laps from the end they told me to keep a certain pace, they told me I had the fastest lap and to keep the pace, a certain pace,” he said.

“I thought the communication was the same to Max, so it’s something we need to review. Because I certainly got different information, and I just couldn’t push there in the end.”

JOURNEYMAN’S GEN3 LIFELINE

A career-best finish on the streets of Newcastle was all the confirmation James Golding needed to know he can be a force in Supercars this season.

The PremiAir Racing journeyman, who joined the Gold Coast team midway through last season after two and a half years in the wilderness, crossed the line fourth in Race 2 at Newcastle.

Teammate Tim Slade finished ninth in the same race, giving PremiAir two cars in the top-10 – one of only two teams, alongside Triple Eight, to do so.

Golding, 27, delivered a performance worthy of his earlier qualifying speed, when he put himself ahead of reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen on the grid for the Sunday feature race.

It equalled the fourth place he earned as a co-driver to Garth Tander at Sandown back in 2017. But this one was all of Golding’s own doing, and it tasted sweet.

“We had confidence we were going to be strong and pick up where we sort of finished last year being consistently in the (top) 10 – we really thought we could achieve that and we certainly did, but to be further up the grid and really take it up to the top teams, especially ones like Triple Eight, is a pretty big achievement straight out of the blocks,” Golding said.

“There’s always things you wish you did better but overall I think if we had known that was the result we would get heading into the weekend we would have taken it, so a pretty solid start to the year for us.”

PremiAir Racing driver James Golding.

Many drivers struggled adapting to the Gen3 cars and even Race 2 winner van Gisbergen was vocal in his criticism of the new machines.

But Golding believes his strengths are suited to the difficult drive and he’s ready to put the work in to establish himself as one of the best in the business.

“I was looking forward to how we would go in Newcastle. I thought the cars did suit my driving style a lot better and as we’ve seen after that, the results have shown that,” he said.

“It doesn’t mean it’s going to keep going that way, we need to keep our heads down and make sure I keep maximising my performance driving the car and work with the team as well.

“It’s not going to be easy, but in terms of car characteristics and how you’ve got to drive them I think it does suit my style better and I’m enjoying driving these cars which helps.”

Before he was offered a lifeline by newcomers PremiAir Racing, Golding’s Supercars career was in the wind after Garry Rogers Motorsport withdrew from the series ahead of the 2020 season.

He labelled the unfortunate series of events a “blessing in disguise” that honed his hunger for a full-time return – one which he now plans to make good on.

“We obviously spent two and a half years out of a full-time seat – that wasn’t easy, but it was good for me to refocus and have a bit of time away to think about and work out what was the best way to go about getting back in,” Golding said.

“I think it’s probably been a bit of a blessing in disguise. I believe everything happens for a reason and the reason I am in the position I’m in today, driving for PremiAir Racing, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

DOOHAN IN THE POINTS

Aussie Formula Two star Jack Doohan says he is still struggling to get a handle on his Virtuosi Racing car despite taking second step on the podium at Saudi Arabia.

Doohan crossed the line behind Frederik Vesti and banked an important 18 points as he eyes the F2 world championship that Alpine underlined was a must-win for his short-term F1 chances.

The Australian was helped along by two rivals spinning out midway through Monday morning’s race and Doohan produced his best performance of the fledgling season ahead of a home Grand Prix debut in Melbourne next weekend.

Doohan finished on the podium in Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

But the 20 year old conceded he was lucky to finish second given the struggles of the car.

“Points-wise yes. To get some solid points, 18 – it’s obviously good. The top guys in the Championship didn’t score so great today so to be up there and to get higher up on the board, consolidate myself for the year, it’s great,” Doohan said.

“I’ve been struggling to find confidence with the car. We’ve had quite a few fundamental issues so far this season which has been quite a big shock to the system for all of us because it hasn’t been in our control.

“Trying to eliminate that every time we go out on track – still coming into today, I didn’t have any confidence at all unfortunately but hoping that with things that we’re changing, we’re going to reinstate that. We did a good race, did the maximum we could. I don’t think I had the outright pace but to finish P2, finally a little bit of good luck, I’m happy to be here.”

Doohan is now sixth in the overall standings. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

After banking his first points of the season in Jeddah, Doohan now sits sixth overall in the drivers’ standings – 13 back from early leader, Ralph Boschung.

Doohan welcomed the opportunity to race for the first time in Australia.

“It’s going to be really cool, I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

“Being in Melbourne, if you’re thinking about the home race, it’s still two hours in a plane from where my home is in Australia, but to be there and the crowd to be Aussie and not just English, to have that behind me – I’m sure the vibe and the atmosphere will be superb and I can’t wait to start there.”

Originally published as BRAKING NEWS: The latest in the world of F1, V8 Supercars and motorsport