Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 LIVE! F1 race result and latest news

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix LIVE!

Max Verstappen stayed firmly on course for another season of dominance in Formula One on Saturday by winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Even after just two races, and despite turmoil at Red Bull, Verstappen seems in near-total control on the track as he aims for a fourth consecutive title this year. The Dutch driver won easily ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third.

Verstappen started on pole and held off Leclerc at the first corner, as he did last week at the season-opener in Bahrain which he won, before quickly building his lead.

The only interruption came when Lance Stroll's crash brought out the safety car. Verstappen came into the pits for a tire change and after the restart easily passed Lando Norris — who hadn't stopped — to retake the lead.

Perez had a five-second penalty because Red Bull released him from a pit stop into the path of another car, but that didn't matter since he finished far ahead of Leclerc.

Eighteen-year-old British driver Oliver Bearman was seventh for Ferrari in his first F1 race, one day after being called up as an emergency replacement for Carlos Sainz., who needed an operation to treat appendicitis.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix updates

• LIGHTS OUT! Verstappen leads as battle for second begins

• SAFETY CAR! Stroll crashes out

• CHEQUERED FLAG! Victory for Verstappen

Time for the podium

18:39 , Marc Mayo

Christian Horner with his wife, Geri Halliwell, and Adrian Newey as the drivers come out for the podium.

The race winner, Max Verstappen

18:36 , Marc Mayo

“A fantastic weekend for the team and myself.

“The last stint was longer than we’d have liked, the last few laps with the backmarkers and tyres were slippery, but overall pleased.

“Early in the season, anti-clockwise, lots of G - this is one of the more physical ones.”

Sergio Perez up next

18:35 , Marc Mayo

“It’s a shame we qualified outside the front row as we had a good start.

“It was a compromised race with the safety car, we had no warm-up at all and took us a long time to get Lewis and Lando.

“It’s a great race for the team, we have to keep this momentum going. We’ve made a step forward from Bahrain and our time will come.”

Charles Leclerc reacts

18:34 , Marc Mayo

“We had quite a good pace and has fastest lap at the end. Overall it felt good but was a boring race.

“We took the maximum points we could today, that’s great.

“All in all it’s one of the most physical tracks of the season, it’s warm but also for the neck. Very difficult but very fun to drive.

“[Oliver Bearman] completely deserves it, he’s done an incredible job. Seventh in your first race having gone in at FP3 in a new car is hugely impressive. Everybody has noticed how talented he is, it’s a matter of time before he gets to F1.”

Driver of the day

18:29 , Marc Mayo

“Ha, thanks everyone,” Oliver Bearman responds when told on team radio that he’s been voted driver of the day.

Not since Paul Di Resta in 2011 has a British driver scored points on his F1 debut.

Oliver Bearman takes seventh place

18:26 , Marc Mayo

Further back, Oliver Bearman will cruise home with a lead over Lando Norris of more than two seconds.

It’s seventh place and six points for the 18-year-old in his F1 debut!

Take a bow!

Max Verstappen wins the Saudi GP!

18:25 , Marc Mayo

It’s been a done deal for a long time but it’s now two wins from two for the defending world champion!

That’s nine wins in a row and 100 career podiums.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 50/50

18:24 , Marc Mayo

Daniel Ricciardo bounces off a kerb and goes for a slide into the run-off area. He could have ended the grand prix early if he collided with the barrier! The Aussie is back in 17th.

The final lap begins as Max Verstappen crosses the line with the chances of more drama at the back fading.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 49/50

18:23 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen is cruising past the backmarkers now, with Esteban Ocon the next to be lapped.

Oliver Bearman’s lead over Lando Norris stands at 2.2 seconds as we enter the final laps.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 47/50

18:20 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton fancies being the first to have a crack at the Ferrari but loses Lando Norris in the first sector.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 45/50

18:18 , Marc Mayo

Ferrari radio in some encouragement for Oliver Bearman as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, just eight tenths between them, close in. The McLaren is three seconds off him.

In the garage, Bearman’s dad watches alongside CEO John Elkann, a picture of both pride and nerves.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 43/50

18:14 , Marc Mayo

Slow pit stop for Zhou Guanyu, who had gone really long on his first stint and sat tenth.

He comes out last, behind Valtteri Bottas with the Finn on a two-stopper - perhaps hoping for a late safety car.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 42/50

18:12 , Marc Mayo

Lando Norris warned for weaving on the straight as the battles Lewis Hamilton but he’s now broken DRS to go 1.3-seconds clear of the Mercedes.

The gap to Oliver Bearman is dropping... we could be in for some late drama between the Brits.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 39/50

18:08 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris pit, allowing Oscar Piastri to be released into fourth place.

They both come out behind Oliver Bearman on soft tyres.

The Mercedes has to deal with the McLaren first, before a six-second gap to the Ferrari.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 36/50

18:02 , Marc Mayo

Oscar Piastri grabs fifth off Lewis Hamilton but out-brakes himself and heads into the run-off area at the Turn 1 chicane!

Time to do it all again for the McLaren, who is still set for fourth place once all is said and done.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 35/50

18:01 , Marc Mayo

Nico Hulkenberg pits the spice up the battle for the final points position.

He comes out in 11th, with Kevin Magnussen’s job on the midfield runners perfect for Haas.

Zhou Guanyu is now 10th but yet to pit.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 32/50

17:56 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen is 7.6 seconds clear of Sergio Perez, whose five-second penalty looks to have been nullified.

Charles Leclerc, who lost time when pitting to avoid the sort of unsafe release which the Mexican has been punished for, is 9.1 seconds further back.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 30/50

17:54 , Marc Mayo

Kevin Magnussen locks up before the main straight to allow Yuki Tsunoda to fly past... but the Haas fights back brilliantly and holds him off in the chicane!

That move looked done but the Japanese driver drifted wide.

“What dangerous driving!” he proclaims on team radio. Not for me, harsh but fair.

To add insult to injury, Esteban Ocon then grabs 13th off the RB.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 27/50

17:49 , Marc Mayo

Lando Norris being told to keep out on the medium tyres he started the race on, which he’s happy to do. Charles Leclerc still being held up behind the McLaren in third.

But into Turn 1 the Ferrari gets the place!

We also have a DRS train from 12th to 16th, led by Kevin Magnussen - who has annoyed just about everybody in this race...

It does keep that pack behind Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who is tenth and yet to pit.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 26/50

17:47 , Marc Mayo

McLaren say they’re reporting Lewis Hamilton for moving under braking in his battle with Oscar Piastri. Not sure I’ve seen too much evidence of that, and nor had the Aussie judging by his lack of complaints.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 25/50

17:45 , Marc Mayo

Here’s how we stand at the halfway point:

1. VER

2. PER (five-second time penalty)

3. NOR (yet to pit)

4. LEC

5. HAM (yet to pit)

6. PIA

7. ALO

8. RUS

9. BEA

10. HUL (yet to pit)

11. ZHO (yet to pit)

12. MAG (20-second time penalty)

13. TSU

14. OCO

15. ALB

16. SAR

17. RIC

18. BOT

19. STR (out)

20. GAS (out)

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 23/50

17:42 , Marc Mayo

Fastest lap after fastest lap is being chewed up by Max Verstappen.

The main track action comes in the fight for fifth where Lewis Hamilton is continuing to frustrate Oscar Piastri.

Kevin Magnussen meanwhile has ANOTHER ten-second penalty for leaving the track to overtake Yuki Tsunoda. The Haas is in 12th but will be plum last after his punishments are applied.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 21/50

17:40 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen is six seconds clear at the front of the pack.

Sergio Perez’s five-second penalty means he would drop to fourth as things stand, but he is opening up a lead on Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.

Over on the main straight, Oliver Bearman makes a successful move on Nico Hulkenberg! The teenager goes ninth.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 18/50

17:35 , Marc Mayo

Sergio Perez cruises past Lando Norris for second place.

Further back, Nico Hulkenberg holds off Oliver Bearman in the battle for ninth.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 17/50

17:33 , Marc Mayo

Oof. Kevin Magnussen has been hit with a TEN-SECOND penalty for causing Alex Albon to hit the barrier.

Williams say the front-wing damage has basically ruined their race, and the Haas takes a meaty punishment as a result.

On the main straight, Lewis Hamilton defends well against Oscar Piastri and holds fifth place as the Australian decides to miss the chicane.

Penalty for Sergio Perez!

17:32 , Marc Mayo

Charles Leclerc next to move past Lewis Hamilton, who will now have Oscar Piastri on his back.

No penalty for Lando Norris’ false start. Maybe him barely moving and then stopping to ultimately have a bit of a rubbish getaway helped him.

But Sergio Perez has a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release from his pit stop!

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 14/50

17:29 , Marc Mayo

Oliver Bearman has his first F1 overtake!

Into Turn 1, the Ferrari teenager overtakes Zhou Guanyu with fresher tyres to go 10th. Nico Hulkenberg, also on old rubber, is up next for him.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 13/50

17:27 , Marc Mayo

Fastest lap from Max Verstappen as he reels in Lando Norris, it looks like the Red Bull’s hard tyres have switched on.

DRS carries him into first place!

More good news for Red Bull too as Sergio Perez also gains a place, on Lewis Hamilton, to go third.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 12/50

17:25 , Marc Mayo

Drama in the race for 13th between Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon, who was effectively walked into the barrier by the Dane and made contact with it.

Stewards are having a look at Lando Norris’ “incorrect starting position” and a potential unsafe release for Sergio Perez.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 11/50

17:24 , Marc Mayo

Lando Norris is on a quicker tyre, with the mediums against new hards, and he takes a lead of over a second to break DRS.

The McLaren driver is probably using up a lot of his tyres in doing so, Max Verstappen probably won’t mind being behind him for now.

Green flag!

17:22 , Marc Mayo

The crane is lifting out the stricken Aston Martin and the safety car comes in next lap.

Lando Norris will lead the race ahead of Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton in third, before Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc who had a slow stop due to not having much space to be released into.

Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg (who hasn’t pitted), George Russell and Zhou Guaynu (not pitted) round off the top ten.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 9/50

17:19 , Marc Mayo

Nico Hulkenberg and Zhou Guanyu the only other drivers not taken into the pits, likely as their teammate being favoured due to better track position.

Replays show Lance Stroll clipped the inside of one wall, breaking his suspension, before taking a direct route into the following barrier.

Fernando Alonso unhappy meanwhile after a risky deployment of Sergio Perez from his pit stop, into the path of the Aston Martin.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 8/50

17:17 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull manage a double-stack that is executed perfectly as multiple cars dive in for hard tyres.

Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton are the only two to stay out from the top ten, for now.

Safety car

17:15 , Marc Mayo

No surprise to see the safety car called out for Lance Stroll’s crash from ninth place.

Crash!

17:14 , Marc Mayo

Lance Stroll into the barrier!

“I’m ok” he says in sector three, yellow flag to start with. His front wing is on the track, but it’s not a massive crash.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 5/50

17:12 , Marc Mayo

Oliver Bearman is now stuck in a DRS train.

Lance Stroll in ninth is dragging Yuki Tsunoda with him, meaning the Brit’s DRS is minimised.

Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon are also been pulled forwards, in 12th and 13th.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 4/50

17:10 , Marc Mayo

Sergio Perez past Charles Leclerc into second place at Turn 1!

Red Bull 1-2 once again.

Max Verstappen is over two seconds further up the road already.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 3/50

17:09 , Marc Mayo

Watch the start, did Lando Norris go early?

Great battle between Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Lap 2/50

17:07 , Marc Mayo

Pierre Gasly will retire.

And there could be a problem for Lando Norris, I thought he jumped the start and George Russell is complaining over team radio that he did too.

DRS is on as we cross the start line, Oliver Bearman all over Yuki Tsunoda for 10th place.

Oscar Piastri has got Fernando Alonso to go fourth.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | LIGHTS OUT!

17:05 , Marc Mayo

Pierre Gasly complains of a gearbox issue over team radio but it looks like he’s lined up nonetheless.

Five red lights... and away they go!

Max Verstappen leads off with Sergio Perez into second - but Charles Leclerc fights back to win the place!

Tyre choices

17:01 , Marc Mayo

Ferrari send Oliver Bearman out on new soft tyres to start the race.

That will give him a chance to make some early moves before darting into the pits before the others, and then coming out in cleaner air.

Valtteri Bottas, down near the back, is also on softs with everyone else on mediums to start off.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Formation lap

16:59 , Marc Mayo

All 20 cars are lined up and it’s time for them to tootle round as the grid clears, before we get underway.

Time to go racing

16:56 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen is on pole position in Jeddah, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.

The Dutchman led a Red Bull 1-2 in Bahrain with relative ease.

Can anyone stop him in Saudi?

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Countdown to lights out

16:49 , Marc Mayo

This is your ten-minute warning!

Get to know Jeddah Corniche Circuit

16:47 , Marc Mayo

We are set for 50 laps around the 6.174km circuit, which is dubbed the quickest in the world - and means the race could be over in about 75/80 minutes if there are no interruptions.

There are three DRS zones to help with overtaking.

And, if you hadn’t noticed, it’s a night race with the local start time 8pm.

Time for the national anthem...

Down on the grid

16:44

Jose Mourinho is out on the grid and he reveals he is a big F1 fan but doesn’t want to pick a team or driver as his favourite.

He “hopes” to be back in football management soon, he tells Sky F1, after being sacked by Roma.

Saudi GP strategy

16:43 , Marc Mayo

A one-stopper is the order of the day.

The question is whether drivers start of the soft or medium tyre, before a likely jump to the hard.

A medium-soft combination appears unlikely to work but don’t rule it out...

Does Oliver Bearman have an Italian accent?

16:37 , Marc Mayo

Since moving to Italy to join Ferrari, the 18-year-old has apparently been teased for picking up an Italian twang to his accent.

You can hear it a teeny bit, but for me he sounds much more like Alex Albon. They did grow up about 45 minutes away from each other in the south east to be fair - Albon in Ipswich and Bearman in Chelmsford.

Oliver Bearman talks ahead of his F1 debut

16:34 , Marc Mayo

“A bit stiff this morning, I had an extra long shower to loosen my neck and no doubt it’s going to be a difficult race.

“I thought I was prepared for F1 and then I got to this track, which is maybe the most difficult one. It’s a baptism of fire.

“I think the main thing is to take it step by step, build on the performance of yesterday. Sleeping on a track normally helps me to understand everything better.

“Today I want to take a few things slightly cleaner and hopefully have a good race.

“Of course I would be satisfied to finish in the points, but I’m not looking at results but more my own performance. I’d be happy to keep my nose clean and show what I can do.”

Drama in the pits!

16:29 , Marc Mayo

Yuki Tsunoda is sent out right into the path of Lando Norris and there is very nearly contact before the race has even begun.

The pit lane is open!

16:24 , Marc Mayo

Time for the drivers to fire up their cars for the first time today.

They’ll take a tour of the circuit before forming up on the grid...

Anthony Joshua at the Saudi GP

16:19

No wonder he’s smiling! Fresh off beating Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, the heavyweight boxer is in attendance this afternoon.

Milestone in sight for Max Verstappen

16:14 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen can bank his 100th podium finish in F1 today.

However, he is not the driver with the best record in Saudi - where Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Verstappen all share a single win apiece.

Perez has led the most laps at this track, with 61 to Verstappen’s 37. Charles Leclerc is next on the list with 30 laps led, but zero wins.

Two of the three races have also been claimed by the pole sitter, with Verstappen victorious here in 2022 from fourth on the grid.

Carlos Sainz drops by

16:07 , Marc Mayo

Earlier on, I said he’d be watching from his bed but Carlos Sainz has just arrived at the track! Fair play to him for making it out to support Ferrari.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Countdown to lights out

16:00

One hour to go!

Karun Chandhok on the grid

15:56

The former F1 racer reckons the big battle will be between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez for second place, with less wind about than earlier in the week - which will help the drivers.

Lewis Hamilton lauds Oliver Bearman

15:52

The Ferrari youngster earned plenty of praise from Lewis Hamilton after qualifying, having pushed him all the way during Q2.

“He nearly took me out!” Hamilton said.

“He did such a great job. To jump in for FP3 without any practice and deliver like he has… mega, mega.

“Really impressed and it shows just what a talent he is. Also, the car looks really good and he has obviously got confidence straight away.”

“I was 22 [on debut]. At 18 I was in F3 and I was nowhere near ready for F1 at 18 but the times are different.

“If I had come in at 18, my career might not look how it has so I am glad I waited.

“But Max came early and others have done. Me having waited, that’s why I had 12 consecutive podiums in the first 12 races of my career, so I am glad I got that base.”

Carlos Sainz watching on from his bed today

15:45

Carlos Sainz, just like his dad, has had his appendix removed and confirmed he’s on the mend ahead of sitting this race out.

He wrote yesterday: “Underwent a smooth operation today and I’m feeling much better!

“Thank you for all your kind messages and to everyone that has looked after me these days here in Saudi, specially at the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital. THANK YOU.

“Great Quali from Ollie Bearman on his hasty debut (not easy at all) and from Lord Perceval (a.k.a. Charles Leclerc).

“Good luck for tomorrow Ferrari!”

Tyres left for each team in the Saudi GP

15:37

Only Red Bull and Lando Norris have two fresh sets of medium tyres available for the race out of the frontrunners.

We’re expecting a one-stopper, unless safety car shenanigans get involved.

Who is Oliver Bearman?

15:31 , Marc Mayo

Get the lowdown on Ferrari’s new teenage star with our profile of Oliver Bearman.

Read the full story!

Time for the driver parade

15:25 , Marc Mayo

Oliver Bearman catches a word with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc before heading out on the track parade.

He’ll get some good advice off those two!

How it finished in F2

15:15

Enzo Fittipaldi claimed the feature race win in F2 earlier today.

Oliver Bearman had put his car on pole position before hopping into the Ferrari, which means he’s still pointless after two races in the junior series.

Zane Maloney still leads the standings.

Paddock getting busy

15:08 , Marc Mayo

Some key figures are in Saudi for today’s race.

FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is said to be under investigation for race interference, is in the paddock.

The managing director of Red Bull - the brand, not the F1 team - Oliver Mintzlaff has been seen in conversation with Ferrari CEO John Elkann as well as with Helmut Marko.

And, fresh from watching last night’s big boxing contest in Riyadh, Jose Mourinho is on the scene. Some say he could end up in these parts on his next management job...

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Countdown to lights out

15:00

Just two hours to go now until the race begins, with the driver parade next on the agenda in Jeddah.

Lewis Hamilton tips Max Verstappen to be on shortlist to replace him

14:55

Lewis Hamilton expects Mercedes to consider an audacious move for Max Verstappen as they seek to replace the outgoing British driver.

Next year will see Hamilton move to Ferrari in a switch that few in the Formula One paddock saw coming.

Given his own surprise switch, the 39-year-old has tipped Mercedes to at least try and sign Red Bull star Verstappen for the 2025 campaign.

He told reporters: “My move has shown that anything's possible, and it's going to be a really interesting next six months or so.

“I don't have an extra scoop. I know that... I'm sure Max is on the list, but I'm pretty sure he's tied up, and also, I couldn't see why you would leave a car that is that good.”

Read the full story!

'Case closed', Christian Horner insists

14:48

It has been another busy time off the track for Red Bull.

Our reporter Matt Majendie detailed the latest from their side of the paddock on Friday but it’s been ever more hectic since, with reports of Helmut Marko being investigated and Max Verstappen’s future being in doubt as a result.

Read the full story!

Why are we racing on a Saturday?

14:40

The holy month of Ramadan, a key religious holiday in the Muslim calendar, is set to take place from March 10 this year — a Sunday.

People celebrating Ramadan are expected to fast for an entire month between sunrise and sunset and participate in daily prayer.

Given that races usually start on a Sunday, it means that this race would have collided with Ramadan.

As a result, F1 organisers brought the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix forward by a day to March 9.

Weather forecast

14:34

No rain, little wind and a dry heat in the mid 20ºCs. Perfect for racing under the lights.

Starting grid

14:27 , Marc Mayo

Fernando Alonso in fourth, Lewis Hamilton in eighth and 11th-place Oliver Bearman the big ones to look out for at the start.

How to watch the Saudi Grand Prix

14:18 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: In the UK, the race will be broadcast live on on Sky Sports F1. Free highlights will air on Channel 4 at 9.30pm.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers able to watch on the Sky Go app.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix LIVE!

14:13 , Marc Mayo

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s coverage of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!

The second race of the 2024 F1 calendar sets off at 5pm GMT at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Max Verstappen is on pole position as he looks to back up last week’s win in Bahrain, amid further turmoil away from the track for Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc joins him on the front row, in between the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Follow all the build-up, track action and reaction LIVE via our race blog!