SERGIO PEREZ

Runaway series leader Max Verstappen has returned to dominant form by winning the Japanese Grand Prix and moving a step closer to securing his third consecutive Formula One drivers’ championship.

The Singapore Grand Prix had a dramatic finish as four cars from three teams fought for the podium.

Max Verstappen has hit back at Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s dismissal of his Formula One record for consecutive wins and suggested his rivals might do better to draw inspiration from his achievements.

Runaway Formula One leader Max Verstappen has won a rain-marred Dutch Grand Prix to equal Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record with a ninth straight win.

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen enters the mid-season break in unstoppable form.

Two-time reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen has won the rain-hit sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix to extend his huge lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 118 points.

Brad Pitt is joining the Formula One paddock for his new movie.

Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen continues his relentless march toward a third straight world title with a dominating win at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez will start from the pole at the Miami Grand Prix, where he has been given clearance to race for both the win and the championship.

Sergio Pérez has taken advantage of a fortunately timed safety car to beat Max Verstappen to the win in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sergio Pérez has won the Formula One sprint race in Azerbaijan to extend Red Bull’s winning start to the season.

Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen drove from 15th to second to give Red Bull a 1-2 finish Sunday in what is shaping up to be a runaway season for the reigning Formula One champions.

Lewis Hamilton considers Mercedes so far off the pace that it might need three teams not to finish a Formula One race in order to win one.

Max Verstappen has won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position by leading almost the entire race as he began the defense of his back-to-back Formula One titles.

Max Verstappen has won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history.

Mercedes driver George Russell has won his first race in Formula One by 1 1/2 seconds at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen set the Formula One record for wins in a season Sunday at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he scored his 14th win to break the record shared with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Max Verstappen inched closer to a record 14th victory of the Formula One season by holding off a pair of Mercedes and Mexican favorite Sergio Perez to win the pole for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton has just three races remaining to avoid the first winless season of his illustrious Formula One career.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start on pole position for the United States Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso remembers the quiet times in Austin.

Formula One team Red Bull has been found to have breached budget regulations last season.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen clinched his second consecutive Formula One drivers’ title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in the rain at Suzuka.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull will be on the pole for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix as he attempts to clinch his second straight Formula One drivers’ title.

Max Verstappen’s Formula One title celebration was put on hold after the Red Bull driver placed seventh at a chaotic Singapore Grand Prix won by his teammate Sergio Perez.

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen made quick work of a safety car restart to win the Dutch Grand Prix in front of 100,000 adoring fans, and make it four straight wins for the first time in his F1 career.

Max Verstappen produced a brilliant final lap to take the pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix just ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen quickly carved his way through the field from 14th to win the Belgian Grand Prix and widen his lead in the standings.

Carlos Sainz Jr. will start from the pole Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix because runaway Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was among the many drivers to be hit with grid penalties.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen overcame a spin and his worst starting spot of the season to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and stretch his lead to to 80 points in the standings over Charles Leclerc.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen supports banning abusive fans from races but believes drivers have limited influence in curbing the boorish behavior seen at recent events.

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen has won the French Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc crashed out as Ferrari’s woes resurfaced, falling 63 points behind the Red Bull driver in the championship.

Charles Leclerc used help from Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. to beat Formula One leader Max Verstappen and take pole position for the French Grand Prix.

United Formula One drivers are determined to help stamp out abusive behavior from some fans with Lewis Hamilton saying F1 must fight harder together to combat this and Sergio Perez urging life bans for abusers.

Charles Leclerc has revived his Formula One title challenge by holding on to win the Austrian Grand Prix for a third victory of the season.

Max Verstappen comfortably won the sprint race from pole at the Austrian Grand Prix while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. almost collided as they scrapped behind him.

AlphaTauri says Pierre Gasly is “100% confirmed” to return to the team next season, and reigning F2 champion Oscar Piastri is being heavily scouted for a promotion into a Formula One seat in 2023.

Marcus Ericsson had to leave Formula One to become a global superstar and achieved the goal Sunday when the Swedish driver won the Indianapolis 500.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez held on to win Sunday’s rain-marred and chaotic Monaco Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc positioned himself to reclaim the Formula One championship lead from reigning champion Max Verstappen by winning the pole for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton drove at the Monaco Grand Prix with his nose stud in after Formula One’s jewelry ban was put on hold.

Max Verstappen used an aggressive early pass on Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc then controlled the inaugural Miami Grand Prix to pick up his third win of the season.

Ferrari stormed to the front of the grid for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix as Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. locked up the front row in Saturday qualifying.

The Formula One team Red Bull has landed another billion-dollar American company as a sponsor.

Sergio Pérez looks around the top motor racing series in the world and sees a golden age for Mexican drivers.

Charles Leclerc has completed a dominant weekend in his Ferrari after converting pole position into a comprehensive triumph at the Australian Grand Prix.

Formula One defending champion Max Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc three laps from the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for his first win of the season and 21st of his career.

Sergio Perez takes his first career pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Formula One races on amid heavy scrutiny, the day after an attack on a nearby oil depot.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen says he has a good relationship with Charles Leclerc and expects a clean title fight against the Ferrari driver this season.

Formula One champion Max Verstappen’s title defense turned into a nightmare when the Red Bull star retired near the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix and Ferrari clinched a 1-2 with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton took an unexpected third place after Sergio Perez’s Red Bull also retired with the finish line in sight as the race finished under a yellow flag.

NASCAR champion Kyle Larson is among those conflicted over the ending of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen overcame a mistake in qualifying to grab the pole for the Formula One title-deciding Abu Dhabi GP.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have qualified 1-2 for the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, setting up a showdown between the Formula One championship contenders at the very start of Sunday’s race.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has ended a turbulent weekend with a stunning victory.

Max Verstappen stretched his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One season championship with a dominant victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas has won pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix and Mercedes earned its first front-row lockout of the season as Lewis Hamilton will start second.

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen dominated the second practice for Mexican Grand Prix with enough speed that he should be the race favorite.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen edged championship rival Lewis Hamilton for pole position in qualifying Saturday at the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix for his first victory of the season while Max Verstappen finished second to reclaim the overall lead from title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton had the fastest qualifying time at the Turkish Grand Prix but a 10-place grid penalty prevented him from extending his record pole streak.

Max Verstappen has won a rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen out-dragged Lewis Hamilton at the start of Formula One’s experimental first sprint qualifying race to take the pole for the British Grand Prix.

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position to clinch a third straight victory and extend his lead over title rival Lewis Hamilton to 32 points after nine races.

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen has dominated the Styrian Grand Prix to win back-to-back races for the first time in his career.

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap to win the French Grand Prix and extend his lead over his title rival to 12 points.

Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a two-lap shootout after championship leader Max Verstappen crashed while leading with a tire failure and Lewis Hamilton went off at the restart.

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time to take the Formula One championship lead from Lewis Hamilton.

Max Verstappen has won a dramatic Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after world champion Lewis Hamilton hit a wall and the race was temporarily suspended following a separate incident involving Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 file photo Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gestures after taking the pole position after the qualifying session at the Formula One Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. World champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend, his Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team said Tuesday Dec. 1, 2020. (Hamad Mohammed, Pool via AP, File)SAKHIR – Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix. The Mercedes team said it would announce a replacement driver later in the week. Hamilton is the third F1 driver to test positive for COVID-19 this season, following Sergio Perez at Silverstone and Lance Stroll in Germany.

Hamilton now stands alongside F1 great Michael Schumacher on seven titles, having replaced the German driver at Mercedes in 2013. Vettel and Hamilton pitted for new tires on Lap 9, followed by Stroll, Perez and Verstappen three laps later. At the restart Hamilton tried to overtake Vettel but locked his tires, while Albon passed Hamilton and Vettel to move into fourth spot. Halfway through the race, Stroll and Perez were ahead of Hamilton but losing ground. Stroll came in for new tires on Lap 37 and Hamilton used DRS to get past Perez one lap later and take the lead.

Officially, the German Grand Prix is on hiatus this year, and this race — a late replacement on the coronavirus-affected calendar — is called the Eifel Grand Prix after a nearby mountain range. As many as 20,000 fans could attend, making it the best attended race of the season apart from the Russian Grand Prix. NEW GENERATIONIt's been eight years since Michael Schumacher's last F1 race, and now his son will officially be part of an F1 race weekend for the first time. Michael Schumacher hit his head on a rock and sustained severe brain injuries which left him requiring constant care. When Hamilton and Michael Schumacher last raced together at the Nürburgring in 2011, there were six Germans on the grid including then-world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Sunday, Sept.6 , 2020. (Jennifer Lorenzini, Pool via AP)LONDON Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel will drive for Racing Point starting next season. The team said Vettel has signed for the 2021 season and beyond" but did not reveal the length of the contract. Vettel has won 53 grand prix races, a tally only surpassed by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Its a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company," Vettel said.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after clocking the fastest time during the qualifying session for Sunday's Italian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monza racetrack in Monza, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (Jennifer Lorenzini/Pool via AP)Lewis Hamilton set the fastest Formula One lap ever to grab pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, nudging Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas into second place by just 0.069 seconds on Saturday. Defending champion Hamilton raced around the 3.54 miles (5.79 kilometers) of asphalt at the so-called Temple of Speed in the fastest lap recorded in the sport at 164.267 mph (264.362 kph). That eclipsed Kimi Raikkonens one-lap record of 163.785 mph, set by the former world champion on his way to pole at Monza two years ago. But its a reality at the moment for us unfortunately.Vettel finished 17th after being hampered by traffic on his final lap.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car during the qualifying session at the 70th Anniversary Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein,Pool)SILVERSTONE Valtteri Bottas edged out Mercedes teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton to claim pole position Saturday for Formula One's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. It gave Bottas his first pole since the opening race of the pandemic-delayed season in Austria, which he went on to win. Hamilton won the next three races from pole, including last weekend in the British GP, to extend his championship lead over Bottas to 30 points in his quest for a record-equaling seventh world title. Giuseppe Farina drove an Alfa Romeo to victory at Formula Ones first world championship race, here at Silverstone 70 years ago.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after he clocked the fastest time during the qualifying session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. (Will Oliver/Poolvia AP)SILVERSTONE Lewis Hamilton set a new track record at the British Grand Prix and clinched a record-extending 91st pole position on Saturday. He was .313 seconds ahead of Bottas and about 1 second faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Earlier, Bottas posted the fastest time in third and final practice ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen in somewhat cooler conditions following Fridays stifling heat. We definitely miss the fans.Mercedes won the first three races, Bottas clinching the season-opener in Austria and Hamilton winning the next two in Austria and Hungary.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Three more MotoGP races have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. MotoGP says the races in Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia are off for this year. ___Britain has reversed course and now says spectators will not be able to attend sporting events in England because the coronavirus infection rate is rising. The Oval cricket stadium in London has been used as a test for fans returning in the last week. ___Formula One driver Sergio Perez says he might have contracted the coronavirus during a trip to Mexico between races in Hungary and Britain.

Racing Point driver Lance Stroll of Canada steers his car during the second practice session for the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit in Silverstone, England, Friday, July 31, 2020. (Bryn Lennon/Pool via AP)SILVERSTONE Lance Stroll led the second practice for the British Grand Prix on Friday while struggling Ferrari had another bad day, with Sebastian Vettel spending most of it stuck in the team garage. Stroll finished fourth at the Hungarian GP two weeks ago for Racing Point, which uses Mercedes engines and has been showing good pace this season. There's a lot of heat coming from the cockpit, the championship leader Hamilton said right at the end of a session held amid hot and humid conditions. The second session was interrupted half way through when Albon span off the track and slammed backward into the crash barrier.

The coronavirus has hit the Silverstone race with Sergio Perez forced out after testing positive on Thursday. After dominating the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month, Hamilton then accused Grand Prix Drivers Association director Romain Grosjean of failing to convince the grid to be united in kneeling before the race. But he also apologized to Hamilton for indicating that it might have been the wrong call. Romain originally reached out to me and we had a great conversation, added Hamilton. Red Bulls Max Verstappen and Ferraris Charles Leclerc are among those drivers who have stood rather than taking a knee.

All rights reserved.) Formula One driver Sergio Perez is out of Sunday's British Grand Prix after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Racing Point driver, who is Mexican, will now go into isolation. The race on Sunday will be the fourth in the pandemic-affected season that should have begun in March. ___More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports