The Red Bull driver secured his 34th career F1 pole and his first in Saudi Arabia with a flawless qualifying performance at the Jeddah Corniche circuit – both his Q3 laps were quick enough to bag top spot.
Charles Leclerc split the Red Bulls to join Verstappen on the front row for a sixth consecutive race, as Sergio Perez was shuffled back to third place.
Oliver Bearman qualified 11th as stand-in for Carlos Sainz in the sister Ferrari after the Spaniard was ruled out with appendicitis.
However, once again the major focus is off-track after Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko admitted he might be suspended after the Saudi Arabian GP. Verstappen has reacted to the comments and called Marko “an important part in my decision making” for his future.
When is the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Date: Saturday 9 March 2024
Start time: 8pm local time/5pm GMT
The second round of the 2024 F1 season, the Saudi Arabian GP, gets under way at 8pm local time on Saturday 9 March.
The entire Saudi Arabian GP weekend has shifted forward by one day compared to its regular schedule due to Ramadan starting on Sunday 10 March.
Oliver Bearman, Scuderia Ferrari, in the garage
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £18 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.99p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.
How can I watch the F1 Saudi Arabian GP
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Saudi Arabian GP.
The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1, with pre-race coverage starting at 3:30pm GMT, ahead of the race start at 5:00pm GMT.
• Channels: Sky Sports F1
• Start time: 3:30pm GMT, Saturday 9 March 2024
Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Saudi Arabian GP here.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
When can I watch the F1 Saudi Arabian GP highlights?
In the United Kingdom Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Saudi Arabian GP at 7:50pm GMT on Saturday. The full programme will run for two and a half hours, covering the pre-race, the race…
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