Oliver Bearman the ‘Special One’ at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with stunning drive on Ferrari debut
Jose Mourinho was one of a number of celebrities and sports stars to show up at Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but there was no doubt who the ‘Special One’ was.
Ollie Bearman, the 18-year-old Formula 2 driver from Chelmsford, the third-youngest driver in the history of the sport who was only thrown in at Ferrari on Friday after Carlos Sainz went down with appendicitis, finished a hugely-impressive seventh on his Formula One debut, having started 11th.
To say Bearman won a few admirers would be understating things. They were fairly queuing up to congratulate him at the finish. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both gave him high fives in parc ferme, Lando Norris, who finished one place behind Bearman in eighth, tweeted about his compatriot’s “mega job”, 1996 world champion Damon Hill announced that a “star was born”.
And despite the presence of multiple world champions and established Formula One drivers in the mixed zone afterwards, there was only one driver the world’s media wanted to speak to.
“I mean, he completely deserves it,” Bearman’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished third, said of the praise being heaped upon the teenager. “He’s done an incredible job. From FP3 he was straight on the pace. I think today he has been incredible.
“Seventh in your first race in F1 having only done FP3 in a new car is impressive. Everybody has noticed how talented he is and I guess it’s just a matter of time before he’s in an F1 car.”
There is already talk that Ferrari-powered Haas may offer Bearman a seat next year. But they may face competition. This was an extraordinarily assured performance given his lack of preparation time. It also provided a hugely welcome sub-plot to a race which felt like a foregone conclusion from the moment Red Bull’s Max Verstappen got away cleanly and roared off into the distance.
The three-time world champion’s crushingly predictable victory, by 14 seconds from Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, was his 19th in his last 20 races, and his second in two races this season, ensuring Verstappen already enjoys a 15-point championship lead over the Mexican.
At this rate, he will have his fourth consecutive championship sewn up in record time – assuming he doesn’t quit the team at any point before then. Red Bull remain as chaotic off the track as they are assured on it, although Verstappen said he hoped the drama could be put behind them. “I always said that what is important is that we stay together as a team,” he insisted in his press conference afterwards. “Hopefully from now on that is the case.”
Verstappen was so relaxed heading into this race he stayed up until after 3am local time on Saturday morning gaming with other live streamers on Twitch.
Bearman provided some welcome relief from that saga. His story, becoming the youngest Briton ever to compete in a Formula One grand prix, was wonderfully feelgood.
He had to fend off challenges from two of his more illustrious compatriots, too. McLaren’s Norris and Mercedes’ Hamilton both pushed him hard in the final stint as they fought back after late pit stops for fresh tyres on inverted strategies. But after initially taking chunks out of Bearman’s advantage, their tyres began to fade, and Norris and Hamilton were left fighting among themselves for eighth place rather than challenging the teenager.
It was another frustrating race for Mercedes. Russell finished sixth and Hamilton ninth behind Bearman and Norris. Hamilton said the team needed to make “big changes” to the car. “It was like I was in a different category when I was going through the high-speed compared to the other guys around me,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, he was left grinning from ear to ear.
“A little tired,” Bearman admitted of how he felt by the end of what was by far the longest race of his career. “You can probably see I don’t look my best. But it was a fantastic race, pushing all the way. Especially at the end when I had the two guys on softs bearing down on me. I couldn’t really but it was a really exciting and fun race.
“The countdown seemed like it was going slower than normal. I think we managed it [the final stint] really well.”
Bearman, who was named driver of the day in the fans’ vote, added: “I think I did my fastest lap on the last one. It was really fun and I felt good confidence. I was building throughout the race... I felt like I could really push. There’s a bit more to it to overtake in F1 rather than F2. It’s just really difficult to follow... coming so close to these walls one second from the guy in front it’s difficult, it requires more precision.”
It will surely not be long until we see Bearman again in a Formula One race. “A star is born” Hill concluded. “Oliver Bearman, to jump in at such short notice, on a track as intimidating as Jeddah, in a Ferrari of all things, and hold up under immense pressure from Lando and Lewis and keep it together. Wow.”
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: As it happened
07:33 PM GMT
Vasseur on whether Sainz will be back for Melbourne in two weeks
For sure that he will have to have a good rest this week and we will take a decision probably in Melbourne. At least we know with Ollie we have a good reserve. I wish him the best.
Might Bearman secure a place with one of Ferrari’s customer teams for next season (Haas or Sauber?):
Perhaps but the most important you said before the result of today will be behind us in a couple of weeks and he wil have to be be focused on the F2 because he has a huge challenge in front of him. But he will have the occasion to do some FP1 this year.
07:30 PM GMT
Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur reacts to Bearman’s performance
Yeah, I didn’t have a plan before but as you can imagine when I asked Ollie to jump into the car on Friday for the quali I didn’t expect... he did very well yesterday. Today I was a bit scared also because of the start and the pit stop that he didn’t do before. He was very solid and didn’t do a single mistake in the race and he was able to speed up at the end when we told him Hamilton and Norris were behind him. All in all it’s a fantastic job. It was amazing on the management I would say that pace is one thing but the management of the complete event... he was very solid and robust. He didn’t do a mistake with good feedback and very calm on the radio.
07:29 PM GMT
What do Mercedes think of all that?
Sixth and ninth, pretty much where they were in qualifying. No real great progress in race pace and they were behind both McLarens and Alonso on ultimate pace as well as the Red Bulls and Ferrari. Not sure we can say that this is back to 2022 and 2023 yet but the signs are not great.
07:12 PM GMT
Christian Horner speaks about the controversy/saga/conflict at Red Bull
A lot is made of this stuff but we are one team and nobody is bigger than the team. This team comprises across the different entities over 1,400 people. Everybody has a role to play and without them performing you don’t achieve performances like this. Unfortunately there’s been a lot of speculation this weekend but our focus is very much on track.
On Helmut Marko and his possible suspension or departure:
Firstly Helmut is a consultant to Red Bull GmbH and whatever the discussion was was between them and him. Everybody has a role to play in this team, no single individual is bigger than this team.
He then brings it back to the race performance.
Has he got Max’s backing?
Obviously there’s rumblings, I am aware of what has been said but Max is an important part of this team. He’s our driver and he’s doing a great job. As team principal and CEO I am responsible for the running of this team. Max is doing his part and everybody else is doing their part.
I think speculation is obviously rife but the most important part of the team and focusing on on-track performances. We all have a vested interest in achieving performance like today.
He then brings it back to the men and women back in the factory and the “team”...
There’s nine other teams trying to do what we’re doing. It’s not that easy. You only do that by having a spirit, a culture and determination throughout the entire company. I mean, I think Red Bull Racing is the most followed sporting entity of any sports team in the world. We’ve got an incredible team an incredible group of men and women who are doing an amazing job.
07:04 PM GMT
Christian Horner speaks to Sky Sports F1
It was a very well executed race. The cars performed brilliantly all weekend the drivers did their part. A 1-2 finish the best possible start to the season for us. You can see the team is operating at an incredibly high-level and we’ve carried that forward from last year. We’ve come to another circuit and it’s performed well here. Again Max clinical in his execution of that race and Checo put in a very strong performance as well.
Not sure if he’ll be asked about the ongoing psychodrama at his team...
07:03 PM GMT
A lot of Bearman chat here so let us not forget the winner
It’s now 30 wins in the last 35 rounds for Verstappen. That’s even higher if you include sprint races but that, in percentage terms is 85 per cent.
07:00 PM GMT
What next for Oliver Bearman?
Well, his primary focus now will be on the F2 championship which resumes in Australia in two weeks’ time. He has some work to do after finishing pointless in the opening two rounds last week and then having to withdraw from the two rounds in Jeddah after stepping up to F1. Given the 42-point gap to leader Zane Maloney I am not sure that he will be required to win the championship to get an F1 seat but it’d be good if he could get into the top three or four.
He should have another few outings in an F1 car later in the season, most likely in FP1 sessions for Haas. What chance of him racing for Haas next year? It is not a bad shout if he finishes his F2 season strongly.
This is all of course presuming Sainz is back in the car for Melbourne which I have little doubt that he will be.
06:52 PM GMT
Bearman reacts to his seventh place
A little tired, you can probably see I don’t look my best. It was a fantastic race, pushing all the way. Especially at the end when I had the two guys on soft bearing down on me I couldn’t really but it was a really exciting and fun race.
The countdown seemed like it was going slower than normal. I think we managed it [the final stint] really well. I think I did my fastest lap on the last one. It was really fun and I felt good confidence. I was building throughout the race... I felt like I could really push. There’s a bit more to it to overtake in F1 rather than F2... it’s just really difficult to follow... coming so close to these walls one second from the guy in front it’s difficult it requires more precision.
06:50 PM GMT
Martin Brundle reacts to Bearman’s performance
Congratulations to @OllieBearman Brilliant drive in Jeddah this evening. Kept it on the road, out of the wicked walls, and stayed well in touch with, and ahead of, truly world class drivers. Superb first F1 GP, of many I have no doubt.
— Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) March 9, 2024
06:48 PM GMT
Updated constructor standings
Haas make it onto the board and that is a fantastic result. Their car looks to be a lot, lot better in race trim than it was last year. Hulkenberg also might have started further up the grid were he not forced to retire in Q2 yesterday. Not sure he could have beaten anyone ahead of him but that is a great result.
06:43 PM GMT
Watch: Hamilton and Russell congratulate Bearman
Lewis and George waste no time in congratulating Ollie for his debut race ☺ pic.twitter.com/e3ePxMO3cS
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
06:42 PM GMT
Updated driver standings: Top 10
Bearman into the top 10 after that showing. We will have reaction from him later, when he gets round to the TV cameras.
06:40 PM GMT
Hamilton says congrats to the debutant
Hamilton waited by Bearman's Ferrari before hugging the teenager as he got out of his car.
Leclerc: "I am sure he is extremely proud and everyone has noticed how talented he is. It is only a matter of time before he is in Formula One."— Philip Duncan (@PhilDuncanF1) March 9, 2024
06:36 PM GMT
Verstappen reacts to his 100th podium and 56th win
I think overall of course a fantastic weekend for the whole team but also for myself. The last few laps was with those back markers with the cold tyres was a little bit slippery... but we could manage it quite well. Very pleased.
06:34 PM GMT
Charles Leclerc reacts to another podium
We had quite good pace because I had the fastest lap at the end, but overall the feeling was pretty good. It was a bit of a boring race because Red Bull were a bit too quick and we had a bit of gap behind. We took the maximum points we could today... and that’s great.
Good, solid race from the Monegasque driver. Ferrari clearly looking the best of the rest at the moment.
He has a word for Oliver Bearman:
I mean, he completely deserves it. He’s done an incredible job, from FP3 he was straight on the pace. I think today he has been incredible. Seventh in your first race in F1 having only done FP3 in a new car is impressive. Everybody has noticed how talented he is and I guess it’s just a matter of time before he’s in an F1 car.
06:31 PM GMT
A deserved round of applause in the Ferrari garage for Bearman
"Brilliant Bearman" "Take a bow!" 👏
P7! What a drive from Bearman as his dad celebrates in the garage 🎉 pic.twitter.com/u1IpMALigM— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
06:31 PM GMT
Charles Leclerc takes that final bonus point
The fastest lap of the race on the final lap. Every little helps...
06:30 PM GMT
Bearman is voted the driver of the day
Not bad I think. I would have liked to go a bit longer with that soft on the start because it felt good. The car was mega today, I really enjoyed it. It was so much fun out there.
06:29 PM GMT
Saudi Arabian GP - Classification
VER - 25pts
PER - 18pts
LEC - 16pts
PIA - 12pts
ALO - 10pts
RUS - 8pts
BEA - 6pts
NOR - 4pts
HAM - 2pts
HUL - 1pt
ALB
MAG
OCO
TSU
SAR
RIC
BIT
ZHO
DNF: STR, GAS
06:27 PM GMT
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE 2024 SAUDI ARABIA GRAND PRIX
Well done but it was all far too routine. Perez finishes a decent second, though the final gap will be 13.6sec after his penalty is applied.
Ferrari take the final podium slot with Leclerc. Then it’s Piastri, Alonso and Russell.
Bearman takes a superb seventh on debut! Impressive, really impressive from the teenager who has done his chances of getting an F1 race seat next year no damage with that.
06:25 PM GMT
FINAL LAP
2.4sec the gap between Norris in eighth and Bearman in seventh. The Ferrari driver just posted his fastest race lap. He just needs to keep it on the straight and narrow here to keep seventh to cap a superb debut.
Verstappen approaches the final sector as he lines up another win, number 56 and it will be his ninth in a row...
06:24 PM GMT
Lap 49 of 50 - Verstappen leads Perez by 7.0sec
It doesn’t look like Bearman is going to come under much pressure from Norris as we are about to enter the final lap. Ferrari will be delighted with this performance. Every point matters and it looks like Bearman is going to give the Scuderia six of them.
Ricciardo, having a poor weekend, spins, presumably of his own accord.
06:22 PM GMT
Lap 48 of 50 - Can Bearman hold onto seventh?
Norris is consistently a quarter of a second faster per lap but that is not enough for him to catch him, let alone pass unless Bearman makes a mistake of some kind.
Leclerc is 11.6sec behind Perez in second which means that five-second penalty is quite irrelevant.
06:21 PM GMT
Lap 47 of 50 - 2.8sec the gap between Norris in eighth...
...and Bearman in seventh. It might be tight at the end but I am not sure Norris has enough pace as it stands. Russell hasn’t really made Alonso’s life that difficult. The gap between the men fighting for fifth is 1.7sec as it has been. Might he be saving his battery though for an assault in the final few laps?
06:19 PM GMT
Lap 46 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
VER
PER +6.7
LEC+19.0
PIA +30.7
ALO +34.6
RUS +36.1
BEA +42.2
NOR +45.1
HAM +46.4
HUL +76.1
06:18 PM GMT
Lap 45 of 50 - Bearman told that Norris is struggling with tyres as he fights Hamilton
A lot of pressure on the young lad to keep it on the black stuff here. His dad smiles but looks rather tense in the garage, as well he might. He should cling onto seventh at this pace. It has, so far, been a fantastic debut for the teenager.
06:16 PM GMT
Lap 44 of 50 - Hamilton is within DRS range of Norris
Norris was only 0.273sec faster than Bearman the last time around which is pretty good news for the young Ferrari man. He just needs to stick on this pace for another six laps...
06:15 PM GMT
Lap 43 of 50 - Alonso really pushing here
Russell is within a second of him and in a faster car. Verstappen has check out in front and Perez is cruising too, 7.5sec behind. Easy, peasy.
06:14 PM GMT
Lap 42 of 50 - Bearman in seventh
Can he keep it there? It helps that Norris and Hamilton behind are scrapping. It means they are using tyre life and they aren’t massively quicker despite having much fresher rubber on their cars. A very impressive debut.
“At this pace will Norris catch us or not,” he asks on the radio. “Yeah, we believe so in four laps,” he is told. Not sure that is quite right. 0.6sec per lap faster he was and he’s four seconds behind so that’s closer to six laps.
06:12 PM GMT
Lap 41 of 50 - Norris shown a black and white flag
He was weaving on the straight with Hamilton behind. His team will let him know that and tell him to stop. 1.6sec behind is Hamilton.
06:11 PM GMT
Lap 40 of 50 - Top 10
VER
PER
LEC
PIA
ALO
RUS
BEA
NOR
HAM
ZHO
Zhou has yet to stop. Russell is closing in on Alonso. Bearman 5.8sec behind Russell as he has been for a while.
06:09 PM GMT
Lap 39 of 50 - Hamilton hunts Norris
Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race but Norris responds with the fastest first sector. There was a brief moment when Hamilton had the better of the tyres but Norris has his new hard tyres up to temperature.
“That’s impressive through the high-speed with him,” Hamilton says about Norris’s McLaren.
06:08 PM GMT
Lap 38 of 50 - Norris pits for the first time
And he comes out ahead of Hamilton by 1.2sec. Both of them are on the softs and it makes four Britons in a row: Russell in sixth, Bearman in seventh, Norris in eighth and Hamilton in ninth. Russell and Bearman on 30-lap old hards, Norris and Hamilton on fresh softs.
06:05 PM GMT
Lap 37 of 50 - Has this been a better race than Bahrain?
Definitely. Anyway, Piastri finally gets that fifth from Hamilton because Hamilton comes into the pits and changes to the soft tyres. Hamilton comes out behind Bearman and around 7.9sec behind his fellow Briton. He will have a significant tyre advantage so that will be a battle we should see before the chequered flag.
06:04 PM GMT
Lap 36 of 50 - Verstappen is just cruising
Perez did take a tenth of a second off his lead but I mean, that isn’t significant in any way.
06:01 PM GMT
Lap 35 of 50 - Bearman is given encouragement on the radio
You are doing a mega job out there.
Piastri finally gets Hamilton into turn one... only he doesn’t because he cannot slow the car down enough and goes off the track and will have to give the place back. Oooh. Hamilton has to stop, though, so Piastri is a net fifth.
06:01 PM GMT
Lap 34 of 50 - Verstappen sets another fastest lap of the race
He has to make it interesting for himself, I guess. Perez is “only” 8.2sec behind and is doing a decent enough job but Verstappen surely has a lot in his pocket.
Hulkenberg pits for the first and only time, can he get out and stay ahead of Magnussen and the chasing train? Yes he can! Zhou has to stop and that means Magnussen has done a superb job for the team there.
05:59 PM GMT
Lap 33 of 50 - Verstappen leads Perez by 7.8sec
Piastri is still within DRS range of Hamilton ahead but is unable to overtake. Bearman is pretty much holding station in ninth behind Russell. Which I’d suggest is a decent enough effort in your debut race. Four Britons in the points, when was the last time that happened (assuming that we take Alexander Albon as Thai)...?
05:57 PM GMT
Lap 32 of 50 - With Leclerc 17 seconds behind Verstappen after 32 laps
That pretty much means that the deficit to Verstappen on race pace is about half a second. Ouch. Yes, we know that Leclerc has had some fighting to do whilst Verstappen has been in clean air all race.
05:55 PM GMT
Lap 31 of 50 - Magnussen doing a sterling job for Haas
Not so much for his own race because he has 20 seconds of penalties to serve but because he is holding up those behind him and thus giving team-mate Hulkenberg a pretty decent chance of scoring a point.
05:54 PM GMT
Lap 30 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
VER
PER +7.5
LEC +16.8
NOR +19.5
HAM 24.0
PIA +24.9
ALO +28.9
RUS +30.6
BEA +36.3
HUL +45.1
05:53 PM GMT
Lap 29 of 50 - Bearman matching Russell for pace
Not making a great deal of inroads into him but was about a tenth quicker the last time around.
05:52 PM GMT
Lap 28 of 50 - Piastri still not having much luck in getting Hamilton for fifth
This is not helping his ultimate finishing position chances. Alonso in a bit of no man’s land again in seventh, though Russell is only 1.5sec behind him.
05:49 PM GMT
Lap 27 of 50 - ANOTHER fastest lap for Verstappen
His lead is now over seven seconds. Perez now has that five-second buffer over the man behind which is now Leclerc, who has overtaken Lando Norris for third. Hamilton and Norris in fourth and fifth are yet to stop.
05:47 PM GMT
Lap 26 of 50 - Daniel Ricciardo not having a good weekend
Out-qualified by Tsunoda again, he is down in 18th with only Bottas behind him. His team-mate is in 13th...
05:47 PM GMT
Lap 25 of 50 - Full order at half-distance
VER
PER
NOR
LEC
HAM
PIA
ALO
RUS
BEA
HUL
ZHO
MAG
TSU
OCO
ALB
SAR
RIC
BOT
OUT: STR, GAS
05:46 PM GMT
Lap 24 of 50 - Hamilton is really frustrating Piastri
Again he fends him off into turn one. Verstappen sets the fastest middle and final sector and looks to extend his lead to seven seconds. We haven’t seen him on TV for a little while now...
05:43 PM GMT
Lap 23 of 50 - Will be interesting to see how Bearman does in clean air
He’s 6.5sec behind Russell in eighth and last time lapped around 0.3sec slower than the Mercedes. Eight is doable for him today. Alonso is also a target.
05:42 PM GMT
Lap 22 of 50 - Verstappen increases his lead to 6.5sec
Perez now has 4.3sec on Norris so I would suggest that his five-second penalty, which is yet to be served, is going to be almost irrelevant come the chequered flag.
05:40 PM GMT
Lap 21 of 50 - Patient Bearman gets Hulkenberg for ninth
He bides his time nicely in the final corner, gets a better exit than Hulkenberg, presses the DRS button and puts it calmly up the inside of Hulkenberg and gets the move done before turn one. Nice.
Bearman slots into P9 with an overtake on Hulkenberg 💪 pic.twitter.com/1jfEE8Ttyu
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
05:39 PM GMT
Lap 20 of 50 - Verstappen leads by 6.1sec over Perez
Bearman is getting frustrated:
Mate, he’s so slow.
Up to him to get past Hulkenberg for ninth. He looks likely this time to get the slot...
05:37 PM GMT
Lap 19 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
VER
PER +5.8
NOR +8.0
LEC +9.7
HAM +12.5
PIA +13.1
ALO +16.3
RUS +17.8
HUL +22.3
BEA +27.1
05:35 PM GMT
Lap 18 of 50 - Verstappen with the fastest lap
He now leads by 5.1sec over Perez, who has just overtaken Norris for second. Back to a Red Bull 1-2. Bearman has a think about lunging alongside Hulkenberg for ninth but thinks better off it and just as well, really.
05:34 PM GMT
Lap 17 of 50 - Hamilton defends stoutly against Piastri in T1
Piastri takes to the run-off and has to give the place back, losing some bodywork in the process. Hamilton keeps fifth but has his mirrors full of orange and black. Not sure if they touched, actually. Piastri was on the outside but Hamilton put his Mercedes on the racing line, giving Piastri no room.
05:33 PM GMT
Lap 16 of 50 - Hamilton on the radio
They’re killing us in the high-speed!
They, in this case, is McLaren and Oscar Piastri is proving a tricky customer.
05:32 PM GMT
Lap 15 of 50 - Leclerc gets Hamilton for fourth
Verstappen now leads Norris by 2.7sec and Perez by 4.2sec. No further action on Norris for that “jump start”. Bearman 1.4sec behind Hulkenberg.
Sergio Perez gets a five-second penalty for an unsafe release... will that make any difference to the race result? Hmmm. Not sure.
05:30 PM GMT
Lap 14 of 50 - Bearman into the points!
He makes easy work of Zhou for 10th at turn one. Next up is Nico Hulkenberg. Important stint coming up for the young Briton.
05:28 PM GMT
Lap 13 of 50 - Both Red Bulls make up places
Verstappen takes Norris for the lead at turn one, easily, and Perez gets Hamilton soon after for third. Magnussen being looked at for that collision with Albon.
Contact between Magnussen and Albon 💥 pic.twitter.com/t9GqQ0gGm2
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
05:27 PM GMT
Lap 12 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
NOR
VER +0.302
HAM +2.252
PER +2.239
LEC +3.363
PIA +4.806
ALO +6.409
HUL +7.006
RUS +7.838
ZHO +9.817
05:25 PM GMT
Lap 11 of 50 - DRS enabled
Albon fights with Magnussen and the pair come together...
Bearman gets Tsunoda for 11th with a nice move into turn one. It’s what he tried earlier but this time it worked. Perez’s unsafe release into the path of Alonso has been noted.
Verstappen sets the fastest lap and Norris is being investigated for that jump start.
05:24 PM GMT
Lap 10 of 50 - Race restarts
Leclerc comes under pressure from Piastri but the McLaren driver has to back out of it and then slips back a bit. Norris still leads Verstappen at the front with Hamilton being harried by Perez for third.
Norris doing a decent job on these medium tyres. They aren’t that old in fairness so may actually be the best tyres to be on right now. Hamilton sets the fastest middle sector of the race which helps him in his fight with Perez behind. Hamilton actually closing in on Verstappen and is within DRS range.
05:21 PM GMT
Lap 9 of 50 - Norris leads Verstappen under the SC
Everyone who has stopped has gone onto the hard tyres in a big to get to the end of the race on those tyres. Alonso complains of Perez pulling out in front of him in the pit lane. Not sure if that will be looked at. The SC is coming in at the end of this lap.
05:19 PM GMT
Watch: Stroll crashes
Stroll crashes into barrier! ❌
The good news is he has confirmed over radio that he is ok ✅ pic.twitter.com/CwxW7FvlT0— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
A funny radio exchange as Stroll says “I hit the wall”. The team ask him “can you get it back” and Stroll says “No, I’m in the f------ wall!”.
05:18 PM GMT
Lap 8 of 50 - A mixture of drivers stopping and not
So here is the new order as Lando Norris inherits the lead.
NOR*
VER
HAM*
PER
LEC
PIA
ALO
HUL*
RUS
ZHO*
TSU
BEA
MAG
ALB
OCO
BOT
SAR
RIC
OUT: STR, GAS
*yet to stop
05:16 PM GMT
Lap 7 of 50 - SAFETY CAR deployed
Not sure if that was driver error or if something happened to Stroll’s car.
Bearman is told to pit and get rid of his soft tyres. Wise move. Ah Stroll clipped the wall and that sent him straight on at turn 22/23. He’s OK which is good to know but that is another driver error from him.
There is a rush of cars into the pit lane:
LAP 8/50
Pandemonium in the pit lane as drivers change tyres under the Safety Car #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/zEC5F10RfF— Formula 1 (@F1) March 9, 2024
05:15 PM GMT
Lap 6 of 50 - Stroll is in the barriers!
That will be at least a Safety Car or possibly a red flag. There’s a front-wing on the track and the Aston Martin in the barriers and it’s quite close to the track down at turn 23. Bearman was harrying Tsunoda right behind.
05:14 PM GMT
Lap 5 of 50 - Verstappen leads Perez by 2.6sec
Leclerc is now 1.2sec behind Perez ahead. Bearman has got to within DRS of Tsunoda but has yet to make the move stick. He could do with getting 10th soon and chasing Stroll.
05:10 PM GMT
Lap 4 of 50 - It’s a Red Bull 1-2 now
Perez gets DRS and puts one up the inside of Leclerc at turn one. Verstappen is 2.3sec up the road. Verstappen is, no doubt, the fastest man on the track.
“You are doing well, Ollie you are doing well. We are faster than the cars in front,” Bearman is told by his race engineer.
05:08 PM GMT
Lap 3 of 50 - Top 10 as we begin the lap
VER
LEC
PER
PIA
ALO
NOR
RUS
HAM
STR
TSU
05:08 PM GMT
Lap 2 of 50 - Piastri gets Alonso for fourth!
Tsunoda and Bearman touch at turn one! I think he got away without any damage and he lives to fight another day. Bearman on the soft tyres remember, so needs to try and make progress at this early stage. DRS has been enabled. Bearman was perhaps a bit optimistic there.
Leclerc has not let Verstappen get too far ahead just yet, with just 1.1sec in it. We haven’t even done two laps, mind you...
05:06 PM GMT
THE 2024 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX IS GO!
It’s a fine start for both Red Bulls... Verstappen keeps the lead but can Perez challenge Leclerc? He does and looks to be moving up into second but Leclerc fights back and regains the place!
Not even two sectors in and Verstappen leads by 1.3sec.
Russell thinks Norris jumped the start as Bearman harries Tsunoda for 10th...
LAP 1/50
Bearman's already making an impression 💪
He's all over the back of Tsunoda #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/dUMklXq7UL— Formula 1 (@F1) March 9, 2024
Gasly is told to retire the car... oh dear.
05:04 PM GMT
Gasly complains of a gearbox problem
Let’s see if he gets away... we are about to begin. Not what you want at any point, least of all right on the race start.
05:01 PM GMT
They are away on the formation lap
Everyone is on the mediums bar Bearman in 11th and Bottas in 16th who are on the soft tyres, fresh ones. That will help Bearman off the line no doubt.
The drivers set off on the formation lap ➡️➡️➡️#F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/UK97QWbEgJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 9, 2024
04:59 PM GMT
It’s an impressive backdrop in Jeddah
It seems to be that is perhaps one of the main priorities for much of these new F1 races these days...
It's almost time for lights out 🤩
Follow all the action LIVE 👉 https://t.co/shoy35K7N9#F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/fel8WStXq7— Formula 1 (@F1) March 9, 2024
04:57 PM GMT
How much does Verstappen win by today then?
Assuming no safety car interventions or red flags, I think it’ll be similar to last week. There’s no point him winning by much more, in fairness.
04:53 PM GMT
Risk of rain for the race...
...is 0 per cent according to the official data. Can’t imagine a wet race here and I would not want to, really.
04:52 PM GMT
Bearman is suited and booted
Go well, Ollie #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/24rwIwnxLX
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 9, 2024
It’ll be a daunting experience, his first couple of laps. Getting through it unscathed will be a good start, especially on this track in that mid-pack.
04:42 PM GMT
The starting grid
1. VER 2. LEC
3. PER 4. ALO
5. PIA 6. NOR
7. RUS 8. HAM
9. TSU 10. STR
11. BEA 12. ALB
13. MAG 14. RIC
15. HUL 16. BOT
17. OCO 18. GAS
19. SAR 20. ZHO
04:38 PM GMT
Red Bull chief backs Horner
Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive of corporate projects and the man effectively in charge of the race team, has told media ahead of Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he is “happy with the management” of Red Bull Racing. Mintzlaff’s words can be interpreted as a strong show of support for Christian Horner.
The Red Bull team principal remains a man under huge pressure, both internally and externally, despite being cleared of allegations of controlling behaviour by a female colleague.
That controversy has exposed a poisonous rift at the heart of the team, with Max Verstappen’s father Jos and Austrian motorsport advisor Helmut Marko both having fallen out badly with Horner.
Marko revealed in Jeddah on Friday that he could be suspended by Red Bull GmBH in the wake of the probe, leading to speculation Verstappen might try to trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract allowing him to follow Marko out of the door.
04:35 PM GMT
Current constructor standings
There was some hope as the start of the season that if Perez was off his game then Red Bull might be challenged for the constructors’ title but I can’t see that happening.
04:32 PM GMT
What are the potential strategies today?
It’s fair to say that unless there is a Safety Car (and the chances of that will be high) that it should be a simple one-stopper.
A one-stop strategy is almost mandatory in Saudi Arabia. On paper, the quickest one is to use the C3 at the start before switching to the C2, but what could happen with a safety car? #Fit4F1 #Formula1 #Pirelli @F1 pic.twitter.com/bPKcyr9YDv
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 9, 2024
If there is a SC then it depends when it happens but it will not be so simple. As luck would have it, I reckon we will get one, only for it to give Max Verstappen an even bigger advantage.
04:29 PM GMT
Tsunoda and Norris nearly crash in the pitlane!
"I almost crashed!" 💥😲
A close moment in the pitlane between Lando and Yuki has been noted by Race Control 👇 pic.twitter.com/LrAeOljhcO— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2024
That incident is being investigated.
04:23 PM GMT
Current driver standings after one round
Can you see anything much Verstappen extending this today? Nope.
04:20 PM GMT
Oliver Bearman’s racing record
Or at least the highlights of it, anyway.
What constitutes a good result for him today? I think bringing it home in the points would go down pretty well. Anything above ninth and he should be pretty pleased with himself. The car is there for him if he can make the most of it. In fairness, finishing the race in one piece should be commended on this track.
04:16 PM GMT
How does each team fare in qualifying trim after two rounds?
The below gives us a good view into their average performance in qualifying, in comparison to the overall quickest lap time of the triple-session.
04:02 PM GMT
Bearman speaks to Sky Sports F1
A bit stiff this morning, I had an extra long shower to loosen my neck up. I thought I was prepared for F1 until I got to this track which is the most difficult one. It’s a baptism of fire. I think the main thing is to take it step-by-step and build on the performance of yesterday. Sleeping on a track normally helps me understand everything better. Today I think I am going to be able to execute things slightly cleaner. I would be satisfied to finish in the points... I am more focused on my own performance and I would be happy if I kept my nose clean, had a clean race and kept building my knowledge and experience because it’s quite rare that people get this opportunity to do an F1 race. I want to take it with both hands and see what I can do.
03:54 PM GMT
It has been a strange and unsatisfying weekend for Mercedes
In pre-season they said they hoped that their “spiteful” rear end had been removed from this year’s car but Hamilton complained very much of that throughout the weekend. It’s now 2-0 to Russell in qualifying. It is far too early to say it that much but the divergent set-ups they went through yesterday feel very much a throwback to the bad years of 2022 and 2023. Still, they are going to be gradually understanding the new car and that will be the case for the next few rounds.
03:46 PM GMT
News: Verstappen threatens to quit Red Bull if Marko is suspended
This is the latest on the Horner/Marko/Verstappen saga from Tom Cary. Not that you expected it to die down, but it just isn’t going away, is it. Read more from Tom Cary in Jeddah here.
03:43 PM GMT
This is a great graphic that demonstrates the gaps between the top four in qualifying
Love it.
Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying lap comparison between:
🇳🇱Verstappen
🇲🇨Leclerc
🇲🇽Perez
🇪🇸Alonso#F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/DPQzeGid82— FORMULA ADDICT (@Formuladdict) March 9, 2024
03:38 PM GMT
Final positions and times after qualifying
Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 27.472secs
Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:27.791
Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:27.807
Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:27.846
Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:28.089
Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:28.132
George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:28.316
Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:28.460
Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) RB 1:28.547
Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:28.572
Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Ferrari 1:28.642
Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:28.980
Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:29.020
Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) RB 1:29.025
Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 1:29.055
Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Kick Sauber 1:29.179
Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:29.475
Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:29.479
Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams 1:29.526
Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Kick Sauber No Time
03:28 PM GMT
Verstappen dominates but Red Bull remain the key area of interest
There is no doubt that Formula One’s off-track talking points have far exceeded those on the track when it comes to interest. Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix by such an enormous margin that any hopes of a competitive season at the very front were crushed before they even began. Unfortunately for anyone who does not support Verstappen, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend in Jeddah looks very much like being a repeat. In fact, if qualifying is anything to go by (this is where Red Bull have been more vulnerable), then it could be an even more crushing victory, assuming he gets off the line and leads into the first corner.
When it comes to the off-track talking point we the latest in the Red Bull saga has moved on from Christian Horner slightly and onto the power struggle at Red Bull. There were a couple of extraordinary developments after qualifying finished yesterday. First came the news that Helmut Marko declared that he was in danger of being suspended in the wake of the Horner saga.
Then Verstappen came out and said that he could “not continue” were the 80-year-old Austrian to depart the team. With rumours that a Verstappen move to Mercedes is at least a possibility for 2025 coming out last week, it is another extraordinary twist and suggests that it is unlikely to end unless Horner leaves the team. It is believed that Verstappen has a clause in his contract that allows him to depart if Marko does. It is all rather interesting and quite strange that it comes in a team that is likely to continue to break records over the next couple of weeks.
Elsewhere, there was some on-track action worth talking about and that came through the debut of 18-year-old Briton Oliver Bearman. Bearman was drafted in at short notice to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who was suffering with appendicitis and required surgery. With just one free practice session Bearman acquitted himself well, qualifying 11th. He narrowly missed out on making it to Q3 and said he was disappointed with how his “messy” session went.
He did leave some out there, for sure. But the F2 driver - who took pole but had to relinquish it for the feeder series’ feature race in Jeddah - has a perfect chance to showcase his talents for a seat in 2025. When he takes the grid later today he will become the youngest ever Briton to race in F1 and the third youngest ever. He certainly has a chance of a few points, and that would be something, wouldn’t it?
The race begins at 5pm GMT and we will be here for all of the build-up and updates from Jeddah.
