F1 Race Today: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 start time and how ...

F1 Race Today: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 start time and how to watch on TV

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

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Find out when and how to watch the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second race of the season under the Saturday night lights in Jeddah.

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The stage is set for a thrilling night race in Jeddah after Friday's qualifying saw a fierce battle unfold, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen finally claiming his first-ever pole position on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

His blistering time of 1:27.472 seconds secured him the top spot, pushing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into second place, which is a familiar position for the Monegasque driver who has now qualified on the front row for the seventh consecutive race.

READ MORE: F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weather forecast - Wind could trouble drivers in hot and sticky conditions

Further down the grid, Fernando Alonso defied expectations once again, securing a strong P4 for Aston Martin, just a hair's breadth behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Oscar Piastri also secured a solid fifth place, outpacing his teammate Lando Norris.

One of the biggest talking points of the weekend was the performance of Oliver Bearman, the young reserve driver who filled in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Bearman, thrust into the spotlight due to Sainz's appendicitis, surprised everyone by finishing P10 in FP3. However, his impressive run came to an end in Q2, with Bearman falling short by a mere 0.036 seconds.

This near miss almost resulted in a major upset, as Bearman came within a whisker of knocking out Lewis Hamilton, who narrowly scraped into Q3 in P10.

With the grid set, all eyes are on the main event tonight. Will Verstappen hold onto his lead, or can Leclerc or another surprise challenger disrupt Red Bull's dominance?