Only Verstappen has taken multiple podium finishes at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, six drivers have scored in all three races here and Russell, Leclerc and Ocon 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 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.
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 |
🇲🇽 Sergio PEREZ
Sergio Perez crashed out of the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix shortly after the first restart. He qualified in fifth place for the race, two positions behind his team-mate.
In 2022, Perez secured the first pole position of his F1 career at the track. He maintained his lead in the opening stages of the race and would have been in a better position to challenge for the win, if not for a poorly timed Safety Car period around the time of his pit stop. He finished the race in fourth place.
Once again, Perez took pole position at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – and this time he managed to convert in into a win; the fifth of his Formula 1 career.
SERGIO PEREZ’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 5 | 5 | DNF | – |
| 2022 | WON | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| 2023 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
🇬🇧 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.
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 |
🇬🇧 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 last year, 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 and continued his streak of out-qualifying his team-mate on every appearance to date at the track. Fourth in qualifying 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.
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 |
🇲🇨 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.
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 |
🇪🇸 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.
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 |
🇬🇧 Lando NORRIS
While Lando 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.
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 |
🇦🇺 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.
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 |
🇪🇸 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.
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 apploed 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.
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 |
🇨🇦 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. He had qualified sixth for the Grand Prix and ran fourth in the first stint of the race, 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 | – |
🇫🇷 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. Ocon is yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. In the race, he continued his 100% points-scoring rate and finished in eighth 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 |
🇫🇷 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.
Gasly remains yet to miss out on Q3 in Saudi Arabia, qualifying tenth in 2023. 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.
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 |
🇹🇭 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 is yet to finish a race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He also retired in 2023 with brake problems. Albon had exited in Q3 on Saturday, qualifying 17th in Saudi Arabia for a second year in succession.
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 | – |
🇺🇸 Logan SARGEANT
On his first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix appearance in 2023, Logan Sargeant failed to set a competitive lap time in qualifying. He had a lap time deleted, spun on his second attempt and suffered mechanical issues on his third attempt. In the race, Sargeant moved up four positions and finished 16th.
Sargeant raced at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Formula 2 in both 2021 and 2022. He failed to score in any of the five junior category races he competed in at the circuit.
LOGAN SARGEANT’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | LOST | 20 | 20 | 16 | 4 |
🇯🇵 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.
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 |
🇦🇺 Daniel RICCIARDO
Daniel Ricciardo recorded a top five finish at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in 2021, finishing in fifth place. He just missed out on reaching Q3 for the race, qualifying in 11th. One year later, at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ricciardo failed to finish the race due to a mechanical failure. He was again eliminated in Q2, qualifying 12th.
DANIEL RICCIARDO’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 11 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| 2022 | LOST | 12 | 14 | DNF | – |
🇫🇮 Valtteri BOTTAS
Valtteri Bottas celebrated reaching Q3 for the 100th consecutive race at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He didn’t have the easiest of Saturdays though, after struggling with engine issues in Q1 and making light contact with Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo in Q2. After qualifying on the front row alongside his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Bottas finished on the podium, in third place. He overtook Esteban Ocon on the line for the final podium spot.
Bottas reached Q3 again at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and qualified in eighth place. He looked on course for more points at the track but retired midway through the race due to overheating issues.
Bottas was out-qualified by team-mate Zhou Guanyu at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and missed out on a spot in Q3 in Jeddah for the first time. Bottas failed to score for a second year in succession at the track, coming home a lowly 18th.
VALTTERI BOTTAS’ SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 2022 | WON | 8 | 8 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | LOST | 14 | 14 | 18 | -4 |
🇨🇳 ZHOU Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu finished 11th on his first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix appearance in 2022. He qualified five positions behind his team-mate, exiting in Q2 and qualifying in 13th place. In 2023, Zhou again exited qualifying in Q2, but this time he set a faster lap time than his team-mate and qualified 12th. He lost one position over the course of the race and finished 13th – five places ahead of Valtteri Bottas.
Zhou also raced at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Formula 2 in 2021. He recorded a best result of fourth place in the Feature Race. He finished 17th and eighth in the two Sprint Races.
ZHOU GUANYU’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2022 | LOST | 13 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| 2023 | WON | 12 | 11 | 13 | -2 |
🇩🇰 Kevin MAGNUSSEN
Kevin Magnussen did not race in Formula 1 in 2021, meaning that 2022 was his first appearance at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The Haas driver reached Q3 on Saturday, qualifying in tenth place despite missing out on a lot of running on Friday through hydraulic issues in both practice sessions. Magnussen made up positions in the closing stages of the race, eventually finishing in ninth place.
The Dane scored again in 2023, this time finishing tenth after making up three positions – including one on his team-mate – over the course of the race.
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2022 | WON | 10 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| 2023 | LOST | 13 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
🇩🇪 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.
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 |
