F1 Results Today: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying times - Verstappen dominates as Hamilton struggles

Max Verstappen blew away the field to take his first ever pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and will be joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman made it through his first part of a Formula 1 qualifying session, driving in relief of Carlos Sainz - absent for the rest of the weekend after an emergency appendectomy.

However, Bearman was knocked out in Q2 by just 0.036 seconds, coming within a whisker of knocking out seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton - who was nearly a full second behind Verstappen in Q3, putting his Mercedes just eighth once again.

Nico Hulkenberg brought out the second red flag of the day in Q2 for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, being forced to park his car in a run-off area losing power while he was on a run.

Zhou Guanyu was knocked out without setting a lap time thanks to a heavy crash at the end of FP3, the damage more than his mechanics could repair in the time given to them - missing out on a hot lap by a matter of seconds.

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

F1 Qualifying Results: Bahrain Grand Prix 2024

2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - +0.319s

3. Sergio Perez [Red Bull] - +0.335s

4. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin] - +0.374s

5. Oscar Piastri [McLaren] - +0.617s

6. Lando Norris [McLaren] - +0.660s

7. George Russell [Mercedes] - +0.844s

8. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes] - +0.988s

9. Yuki Tsunoda [VCARB] - +1.075s

10. Lance Stroll [Aston Martin] - +1.100s

ELIMINATED IN Q2

11. Oliver Bearman [Ferrari]

12. Alex Albon [Williams]

13. Kevin Magnussen [Haas]

14. Daniel Ricciardo [VCARB]

15. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas]

ELIMINATED IN Q1

16. Valtteri Bottas [Kick Sauber]

17. Esteban Ocon [Alpine]

18. Pierre Gasly [Alpine]

19. Logan Sargeant [Williams]

20. Zhou Guanyu [Kick Sauber]

How does F1 Qualifying work?

The 60-minute qualifying session is split into three finite windows which provides a dramatic prelude to Sunday's big race.

The bottom five drivers are eliminated at the end of Q1, with a further five eliminated after Q2.

Then Q3 gives us a shootout between the remaining 10 drivers in the battle for positions at the front of the grid.

READ MORE: F1 Schedule 2024: Full calendar with all you need to know about every grand prix

Related

More F1 news

Full News Feed

Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell receive planning verdict amid neighbour dispute over $12.3m home

• Yesterday 23:00

Japanese Grand Prix gets ‘Mario Kart’ twist after F1 driver complaints

• Yesterday 21:00

American F1 team Haas to run epic 'Godzilla' car livery at Japanese Grand Prix

• Yesterday 19:00

Miami Grand Prix could get ‘Taylor Swift effect’ with Kim Kardashian presence

• Yesterday 17:00

Max Verstappen tensions boil over in heated radio exchange with race engineer

• March 18, 2026 23:00

FIA boss faces pressure as drivers demand sweeping changes in official letter

• March 18, 2026 21:00