Edd Straw provides rankings for the 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Verstappen and Red Bull dominating, while Bearman impresses with a 7th place finish in his F1 debut. Leclerc, Norris, and Hulkenberg also receive praise for their performances, while Zhou's crash in FP3 and Stroll's struggles lead to disappointing outcomes.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez secure a 1-2 finish with ease, while low tire degradation and a conservative tire selection by Pirelli led to an uneventful race. Ferrari's stand-in driver Oliver Bearman impressed, finishing seventh, but the lack of tire degradation and a safety car early in the race resulted in little variation in strategy and on-track action. Red Bull and Ferrari showed clear performance advantages, while Mercedes struggled with a bouncing problem due to low ride heights.
Max Verstappen secured his 100th F1 podium with a dominant win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, extending his winning streak to nine races. He downplayed the milestone, focusing on continuing to achieve the best results. Red Bull's one-two finish also propelled them to the top of the constructors' standings. Verstappen praised Ferrari's debutant Ollie Bearman for his impressive performance, describing him as "fantastic" and acknowledging his strong showing on one of the toughest tracks on the calendar.
Oliver Bearman, making his debut as a last-minute replacement for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finished in seventh place for Ferrari, scoring points in his first Formula 1 race. The 18-year-old faced physical and mental challenges during the race but expressed satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging the difficulty of the circumstances. Despite struggling with discomfort in the car, Bearman showcased his potential and left a positive impression, leaving the door open for potential future opportunities in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen secured a dominant victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, leading from start to finish, while Sergio Perez finished second despite a time penalty for an unsafe release in the pits. Charles Leclerc completed the podium, with young driver Oscar Piastri impressively finishing fourth. Oliver Bearman made his F1 debut for Ferrari, scoring points with a seventh-place finish, as Fernando Alonso held onto fifth. Max Verstappen's victory further solidifies his position in the title race.
Red Bull dominated the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with Max Verstappen leading Sergio Perez for a comfortable one-two finish. Norris and Hamilton's pitstop strategy allowed Norris to briefly lead the race and Hamilton to block Piastri's McLaren. Ollie Bearman impressed on his F1 debut for Ferrari, while Hulkenberg's Haas scored a point with controversial tactics.
Max Verstappen secures pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez also in contention for a podium finish. Other contenders include Fernando Alonso, McLaren, and Mercedes, while rookie Oliver Bearman steps in for Carlos Sainz. Fans can participate in predicting the top three finishers for the race.
18-year-old Oliver Bearman made a last-minute debut for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest ever British F1 driver and the third youngest in history. Despite a challenging qualifying session, Bearman impressed with his performance, narrowly missing out on a place in the top 10 shootout. With limited time in the car before qualifying, Bearman remained focused and is now aiming to make up for the disappointment in the race by gaining valuable experience and hopefully bringing home some points.
Lewis Hamilton struggled during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, facing difficulties with the Mercedes car's rear stability and bouncing issues. Despite making setup changes, Hamilton was unable to match the pace of his teammate George Russell, who outperformed him throughout the weekend. The 18-year-old Ferrari protege Ollie Bearman's impressive performance as a late stand-in highlighted the challenges Hamilton faced, with the Mercedes driver narrowly making it into Q3. Team boss Toto Wolff acknowledged the car's "knife edge" nature, as both drivers struggled to extract consistent lap times, leaving Hamilton in 8th place and Russell in 7th.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc praise Oliver Bearman for his impressive F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he filled in for Carlos Sainz. Despite limited preparation time, Bearman finished 11th in qualifying, narrowly missing out on Q3. His performance was lauded by fellow drivers and highlighted Ferrari's strong simulator program for preparing young drivers.
Max Verstappen secures pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez following in second and third. Rookie Oliver Bearman impresses on his Ferrari debut, finishing 11th in qualifying as a stand-in for Carlos Sainz. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri outqualifies Lando Norris, and both Mercedes cars struggle, finishing seventh and eighth. Alpine faces continued challenges, with both cars exiting Q1, and Nico Hulkenberg experiencing a power issue, while Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll secure ninth and tenth positions respectively.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing team principal, believes it's time for Formula One to "move on" from recent controversies and focus on on-track action, despite ongoing allegations and off-track issues. The sport remains under a cloud due to lack of transparency surrounding the allegations against Horner and the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The ongoing turmoil reflects badly on the sport, with calls for more transparency and accountability, while Horner urges people to not "prejudge" and wait for the facts.
Max Verstappen topped the final practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Zhou Guanyu crashing heavily, causing a red flag. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was second, while F2 racer Oliver Bearman made his debut for the team, filling in for the unwell Carlos Sainz. Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Mercedes' George Russell followed in third and fourth, with Lando Norris rounding out the top five.
Max Verstappen topped the final practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc in second and Sergio Perez in third. George Russell and Lando Norris rounded out the top five after a rush of qualifying simulations towards the end of the session. The practice was heavily disrupted by a crash for Stake F1 driver Zhou Guanyu, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll following in sixth and seventh place. Lewis Hamilton finished ninth, and Oliver Bearman completed the top ten on a pleasing debut for Ferrari.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis and will be replaced by 18-year-old reserve driver Oliver Bearman. Sainz had been feeling unwell and completed limited practice before being diagnosed with appendicitis, requiring surgery. Bearman, who was set to race in Formula 2, will make his F1 debut in place of Sainz.