The nature of the Jeddah circuit left an intense qualifying in Saudi Arabia. As well as the traffic, the tires seemed to work better after one or several laps, which added to the tension, and there was drama literally until the end.
The classification already arrived with the atmosphere rarefied after Hamilton came out with only one reprimand and without sanction after a possible double infraction in FP3.
The Englishman had to abort his first lap in Q3 after a slight run off the track, and the second left him behind Verstappen and Bottas . However, after a pit stop, Hamilton managed a great lap to take provisional pole.
Verstappen still had to do his lap, and the world leader already had a scare, brushing against the wall in the first corners. However, he kept his foot down and made a record for the first two sectors. And when he was caressing a pole position that would have been key and who knows if decisive, he lost control of the Red Bull, suffering a blow against the protections and receiving a jug of ice water.
While the #33 left the track crestfallen, aware of a mistake that could have taken away the title and left him third for Sunday’s race, Hamilton took advantage of it to take pole and Bottas completed a full front row grid for Mercedes.
As if that were not enough, Checo Pérez did not fulfill his role as squire and did not even manage to be fourth, being surprised by a Leclerc who put Ferrari ahead.
The two Spaniards fell in Q2, while their teammates went on to the final round. Sainz got through Q1 without problems, but he spun in Q2 and although he avoided a big accident, he managed to touch the wall, damaging the endplate of his rear wing. That forced him to return to the box and although he was able to get out again, he had another scare at that same point of the circuit and finished 15th, without a fastest lap.
For his part, Alonso could not sneak into the top ten in the first attempt and although he improved in the second he could only be 13th.
Gasly is being investigated for disturbing Carlos Sainz during Q1, and the results are far from final after a chaotic moment at the end of the first round, when several cars had to practically stop in the final corner in traffic.
In addition, Bottas and Raikkonen were also investigated for a touch at the end of Q2, although the stewards decided that no action was necessary.
Saudi Arabian GP 2021 F1 Qualifying Results
| Cla | Pilot | laps | Weather | Difference | Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
 |
7 | 1’27.511 | ||
| 2 |  |
 |
9 | 1’27.622 | 0.111 | 0.111 |
| 3 |  |
 |
5 | 1’27.653 | 0.142 | 0.031 |
| 4 |  |
 |
7 | 1’28.054 | 0.543 | 0.401 |
| 5 |  |
 |
5 | 1’28.123 | 0.612 | 0.069 |
| 6 |  |
 |
7 | 1’28.125 | 0.614 | 0.002 |
| 7 | |
 |
5 | 1’28.180 | 0.669 | 0.055 |
| 8 |  |
 |
7 | 1’28.442 | 0.931 | 0.262 |
| 9 | |
 |
5 | 1’28.647 | 1.136 | 0.205 |
| 10 |  |
 |
5 | 1’28.754 | 1,243 | 0.107 |
| see results | ||||||
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Erik Junius
Foto de: Erik Junius
Photo by: Erik Junius
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo de: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
This was the Q1 of the Saudi Arabian GP classification
Still with nerves in my body after what happened in FP3, qualifying started with a lot of traffic and all the drivers rushing out to find a time. Ocon led the pack and, after the first attempt, Verstappen was in the lead with a time of 1m28.659s.
Hamilton had to abort his first lap, like Checo Pérez , but neither of them had any problems on the second. The asphalt was improving and the time table changed every moment. In fact, with eight and a half minutes to go, Sainz stole the lead from Hamilton, although two minutes later Verstappen beat his mark.
Bottas dropped to 1:28.057 but Pérez surprised with a great time in the eighth! return with the same game. The last attempt ended with a chaotic traffic jam on the last part of the track, forcing several drivers to abort their laps. Valtteri Bottas , whose engine Mercedes had had to change after a problem in FP3, suffered another setback that forced him to return to the garage.
Clogged by the traffic of the last corner, Sebastian Vettel was eliminated, 17th, as Nicholas Latifi (16th), Lance Stroll (18th), Mick Schumacher (19th) and Nikita Mazepin (20th).
Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying Q1 times
| Cla | Pilot | laps | Weather | Difference | Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
 |
9 | 1’28.021 | ||
| 2 | |
|
9 | 1’28.057 | 0.036 | 0.036 |
| 3 |  |
|
9 | 1,28,216 | 0.195 | 0.159 |
| 4 |  |
 |
9 | 1’28,237 | 0.216 | 0.021 |
| 5 | |
 |
8 | 1’28.285 | 0.264 | 0.048 |
| 6 | |
|
9 | 1’28.310 | 0.289 | 0.025 |
| 7 | |
 |
8 | 1’28.338 | 0.317 | 0.028 |
| 8 | |
 |
10 | 1’28,401 | 0.380 | 0.063 |
| 9 | |
 |
7 | 1’28.466 | 0.445 | 0.065 |
| Ten | |
 |
Ten | 1’28.503 | 0.482 | 0.037 |
| 11 | |
 |
10 | 1’28.752 | 0.731 | 0.249 |
| 12 | |
 |
10 | 1’28.856 | 0.835 | 0.104 |
| 13 | |
 |
10 | 1’28.899 | 0.878 | 0.043 |
| 14 | |
 |
10 | 1’28.926 | 0.905 | 0.027 |
| 15 | |
 |
10 | 1’28.944 | 0.923 | 0.018 |
| 16 |  |
 |
9 | 1’29.177 | 1.156 | 0.233 |
| 17 |  |
 |
10 | 1’29.198 | 1.177 | 0.021 |
| 18 | |
 |
9 | 1’29.368 | 1.347 | 0.170 |
| 19 | |
 |
9 | 1’29.464 | 1.443 | 0.096 |
| 20 |  |
 |
8 | 1’30.473 | 2.452 | 1.009 |
| see results | ||||||
This was the Q2 of the Saudi Arabian GP classification
The scene of the cars waiting at the end of the pitlane was repeated before the start of Q2, where everyone but Russell started on the medium tyre.
Verstappen took the lead ahead of Pérez revealing an apparent superiority of Red Bull with the medium compound, and Carlos Sainz got a huge scare when he had a spectacular spin in which he came to touch the wall, breaking the endplate of the part right of its rear wing.
The #55 managed to return to the track, although with the affected car. Meanwhile, Pérez was leading Verstappen by 0.007s, and with a minute to go Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Russell and the two Spaniards were virtually eliminated.
In the same area of the spin, Sainz almost lost control of his car, which ruined his lap. Alonso did improve, but not enough, and both Alpine and Ferrari fell at the end of Q2.
Raikkonen and Bottas had an absurd moment when they touched in the final moments, and Giovinazzi hit a wall, forcing his mechanics to make some adjustments before Q3.
Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying Q2 times
| Cla | Pilot | laps | Weather | Difference | Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
 |
9 | 1’27.712 | ||
| two | |
 |
9 | 1,27,946 | 0.234 | 0.234 |
| 3 | |
|
6 | 1’27.953 | 0.241 | 0.007 |
| 4 | |
 |
7 | 1’28.054 | 0.342 | 0.101 |
| Five | |
|
9 | 1’28.222 | 0.510 | 0.168 |
| 6 | |
|
9 | 1’28,314 | 0.602 | 0.092 |
| 7 | |
 |
8 | 1’28.344 | 0.632 | 0.030 |
| 8 | |
 |
8 | 1’28.459 | 0.747 | 0.115 |
| 9 | |
 |
7 | 1’28.574 | 0.862 | 0.115 |
| 10 | |
 |
6 | 1’28.616 | 0.904 | 0.042 |
| eleven | |
 |
8 | 1’28,668 | 0.956 | 0.052 |
| 12 | |
 |
8 | 1’28.885 | 1.173 | 0.217 |
| 13 | |
 |
7 | 1’28.920 | 1.208 | 0.035 |
| 14 | |
|
7 | 1’29.054 | 1.342 | 0.134 |
| fifteen | |
|
7 | 1,53,652 | 25,940 | 24,598 |
| see results | ||||||
