Reigning Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton took a crucial pole position ahead of the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver set a time of 1.27.511, a tenth ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas. Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen qualified third with the Dutchman looking good for pole until he crashed at the circuit’s final turn.
Red Bull will now have to hope that the impact incurred by Verstappen‘s RB16B wasn’t serious enough to warrant a gearbox change, in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in this year’s title fight.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth with the Monegasque driver recovering well after his Free Practice crash. Verstappen‘s teammate Sergio Perez was fifth, the Mexican was almost five tenths down on his Red Bull teammate.
Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon and Antonio Giovinazzi completed the top 10.
2021 F1 Saudi Arabia GP Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q3 Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1.27.511 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | +0.111 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.142 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.543 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +0.612 |
| 6 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | +0.614 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.669 |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | +0.931 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.136 |
| 10 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | +1.243 |
| 11 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 12 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 14 | George Russell | Williams | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | Eliminated in Q2 |
| 16 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 17 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 19 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | Eliminated in Q1 |
| 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | Eliminated in Q1 |
