Despite his crash, Verstappen qualified in third place, behind Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The day prior, F1 qualifying will take place at 12 p.m. The 20 drivers will race to establish the fastest time and secure pole position.
The first 20 minutes will eliminate five drivers and the next 15 minutes will eliminate five more. The final stage is ten minutes and determines the pole position and top ten spots in the starting grid. Ello and welcome along to our live blog for Saturday's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix qualifying session, as we work out the starting grid for the penultimate race of the 2021 Formula 1 season. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are the favourites for pole position and, with overtaking so difficult at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, starting at the front will be crucial. Q3 is a final shoot out to set the top 10 spots on the grid on race day.
The 10 drivers have 12 minutes to set the best lap they possibly can. Meanwhile, championship leader Max Verstappen looked on course to snag pole position from rival Lewis Hamilton before crashing on his final flying lap. The championships are poised superbly with two rounds left in 2021. Max Verstappen leads Hamilton by eight points and Mercedes lead Red Bull by just five.
Who holds the advantage in Saudi Arabia after three practice sessions? Mercedes looked to be on top on Friday but it was Verstappen who was fastest in FP3. Hamilton and Mercedes failed to get the soft tyres working properly and Hamilton did not set a representative time on them. On 28 November, one week before the race, Williams co-founder and former owner Sir Frank Williams died at the age of 79.
Teams sported tributes on their cars, and a minute's silence took place approximately one hour before the start of the race. On Sunday, former Williams driver Damon Hill did a lap of honour in the FW07, Williams's first championship winning car. Alpine ran a special livery for the weekend to commemorate their 100th race with one of their sponsors Castrol. On the eve of the race weekend, Williams CEO Jost Capito announced that he was tested COVID-positive, therefore missing the weekend with the team.
Verstappen holds an eight-point lead over seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the standings with two races remaining. But a Verstappen victory for Red Bull on Sunday coupled with a finish of seventh or lower by Hamilton would give the 24-year-old the championship before next week's finale. At the start of the session, In Q1, in case of red flags on the narrow, high-speed track, a host of drivers went out on track early in the session, including Red Bull Racing's Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Pérez. They soon annexed the top two spots but after seeing their 'banker' laps quickly dismissed, it became clear that the opening session would be defined by the rapidly evolving track conditions and timing things right for a final run.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took the pole position for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by recording the fastest lap time in the third and final round of qualifying. At one stage it looked as if the day might pan out very differently. Max Verstappen has an eight-point lead over Lewis Hamilton heading into these last two races of the 2021 Formula 1 season, so the importance on a good position in qualifying today is that much greater. The Red Bull star impressed in FP3, but the Mercedes driver will no doubt have a trick or two up his sleeve as he looks to retain his championship title.
The first two practice sessions completed on Friday have given the F1 teams and fans a real idea of the conditions on the brand new Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which had never seen any kind of racing on it before this weekend. F1 is all set to close the season with a bang at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are now tied on points after the chaotic Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, which brings the title fight down to the final race, where the winner takes it all. The weekend will feature the traditional format of qualifying and won't feature the recently introduced sprint qualifying. Verstappen went quickest in final practice and he will look to carry that through to secure pole position for Sunday's race. Nd welcome to our coverage for qualifying for the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, obviously.
It's a new, high-speed track with walls close in and one that looks a little on the crazy side. Around 80 per cent of the lap is at full throttle and there are some corners which are reminiscent of Baku's final sector and a bit of the Singapore about it. So far we've had only one significant crash, when Charles Leclerc hit the wall in the final sector in FP2 yesterday.
Two and a half hours long, multiple red flags, tons of drama, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton making hard contact, and huge implications. The penultimate race on the F1 calendar ended with Hamilton getting the win amid controversy, and now there's a virtual tie for the championship going into the final race. Hamilton seemed destined to cut into Verstappen's series lead as he got off to a fantastic start, but Red Bull got a huge break with a red flag while Verstappen held the lead.
But then Verstappen got his own bad break on the re-start with a dicey move and had to give up track position. Finally, we also had a case where Hamilton hit Verstappen in an apparent miscommunication that became controversial as Hamilton said Verstappen braked and caused the hit. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, as title rival Max Verstappen crashed at the very last corner of his final lap. Max Verstappen looked destined for pole position, but he hit the wall on the very last corner and that meant Lewis Hamilton could steal pole, with the Red Bull driver set to start behind Valtteri Bottas in third.
This could prove to be a huge moment in the destination of the F1 title. The drivers have praised the high-speed street circuit that spans 6.2 kilometers (3.8 miles), with 27 corners . It was built along a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) coastal resort area in Jeddah and workers were still completing final touches ahead of this weekend's F1 debut in the country. It was built along a 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) coastal resort area in Jeddah and workers were still completing final touches ahead of this weekend's F1 debut in the country. It gave the current championship leader one final lap around the high-speed course to try to claim pole.
But the Dutchman went wide in the second turn and nearly brushed the wall, then finally gave it a hard slam in the final turn as Verstappen desperately tried to bump Hamilton and Bottas from the front row. All 20 drivers compete in the first qualifying session where the goal is to be one of the 15 fastest drivers on the grid. After the 18 minutes allotted for Q1 are complete, the bottom five drivers are eliminated and the rest move on to Q2. The event follows the traditional format, with two practice sessions on Friday, December 3, before the third practice and qualifying on Saturday, December 4. The 50-lap Grand Prix will then be held on Sunday, December 5, evening.
Sunday's crazy race saw two red flags, multiple virtual safety car interventions and five drivers crash out before Hamilton won his eighth race of the season to level the drivers' standings. What makes the 50 laps on Sunday so hard to predict is the nature of the circuit. With its high-speed blind corners and near walls, it's almost unimaginable that a safety car or red flag will not intervene. On soft-compound tires, Verstappen took the fastest lap of the qualifying session. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, will be starting fourth.
Securing pole capped a dramatic day for seven-time champion Hamilton. He escaped a sanction for yellow flag incidents in Saturday practice after being summoned over an alleged failure to slow under double waved yellow flags, and for blocking the Haas of Nikita Mazepin. Max Verstappen was flying into pole position but a crash in the dying moments of his final qualifying lap means it will be advantage Lewis Hamilton going into Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Amid a season where they've gone toe-to-toe all year, of course, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied for the championship lead going into the final race. Had to happen, Hamilton cut the eight-point deficit between himself and Verstappen by not just winning Sunday's race but also earning the bonus point for posting the single lap.
I can tell you that there are 27 corners – that's a lot of corners – but unlike Singapore, where there's also a lot of corners, there's also quite a few straights, three DRS zones in Jeddah. It's fast, it'll be the second fastest lap in terms of average speed behind Monza, which for a street circuit is fairly awesome. I think it's going to be spectacular under the lights. I think they've done an excellent job to get the track ready, albeit some of the infrastructure around the track might not be quite as finished as the the local authorities would like it.
It was another dramatic qualifying session as the season intensifies. Hamilton is the current champion but trails Red Bull's Verstappen and is in danger of losing his grip on the drivers' championship at the end of the season. We very nearly saw one of the finest ever Formula 1 qualifying laps before Max Verstappen locked up and hit the wall in the final corner at Jeddah last weekend. But, for the first time, here are his and Lewis Hamilton's efforts from Saudi Arabia compared.
Under the current contract subscription service Sky Sports broadcasts all sessions exclusively live, typically on its dedicated channel Sky Sports F1, with FTA Channel 4 showing qualifying and race highlights later in the day. With a perfect race on Sunday, Verstappen could clinch his first F1 title with a victory and a seventh-place finish by Hamilton. But he may also receive a penalty on the starting grid if Red Bull needs to make significant repairs to Verstappen's car.
The second session of qualifying takes place over 15 minutes. This one is also about making sure you're one of the 10 fastest drivers, but strategy comes into play as well because those 10 drivers have to use the tires they qualified on to start the race. The first race weekend of the double header is in Saudi Arabia, where Formula 1 goes for the first time. The street circuit in Jeddah has just been completed. A pretty fast circuit where the drivers have to be sharp for a long race. Especially considering the fact that the race is held in the evening under artificial light.
Abu Dhabi will be the final event of the year and the two title contenders are tied on 369.5 points. It is the first time since 1974 the two leading drivers are level going into the last race of the campaign. As the top 10 drivers went for their final flying laps, Red Bull's Verstappen was on provisional pole. Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has missed out on qualifying in the top 10 spots for this weekend's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, by the tiniest of margins, while a late crash robbed rival Max Verstappen of pole position. In the championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it will be Max Verstappen starting from pole position, his 10th pole of the season — and the most important of the year.
The odds outlook would tell an entirely different story if Verstappen had been able to hold onto his final qualifying lap and secure the pole position at a track that was hyped up all week to be a Mercedes stronghold. Unfortunately, he ended up in the wall, giving Mercedes a front row lockout. But he was clearly on the ragged edge, pushing dangerously close to the car's - and the circuit's - limits. Verstappen had already nearly lost control a couple of times even before he reached the final corner and locked up, losing the rear end and clipping the outside wall. "Sorry guys, really stupid," he said over the radio.
Red Bull's championship leader was on a flyer, turning the timesheets purple as he lowered Hamilton's mark through the first two sectors of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, trying to improve on P3. It was breathtaking stuff, "a mighty, mighty lap" according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. Follow our Formula 1 live text updates from the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix as Britain's Lewis Hamilton aims to win from pole position after Max Verstappen's crash. Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas placed first and second respectively at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix qualifying, with Verstappen taking third and crashing out.
"The design brings out the best of a modern street circuit but also has fast-paced free-flowing areas that will create fast speeds and overtaking opportunities," said F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn. Sky F1's Anthony Davidson analyses the Lewis Hamilton's and Max Verstappen's fastest laps from a dramatic qualifying session in Jeddah. The pole position hunters started this session using the medium tyre, with Verstappen setting the early pace at 1m27.953s ahead of Perez by 0.222s and Bottas by 0.277s. Lewis Hamilton is the bookies' favourite to win, particularly after securing pole position in qualifying. Verstappen leads things as of right now, but Hamilton and Mercedes have won the last two races and have cut the gap right down at the top of the drivers' championship standings. Before qualifying later this Saturday, we first of all have the third and final practice session.
Lewis Hamilton has been leading the way so far and will look to make a statement in the third session as well. Go onboard with the two championship protagonists and watch how they compared in a crucial Saudi Arabian qualifying session, using the video player above. Be there for every practice, qualifying session and race from the 2021 FIA F1 World Championship. Watch or stream it live on FOX SPORTS on Foxtel.
Qualifying for Formula 1's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Saturday will set the grid for the penultimate race of the year. Carlos Sainz had one of the most eventful qualifying sessions at the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that ended with him facing a lowly P15 start. Formula 1 is preparing for the final two races of the season. In an ultimate double header it will be decided who will take the world title in 2021.
Will it be Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton? Find out what time you need to switch on for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend. But in the final corner Verstappen made a small mistake and locked his front-left tyre.
He slid wide and slapped the wall with rear right of his RB16B and then with the front. The lap was gone and Max was forced to settle for third place on the grid behind pole-sitter Hamilton and second-placed Bottas. Verstappen goes into the Sunday's race with a narrow, eight-point lead over Hamilton in the driver standings and has an outside chance of securing the championship in Jeddah. His McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, fared better in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, finishing seventh around the street circuit. For Hamilton, who has cut Verstappen's championship lead with successive wins in Brazil and Qatar, it was a fifth pole of the season and 103rd of his career.
Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, jumped to the top of the qualifying board with about 80 seconds remaining in Saturday's session. Valtteri Bottas, his Mercedes teammate, then moved to second. Verstappen is the only one who can win the title this weekend, though it would need Hamilton to finish outside of the top five for it to happen. Still, that doesn't mean that neither driver cannot go into the final race with a healthy advantage. Given that the Red Bull RB16B and the Mercedes W12 are closely matched and Verstappen and Hamilton are head and shoulders above the rest, as it stands you'd say Verstappen needs to win one and Hamilton two.
If Verstappen wins here it would give him, at least, a 14-point advantage which would mean second, third or fourth would be enough to win the title. E have been here before this season, heading into qualifying without a true idea of who is favourite. I would still put Mercedes and Hamilton there, but there is a significant amount of doubt. Red Bull had Hamilton at least a little concerned with their one-lap pace yesterday, even though the Mercedes looks the stronger race car. His is for not respecting double-waved yellow flags in final practice.
With a final, flying lap for the pair, Hamilton secured pole with the fastest run of the day, giving him a lockout with Bottas alongside him for tomorrow. Good afternoon and welcome to our Formula 1 live text updates from the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix as Britain's Lewis Hamilton aims to win from pole position after Max Verstappen's crash. The Jeddah Corniche track joins F1 as its newest street circuit, with a specially-built layout designed to encourage fast wheel-to-wheel racing. And the drivers will not have seen anything much like it. A new track with jeopardy at every corner and a championship on the line - it is set up to be a crucial and incredibly exciting race.
