Alonso sees race for F1's 2nd-best behind Red Bull heat up

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Beaten by a rival other than Red Bull for the first time this season at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso believes Formula One is about to become far more competitive. The veteran finished on the podium for the third time in as many races when taking third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne. The 41-year-old Spaniard had previously finished third behind Red Bull’s Verstappen and Sergio Perez as that pair exchanged victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively, in March.