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F1 Saudi Arabian GP qualifying results: Verstappen on pole

Mercedes Ferrari Red Bull Max Verstappen M Verstappen Charles Leclerc C Leclerc Sergio Perez S Perez Saudi Arabian (Event)

Verstappen will start ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix grid: Verstappen on pole from Leclerc

   
1
 - 
3
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Time km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull

1'27.472

 254.097
2 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari

+0.319

1'27.791

 253.174
3 Mexico S. Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull

+0.335

1'27.807

 253.127
4 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes

+0.374

1'27.846

 253.015
5 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes

+0.617

1'28.089

 252.317
6 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes

+0.660

1'28.132

 252.194
7 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes

+0.844

1'28.316

 251.669
8 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes

+0.988

1'28.460

 251.259
9 Japan Y. Tsunoda RB 22 RB Red Bull

+1.075

1'28.547

 251.012
10 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes

+1.100

1'28.572

 250.941
11 United Kingdom O. Bearman Ferrari 38 Ferrari Ferrari

+1.170

1'28.642

 250.743
12 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes

+1.508

1'28.980

 249.790
13 Denmark K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team 20 Haas Ferrari

+1.548

1'29.020

 249.678
14 Australia D. Ricciardo RB 3 RB Red Bull

+1.553

1'29.025

 249.664
15 Germany N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari

 

  
16 Finland V. Bottas Sauber 77 Sauber Ferrari

+1.707

1'29.179

 249.233
17 France E. Ocon Alpine 31 Alpine Renault

+2.003

1'29.475

 248.409
18 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault

+2.007

1'29.479

 248.397
19 United States L. Sargeant Williams 2 Williams Mercedes

+2.054

1'29.526

 248.267
20 China Z. Guanyu Sauber 24 Sauber Ferrari

 

  
View full results  
 

What happened in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q1?

Verstappen set the early pace with a lap of 1m28.491s before Leclerc topped it with 1m28.318s.

But Verstappen wouldn’t be denied, and recorded 1m28.171s to take P1 back, as Leclerc aborted his final run. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll jumped up to second, just 0.079s off the pace.

Falling at the first hurdle were Valtteri Bottas (Sauber), the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, Logan Sargeant (Williams) and Zhou Guanyu, whose Sauber was badly damaged in a crash in FP3 and he didn’t manage to set a flying lap.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q1 results: Verstappen fastest from Stroll

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 6

1'28.171

   252.082
2 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 8

+0.079

1'28.250

 0.079 251.857
3 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 8

+0.147

1'28.318

 0.068 251.663
4 Mexico S. Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 6

+0.467

1'28.638

 0.320 250.754
5 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 8

+0.535

1'28.706

 0.068 250.562
6 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 8

+0.578

1'28.749

 0.043 250.441
7 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 8

+0.584

1'28.755

 0.006 250.424
8 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 8

+0.634

1'28.805

 0.050 250.283
9 United Kingdom O. Bearman Ferrari 38 Ferrari Ferrari 9

+0.813

1'28.984

 0.179 249.779
10 Japan Y. Tsunoda RB 22 RB Red Bull 6

+0.817

1'28.988

 0.004 249.768
11 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 9

+0.823

1'28.994

 0.006 249.751
12 Germany N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari 8

+0.884

1'29.055

 0.061 249.580
13 Australia D. Ricciardo RB 3 RB Red Bull 6

+0.894

1'29.065

 0.010 249.552
14 Denmark K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team 20 Haas Ferrari 8

+0.898

1'29.069

 0.004 249.541
15 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 8

+0.936

1'29.107

 0.038 249.434
16 Finland V. Bottas Sauber 77 Sauber Ferrari 9

+1.008

1'29.179

 0.072 249.233
17 France E. Ocon Alpine 31 Alpine Renault 10

+1.304

1'29.475

 0.296 248.409
18 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault 9

+1.308

1'29.479

 0.004 248.397
19 United States L. Sargeant Williams 2 Williams Mercedes 9

+1.355

1'29.526

 0.047 248.267
20 China Z. Guanyu Sauber 24 Sauber Ferrari 2

 

    
View full results  

What happened in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q2?

Verstappen again set the bar with 1m28.078s, 0.044s quicker than Fernando Alonso (Aston).

Verstappen chipped the P1 time down to 1m28.033s on his final run, 0.079s faster than Leclerc.

Knocked out at this point were Ferrari’s in-at-the-deep-end rookie Oliver Bearman, Alex Albon (Williams), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Daniel Ricciardo (RB) and Nico Hulkenberg (whose Haas broke down just a couple of corners into his first flying lap and briefly red-flagged the session).

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Leclerc

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 6

1'28.033

   252.478
2 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 8

+0.079

1'28.112

 0.079 252.251
3 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 3

+0.089

1'28.122

 0.010 252.223
4 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 8

+0.310

1'28.343

 0.221 251.592
5 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 9

+0.415

1'28.448

 0.105 251.293
6 Mexico S. Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 7

+0.434

1'28.467

 0.019 251.239
7 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 8

+0.446

1'28.479

 0.012 251.205
8 Japan Y. Tsunoda RB 22 RB Red Bull 6

+0.531

1'28.564

 0.085 250.964
9 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 5

+0.545

1'28.578

 0.014 250.924
10 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 9

+0.573

1'28.606

 0.028 250.845
11 United Kingdom O. Bearman Ferrari 38 Ferrari Ferrari 9

+0.609

1'28.642

 0.036 250.743
12 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 8

+0.947

1'28.980

 0.338 249.790
13 Denmark K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team 20 Haas Ferrari 9

+0.987

1'29.020

 0.040 249.678
14 Australia D. Ricciardo RB 3 RB Red Bull 6

+0.992

1'29.025

 0.005 249.664
15 Germany N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari 2

 

    
View full results  

What happened in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q3?

On the first runs, Verstappen lapped in 1m27.472s, three tenths up on team-mate Perez.

On the final runs, Perez didn’t improve so Leclerc grabbed P2, 0.319s off Verstappen. Alonso grabbed fourth after getting a great tow from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Oscar Piastri will start fifth, ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, from the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Hamilton. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) qualified ninth, ahead of Stroll.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 6

1'27.472

   254.097
2 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 7

+0.319

1'27.791

 0.319 253.174
3 Mexico S. Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 6

+0.335

1'27.807

 0.016 253.127
4 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 6

+0.374

1'27.846

 0.039 253.015
5 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 6

+0.617

1'28.089

 0.243 252.317
6 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 6

+0.660

1'28.132

 0.043 252.194
7 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 5

+0.844

1'28.316

 0.184 251.669
8 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 6

+0.988

1'28.460

 0.144 251.259
9 Japan Y. Tsunoda RB 22 RB Red Bull 6

+1.075

1'28.547

 0.087 251.012
10 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 6

+1.100

1'28.572

 0.025 250.941
View full results  
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