F1 Saudi Arabian GP qualifying results: Verstappen on pole

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, on Friday.

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 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Time	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	1'27.472	254.097
2	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.319 1'27.791	253.174
3	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.335 1'27.807	253.127
4	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	+0.374 1'27.846	253.015
5	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	+0.617 1'28.089	252.317
6	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	+0.660 1'28.132	252.194
7	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.844 1'28.316	251.669
8	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.988 1'28.460	251.259
9	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	+1.075 1'28.547	251.012
10	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.100 1'28.572	250.941
11	O. Bearman Ferrari	38	Ferrari	Ferrari	+1.170 1'28.642	250.743
12	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	+1.508 1'28.980	249.790
13	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	+1.548 1'29.020	249.678
14	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	+1.553 1'29.025	249.664
15	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari
16	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	+1.707 1'29.179	249.233
17	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	+2.003 1'29.475	248.409
18	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	+2.007 1'29.479	248.397
19	L. Sargeant Williams	2	Williams	Mercedes	+2.054 1'29.526	248.267
20	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 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	6	1'28.171		252.082
2	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	8	+0.079 1'28.250	0.079	251.857
3	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	8	+0.147 1'28.318	0.068	251.663
4	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	6	+0.467 1'28.638	0.320	250.754
5	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	8	+0.535 1'28.706	0.068	250.562
6	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	8	+0.578 1'28.749	0.043	250.441
7	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	8	+0.584 1'28.755	0.006	250.424
8	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	8	+0.634 1'28.805	0.050	250.283
9	O. Bearman Ferrari	38	Ferrari	Ferrari	9	+0.813 1'28.984	0.179	249.779
10	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	6	+0.817 1'28.988	0.004	249.768
11	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	9	+0.823 1'28.994	0.006	249.751
12	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27	Haas	Ferrari	8	+0.884 1'29.055	0.061	249.580
13	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	6	+0.894 1'29.065	0.010	249.552
14	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	8	+0.898 1'29.069	0.004	249.541
15	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	8	+0.936 1'29.107	0.038	249.434
16	V. Bottas Sauber	77	Sauber	Ferrari	9	+1.008 1'29.179	0.072	249.233
17	E. Ocon Alpine	31	Alpine	Renault	10	+1.304 1'29.475	0.296	248.409
18	P. Gasly Alpine	10	Alpine	Renault	9	+1.308 1'29.479	0.004	248.397
19	L. Sargeant Williams	2	Williams	Mercedes	9	+1.355 1'29.526	0.047	248.267
20	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 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	6	1'28.033		252.478
2	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	8	+0.079 1'28.112	0.079	252.251
3	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	3	+0.089 1'28.122	0.010	252.223
4	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	8	+0.310 1'28.343	0.221	251.592
5	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	9	+0.415 1'28.448	0.105	251.293
6	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	7	+0.434 1'28.467	0.019	251.239
7	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	8	+0.446 1'28.479	0.012	251.205
8	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	6	+0.531 1'28.564	0.085	250.964
9	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	5	+0.545 1'28.578	0.014	250.924
10	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	9	+0.573 1'28.606	0.028	250.845
11	O. Bearman Ferrari	38	Ferrari	Ferrari	9	+0.609 1'28.642	0.036	250.743
12	A. Albon Williams	23	Williams	Mercedes	8	+0.947 1'28.980	0.338	249.790
13	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20	Haas	Ferrari	9	+0.987 1'29.020	0.040	249.678
14	D. Ricciardo RB	3	RB	Red Bull	6	+0.992 1'29.025	0.005	249.664
15	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 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	Red Bull	Red Bull	6	1'27.472		254.097
2	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	Ferrari	Ferrari	7	+0.319 1'27.791	0.319	253.174
3	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11	Red Bull	Red Bull	6	+0.335 1'27.807	0.016	253.127
4	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	Aston Martin	Mercedes	6	+0.374 1'27.846	0.039	253.015
5	O. Piastri McLaren	81	McLaren	Mercedes	6	+0.617 1'28.089	0.243	252.317
6	L. Norris McLaren	4	McLaren	Mercedes	6	+0.660 1'28.132	0.043	252.194
7	G. Russell Mercedes	63	Mercedes	Mercedes	5	+0.844 1'28.316	0.184	251.669
8	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44	Mercedes	Mercedes	6	+0.988 1'28.460	0.144	251.259
9	Y. Tsunoda RB	22	RB	Red Bull	6	+1.075 1'28.547	0.087	251.012
10	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	Aston Martin	Mercedes	6	+1.100 1'28.572	0.025	250.941
View full results