Verstappen and Leclerc have taken multiple podium finishes at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, three current drivers have scored in all four races here and Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Ocon and Albon are yet to be out-qualified by their team-mates. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!
Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen has never finished outside of the top two at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, winning twice and finishing as runner-up twice in the four races to date at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Verstappen looked set to take pole position for the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a storming lap in the final moments of Q3. However, he crashed in the final corner and subsequently qualified third.
Verstappen took the lead at the race’s second restart, overtaking both Esteban Ocon and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him. A duel between Hamilton and Verstappen then ensued, in which the Dutchman overtook the Mercedes driver with a questionable move at Turn 1. Pre-empting a penalty, Verstappen was instructed to give the position back. In doing so, Hamilton ran into the back of the Red Bull. Verstappen later gave the position back again, before steaming past Hamilton once more at the next corner. Verstappen then received a 5-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Hamilton went on to overtake Verstappen on track, and the Red Bull driver ultimately finished 21 seconds behind the race winner.
In 2022, Verstappen was embroiled in a race-long duel with Charles Leclerc. He was out-qualified by his team-mate, lining up fourth on the grid. He moved up to third in the early stages after passing Carlos Sainz on the opening lap. Verstappen maintained position until his pit stop, where he was able to move up to second place. He then hunted down Leclerc, with the duo battling for the lead in an intense battle. Verstappen came out on top, taking his first win at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
A driveshaft failure in qualifying saw Verstappen qualify only 15th for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite the setback, Verstappen was able to recover positions throughout the race and finished as runner-up to his team-mate.
In 2024, Verstappen secured his first pole position (and first front row start) at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He comfortably won the race ahead of his team-mate, recording Red Bull’s second consecutive 1-2 finish in Saudi Arabia. Free Practice 3 was the only session all weekend in which he did not set the fastest lap time.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2022 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2023 |
– |
15 |
15 |
2 |
13 |
2024 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Yuki TSUNODA
Yuki Tsunoda reached Q3 at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He qualified two positions behind his team-mate, in eighth place. He lost six positions over the course of the Grand Prix, coming home in 14th. He originally finished 13th but picked up a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Sebastian Vettel.
Tsunoda had a frustrating weekend at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mechanical issues on Saturday meant he could not set a qualifying time, while further issues on Sunday saw him come to a stop on his way to the grid. He did not start the race.
Tsunoda recorded his best Saudi Arabian Grand Prix result to date in 2023, gaining five positions from where he started to finish 11th. He recorded a second successive Q1 exit at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but out-qualified his team-mate at the track for the first time.
Finishing 15th in 2024, Tsunoda remains yet to score a point at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He reached Q3 for the first time since 2021, however, qualifying in ninth place. He had crossed the line 14th but a post-race penalty for a pre-race unsafe release saw him drop one position in the final order.
YUKI TSUNODA’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
14 |
-6 |
2022 |
LOST |
20 |
19 |
DNS |
– |
2023 |
WON |
16 |
16 |
11 |
5 |
2024 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
14 |
-5 |
Lando NORRIS
Lando Norris has scored points on three of his four visits to Jeddah Corniche Circuit and holds a 100% finish rate at the track.
While Norris qualified seventh for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, he narrowly missed out on Q3 in 2022 (by just 0.033 seconds) and qualified 11th. He had out-qualified his team-mate on both appearances in Jeddah until 2023, when he had a weekend to forget and qualified on the back row, recording a rare Q1 exit.
In 2021, he finished the race behind his team-mate, losing three positions over the course of the Grand Prix and coming home in tenth place. In 2022, he made up places thanks to retirements for drivers in front of him – including his team-mate. Norris finished seventh following a hard-fought battle for sixth in the closing stages with Esteban Ocon.
In 2023, Norris finished only 17th, two places behind new McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. He was out-qualified once again by Piastri in 2024 but did reach Q3 at the track for the first time since 2021 and recorded his best qualifying result to date in Jeddah with sixth place. He ultimately finished eighth.
LANDO NORRIS’ SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
10 |
-3 |
2022 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
2023 |
LOST |
19 |
19 |
17 |
2 |
2024 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
Oscar PIASTRI
After reaching Q3 for the first time in his career and qualifying ninth at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, damage on the opening lap prevented Oscar Piastri from making any progress in the race. He could finish no higher than 15th.
In 2024, he reahed Q3 at the track and out-qualified his team-mate for the second successive season. An early race overtake on Fernando Alonso saw him move up to fourth in the order, which is where he would finish to score his first points at the track.
Piastri previously raced at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Formula 2 in 2021. He finished eighth in the first race of the weekend and won the other two races – including the shortened Feature Race, which took place over only five laps.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
9 |
8 |
15 |
-7 |
2024 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole position. Jeddah Corniche Circuit became the 32nd different circuit at which Hamilton took pole and the 35th at which he had won. It was also the 35th circuit at which he scored a podium result.
Struggling with porpoising on his return to the track three months later, Hamilton recorded a rare Q1 exit, qualifying in 16th place. Hamilton made progress in the race and ran as high a sixth before making his pit stop. He ended up scoring a single point with a tenth place finish.
Hamilton returned to Q3 at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but failed to out-qualify his team-mate once more, setting the eighth fastest lap time. He started seventh and gained two positions in the race to finish fifth.
Qualifying eighth for the second year in a row, Hamilton maintained his 100% points rate at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing ninth.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2022 |
LOST |
16 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
2023 |
LOST |
8 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
2024 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
9 |
-1 |
Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc suffered a crash at Turn 22 in Free Practice 2 for the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, bringing out the red flags. He went on to qualify in fourth place for the race and finished seventh – one position ahead of his team-mate.
It was a different story in Free Practice in 2022, as Lelcerc topped the timesheets in all three sessions – though he did scrape the wall. After qualifying on the front row, Leclerc battled with Max Verstappen for the race win – but the Red Bull came out on top.
In 2023, Leclerc qualified an impressive second for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, a ten-place grid penalty dropped him to 12th in the starting order. A poorly timed pit stop, just before a Safety Car period, during the race hampered his progress but he still scored points with a seventh place finish.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw Leclerc become the third driver to take multiple podium finishes in Jeddah, finishing third. He qualified second for the third year in a row and continued his impressive qualifying record at the track. Leclerc is the only driver to reach Q3 in all four races to date at the track and is yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate here.
CHARLES LECLERC’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
7 |
-3 |
2022 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2023 |
WON |
2 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
2024 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
George RUSSELL
George Russell was eliminated from the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just after the first restart, following a collision with Nikita Mazepin. Russell reached Q2 in qualifying and lined up 14th on the grid.
While his team-mate was eliminated in Q1 in 2022, Russell was able to reach Q3 on his first appearance at Jeddah Corniche Circuit with Mercedes. Starting from sixth on the grid, Russell made up one place in the race – overtaking Esteban Ocon. He finished fifth, scoring his first points at the venue.
Russell recorded both his best qualifying result and best race result at Jeddah Corniche Circuit to date in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He qualified fourth, one position ahead of Lewis Hamilton, which became third on the final grid. Russell would lose one position over the course of the race to finish just off the podium in fourth.
Russell finished in the top six in Saudi Arabia for the third successive year in 2024 and continued his record of out-qualifying his team-mate on every appearance at the track to date.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
14 |
14 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2023 |
WON |
4 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
2024 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
Kimi ANTONELLI
At Jeddah Corniche Circuit last year, Kimi Antonelli started from fifth on the grid for both F2 races. He finished sixth in both the Sprint and Feature Race.
Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso finished on the podium at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, scoring points for the first time at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He scored points once again in 2024, recording a season-best result of fifth place.
Alonso missed out on points and Q3 the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing where he started, in 13th place. In 2022, Alonso did reach Q3. Starting seventh, just behind team-mate Esteban Ocon, his race was memorable for side-by-side action with his fellow Alpine driver. The Spaniard ultimately retired from the race due to cooling issues.
In 2023, with Aston Martin, Alonso set the third fastest qualifying time. With a grid drop applied for second fastest Charles Leclerc, that ensured a front row start. Alonso was able to take the lead at the start of the race but a penalty for being out of position on the starting grid was a setback. The effect of the penalty was negated by a Safety Car period and Alonso went on to finish third, being the leader of the non-Red Bull pack.
Alonso qualified fourth in 2024 and lost one position over the course of the race – to Oscar Piastri – to finish in fifth.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
2022 |
LOST |
7 |
7 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
WON |
3 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
2024 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
Lance STROLL
Lance Stroll exited in Q1 in Jeddah in 2021, qualifying in 18th place. He went on to finish just outside of the points in 11th. Stroll started where he finished in 2022. After out-qualifying his team-mate and reaching Q2, he finished the race in 13th place. He had been running in 11th before being hit by Alex Albon.
Stroll is still yet to score a point at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, having retired from the 2023 race with an ERS issue and retired again in 2024 as a result of crashing out early on in the race. Stroll has reached Q3 here in the last two years, with a best qualifying result of fourth in 2023. In that race, he ran fourth in the first stint of the race, but an early pit stop saw him lose positions before his retirement.
LANCE STROLL’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
18 |
18 |
11 |
7 |
2022 |
WON |
15 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
2023 |
LOST |
6 |
5 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
DNF |
– |
Pierre GASLY
Pierre Gasly had a solid weekend at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He qualified in sixth place and finished the race where he started, picking up eight points. Gasly reached Q3 again in 2022, qualifying in ninth place. He made up one position from where he started, scoring another four points at the track.
In 2023, Gasly continued his 100% Q3 appearance rate in Jeddah, qualifying tenth. He moved up one position on the final grid and finished where he started, in ninth place, maintaining his 100% points-scoring rate at the venue.
Both the 100% Q3 rate and 100% points rate ended in 2024. Gasly exited in Q1, being out-qualified by his team-mate by mere thousandths of a second. An issue on the formation lap with his gearbox ended up being terminal and he retired at the end of the opening lap.
PIERRE GASLY’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2022 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
8 |
1 |
2023 |
LOST |
10 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
2024 |
LOST |
18 |
18 |
DNF |
– |
Jack DOOHAN
Jack Doohan made his Formula 2 debut at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in 2021. He nearly took reverse grid pole for the Sprint Race and finished fifth in the second Sprint Race of the weekend. He returned to the track in 2022, this time a ninth place in the Feature Race being his only finish of the weekend. Doohan scored points in both races in 2023, finishing on the podium in the Feature Race.
Esteban OCON
After originally qualifying ninth, Esteban Ocon lined up on pole position at the second restart of the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. From there he went on to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium finish after being overtaken by Valtteri Bottas on the finish line.
Ocon scored points again in 2022, finishing in sixth place. He lost one position from where he started, having been overtaken in the race by George Russell.
Ocon survived two brushes with the wall in qualifying for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and lined up sixth on the final grid, three positions ahead of his team-mate. In the race, he continued his 100% points-scoring rate and finished in eighth place.
Ocon is yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, albeit by out-qualifying Pierre Gasly by just four thousandths in qualifying for the 2024 race. Ocon’s Q3 streak came to an end at the track in 2024, exiting in Q1. His points streak also ended, though he maintained his record of finishing all four races here to date, coming home in 13th place.
ESTEBAN OCON’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
2022 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
6 |
-1 |
2023 |
WON |
7 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
2024 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
13 |
4 |
Ollie BEARMAN
Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the first track at which Ollie Bearman will race for the second time in Formula 1. Last year, Bearman impressed on his debut at the demanding track with Ferrari, qualifying in 11th after a single hour of practice and finishing the race in seventh place.
Bearman also raced here in Formula 2, retiring from the Sprint Race in 2023 and finishing tenth in the Feature Race. Bearman was set to start from pole position for the Feature Race in 2024 before withdrawing from the race in order to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
OLLIE BEARMAN’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2024 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
Liam LAWSON
Liam Lawson raced at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Formula 2 in both 2021 and 2022. After securing second place in the first Sprint Race of the weekend, Lawson did not score points in either of the other two races at the track that weekend, failing to cross the finish line in both. In 2022, Lawson took his first victory of 2022 by winning the Sprint Race. He failed to finish the Feature Race.
Isack HADJAR
In four Formula 2 races at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Isack Hadjar picked up points twice. He finished fifth in the Sprint Race in 2023 before coming home ninth in the Feature Race the day after. He had a weekend to forget in 2024, retiring from both races.
Carlos SAINZ
Carlos Sainz had a couple of off-track moments in qualifying in 2021 at Jeddah Corniche Circuit and qualified only 15th. He went on to make up seven places in the race, finishing eighth.
Sainz had an easier time at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022, though he did lose track time in Free Practice 2 after a scrape with the barriers. He started the race in third and finished in the same position, securing his first podium and points at the track.
Sainz picked up more points in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. After starting the race fourth, strategy saw him lose places and he finished sixth on the road, one position ahead of his team-mate.
After missing media day due to illness, Sainz competed in only the first two practice sessions at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before being ruled out of the rest of the weekend. He instead spent qualifying day in hospital, where he underwent surgery for appendicitis. He returned to the track on race day to witness Ollie Bearman secure a seventh place finish in his car.
CARLOS SAINZ’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
15 |
15 |
8 |
7 |
2022 |
LOST |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2023 |
LOST |
5 |
4 |
6 |
-2 |
Alex ALBON
Having spent 2021 on the sidelines, 2022 marked Alex Albon’s first appearance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. After qualifying 17th – two places ahead of his team-mate – Albon struggled to make progress in the race. He eventually retired after picking up damage in a collision with Lance Stroll, for which he received a three-place grid penalty for the following race.
Albon remained yet to finish a race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in 2023, retiring with brake problems. He had exited in Q1 again on Saturday, qualifying 17th in Saudi Arabia for a second year in succession.
In 2024, Albon finally crossed the finish line in Jeddah for the first time, coming home in 11th place despite picking up damage when making contact with Kevin Magnussen. He did so after making it out of Q1 for the first time at the track and qualifying 12th.
ALEX ALBON’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2022 |
WON |
17 |
16 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
11 |
1 |
Nico HULKENBERG
Nico Hulkenberg made his first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022, deputising for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. After qualifying 18th, Hulkenberg lined up 17th on the grid and finished the race in 12th place – one position ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.
Hulkenberg just missed out on a spot in Q3 with Haas at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. His 11th place became tenth on the final grid. From there he lost two positions to finish 12th.
The German remains yet to reach Q3 here, having existed in Q2 in 2024. He did, however, scored his first point at the track in the 2024 race, finishing in tenth place. He was aided on his way to points by team-mate Kevin Magnussen holding up the chasing pack behind.
NICO HULKENBERG’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2022 |
LOST |
18 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
2023 |
WON |
11 |
10 |
12 |
-2 |
2024 |
LOST |
15 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Gabriel BORTOLETO
Gabriel Bortoleto failed to score points on his first visit to Jeddah Corniche Circuit in F2 in 2024. Qualifying 15th, he made up positions in the Sprint and finished tenth. In the Feature Race, he was out on Lap 1 following a driveshaft failure.
