2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The event was held across 7–9 March. It was the second round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship and the fourth running of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/grand-prix-saudi-arabia.aspx |website=StatsF1.com |access-date=4 March 2024}}

The Grand Prix was scheduled for a Saturday to accommodate Ramadan, which began on 10 March.{{cite web |last=Bekking |first=Casper |date=10 February 2024 |title=Why F1 Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs are on Saturday |url=https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-2024-why-bahrain-saudi-gp-on-saturday/10574516/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221040711/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-2024-why-bahrain-saudi-gp-on-saturday/10574516/ |archive-date=21 February 2024 |access-date=24 February 2024 |website=Motorsport.com}}

Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship with 26 points, 8 points from his teammate Sergio Pérez in second, and 11 from Carlos Sainz Jr. in third. Red Bull Racing led the Constructors' Championship over Ferrari by 17 points, and Mercedes by 28 points.{{cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/2024/bahrein/championnat.aspx|title=Bahrain 2024 – Championship|website=Stats F1|date=2 March 2024|access-date=2 March 2024}}

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| footer = Debutant Oliver Bearman (left) stood in for Carlos Sainz Jr. (right) at Ferrari.}}

{{see also|2024 Formula One World Championship#Entries}}

The drivers and teams were initially the same as the season entry list.{{cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2024%20Saudi%20Arabian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20P1%20Classification.pdf|title=2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – P1 Classification |publisher=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date=7 March 2024 |access-date=7 March 2024}} However, Ferrari reserve and Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman replaced Carlos Sainz Jr. starting from the third free practice session, after Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and withdrew from the event to undergo surgery.{{cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2024%20Saudi%20Arabian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Revised%20Entry%20List.pdf|title=2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Revised Entry List|publisher=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date=8 March 2024 |access-date=8 March 2024}} Bearman made his Formula One debut.{{cite web |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/bearman-replaces-sainz-for-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/10584719/ |title=Bearman replaces Sainz at Ferrari for Saudi Arabian GP after appendicitis diagnosis |work=Autosport |last=Cleeren |first=Filip |date=8 March 2024}}

{{further|Formula One tyres}}

Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds (the middle three in their range) designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively, for teams to use at the event.{{cite web |date=1 December 2023 |title=2024 Tyre Compound Choices – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia |url=https://press.pirelli.com/pirelli-nominates-the-compounds-for-the-start-of-2024/ |access-date=24 February 2024 |website=Pirelli}}

Three free practice sessions were held for the event. The first free practice session was held on 7 March 2024, at 16:30 local time (UTC+3), and was topped by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing ahead of Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez.{{cite web |last=Gale |first=Ewan |date=7 March 2024 |title=Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 – F1 Free Practice 1 results|url=https://racingnews365.com/2024-f1-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-free-practice-2-results |access-date=7 March 2024|website=Racingnews365}} The second free practice session was held on the same day and was scheduled at 20:00 local time, but was delayed by ten minutes as bolts were checked on drain covers in the pit lane.{{cite web |last=Gale |first=Ewan |date=7 March 2024 |title=Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 – F1 Free Practice 2 delayed|url=https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-under-investigation-as-alonso-tops-delayed-fp2 |access-date=7 March 2024|website=Racingnews365}} The session was topped by Alonso ahead of George Russell of Mercedes and Verstappen.{{cite web |last=Gale |first=Ewan |date=7 March 2024 |title=Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 – F1 Free Practice 2 results |url=https://racingnews365.com/2024-saudi-arabian-gp-free-practice-2-results|access-date=7 March 2024|website=Racingnews365}} The third free practice session was held on 8 March 2024, at 16:30 local time, and was topped by Verstappen ahead of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Verstappen's teammate Pérez. The session was red-flagged after Sauber's Zhou Guanyu lost control of his car and crashed into the barriers, but was resumed after necessary repairs to the barriers were carried out.{{cite web |last=Gale |first=Ewan |date=7 March 2024 |title=Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 – F1 Free Practice 3 results |url=https://racingnews365.com/2024-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-free-practice-3-results|access-date=7 March 2024|website=Racingnews365}}

Qualifying was held on 8 March 2024, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3).

Notes

• {{note|1|1}} – Zhou Guanyu failed to set a time during qualifying. He was permitted to race at the stewards' discretion.

The race was held on 9 March 2024, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 50 laps.

At the starting grid, Norris appeared to jump the start but the stewards did not issue any penalty as the FIA's standardised grid box transponder did not detect an infringement. The sporting regulations require these transponders to detect an infringement for a penalty to be issued.{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Will |title=Stewards explain why Norris avoided jump start penalty |url=https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/09/stewards-explain-why-norris-avoided-jump-start-penalty/ |access-date=11 March 2024 |work=RaceFans |date=9 March 2024}} There were two retirements. Before the race, on the formation lap, Pierre Gasly reported gearbox issues which forced him to retire before the start of the race. Lance Stroll retired on lap 7 due to a crash at Turn 23 which brought out a safety car. Kevin Magnussen of Haas accumulated 20 seconds worth of penalties. One of these was a 10-second penalty for a collision with Alexander Albon, and the other 10-second penalty was for overtaking Yuki Tsunoda off-track. Knowing that he was unlikely to finish in the points, the team ordered him to focus on defense during the wide parts of the circuit, and drive as slowly as possible in the narrow parts of the circuit while overtaking is most difficult. With Magnussen backing up the drivers behind, teammate Nico Hülkenberg successfully finished tenth and earned his and Haas' first point of the season.{{cite web |title="We really earned it today" Kevin happy to help Haas score 'huge' point |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.we-really-earned-it-today-magnussen-delighted-to-help-haas-score-huge-point.1793077240990207381.html |website=Formula 1 |access-date=2024-04-18}}

Polesitter Max Verstappen won the race ahead of teammate Sergio Pérez, marking a second straight 1{{ndash}}2 for Red Bull Racing, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third with one extra point for the fastest lap. This marked Verstappen's 100th career podium.{{cite web |title='It's 88 missed podiums!' – Verstappen reflects on 100th F1 rostrum appearance as he praises 'fantastic' Bearman |date=9 March 2024 |work=Formula One Management|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.its-88-missed-podiums-verstappen-reflects-on-100th-f1-rostrum-appearance-as.4WpkyUZDh8agq8FasXlNdK.html }} McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished fourth with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in fifth. Mercedes' George Russell finished sixth with Ferrari debutant Oliver Bearman in seventh. They were followed by Lando Norris, who briefly led the Grand Prix, in eighth, and Lewis Hamilton in ninth, after both drivers attempted an alternate tyre strategy. Nico Hülkenberg claimed the final point in tenth, clinching his and Haas's first point of the season.{{cite web |date=9 March 2024 |title=Verstappen seals assured victory in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Bearman scores points on debut |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-seals-assured-victory-in-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-as-fobearman.688391Oy9JabLrEGIXLTkr.html |work=Formula1.com}}

Notes

• {{note|2|1}} – Sergio Pérez received a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release. His final position was not affected by the penalty.
• {{note|3|2}} – Includes one point for fastest lap.
• {{note|4|3}} – Kevin Magnussen finished 11th, but received two ten-second time penalties. The first was for causing a collision with Alexander Albon, and the second was for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while overtaking Yuki Tsunoda.
• {{note|5|4}} – Yuki Tsunoda finished 14th on track, but received a post-race five-second time penalty for an unsafe release.

{{for|full season standings|2024 Formula One World Championship#Results and standings}}

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;Drivers' Championship standings

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;Constructors' Championship standings

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• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

• 2024 Jeddah Formula 2 round

{{reflist}}

{{F1 race report

| Name_of_race = Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

| Year_of_race = 2024

| Previous_race_in_season = 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix

| Next_race_in_season = 2024 Australian Grand Prix

| Previous_year's_race = 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

| Next_year's_race = 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

}}

{{F1GP 2020–29}}

Saudi Arabian

Grand Prix

2024

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix