Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP

F1 Saudi Arabia GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2

Friday's action from the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL36

The Saudi Arabian GP follows on from a dramatic season-opener in Bahrain, where Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 from team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr as Red Bull suffered a double retirement when both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez suffered a vacuum issue within its fuel system.

Sebastian Vettel is missing for Aston Martin again due to COVID-19, with Nico Hulkenberg continuing in his role as super-sub which he undertook at the Bahrain GP and on three occasions for the team back in 2020.

FP1 starts at 2pm GMT (5pm local time) and will run for one hour, with FP2 taking place at 5pm GMT (8pm local time) and will also run for one hour.

Live Text

Sort by
Lights green
FP2 is go!
Time for all the drivers to get in the mindset of lapping the extremely fast Jeddah track in FP2 while plenty goes on around them.
Breaking news

Here's the developing story on the delay to FP2:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/second-jeddah-practice-delayed-after-oil-facility-attack/9314898/

Race control has confirmed FP2 will start at 20:15 local time - so in five minutes.
The start time of FP2 remains "TBC" according to the race control updates. But the session will still be one hour in length as it hasn't started yet. The clock only continues to tick down once a practice session has started.
The drivers and team principals have returned to their respective garages after the meeting and are preparing for the delayed start to the session.
Breaking news

FP2 has been delayed by 15 minutes. It is set to start at 20:15 local time.

As things stand FP2 will take place as planned, starting in just over five minutes, for an hour of track running which will be vital for teams and drivers to get dialled in ahead of qualifying and the race.
There appears to be an F1 drivers' meeting going on in the paddock right before FP2, most likely to update the drivers on the situation regarding the oil refinery explosion.
Breaking news

Good afternoon! It has been another busy break between Friday practice sessions, here's what's been happening.

F1 awaiting information on oil refinery explosion in Jeddah:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-awaiting-information-on-oil-refinery-explosion-in-jeddah/9313386/

Here is the full report for FP1 from Saudi Arabia, as Leclerc leads Verstappen: 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-saudi-arabian-gp-leclerc-leads-verstappen-in-fp1/9311940/
Outside of the top 10, Ricciardo was 11th and headed Stroll, Norris, Zhou, Russell, Hulkenberg, Albon, Latifi, Schumacher and Magnussen. 

Magnussen only completed two laps in FP1 due to a hydraulics issue.
Leclerc ends FP1 fastest with a 1m30.772s ahead of Verstappen - whose best lap was set on hard tyres - and Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas. 

Sainz, Gasly, Tsunoda, Perez, Ocon, Hamilton and Alonso rounded out the top 10.
Checkered flag
Chequered flag is out on FP1.
Leclerc was on a purple lap, but got a bit out of shape at Turn 17.
An incident of impeding between Schumacher and Albon is going to be investigated after the session.
Stopwatch
With two minutes to go, Leclerc has gone top with a 1m30.772s on soft tyres.
Stroll has been told to box "to put some fuel in the car". The Aston Martin drive is 12th at the moment.
Despite his bouncing problems, Sainz moves up to sixth on the timesheets.
Now Sainz reports "a lot of bouncing, guys".
As expected, Haas has confirmed Magnussen won't be back out in FP1 after suffering his earlier hydraulics problem.
Just 10 minutes to go in FP1 and Verstappen still leads with a 1m30.888s.
Mercedes have been trying different rear wings in FP1, though it appears both drivers are now using the same spec.
With just over 15 minutes to go, Verstappen leads Gasly, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Perez, Ocon, Hamilton, Alonso, Ricciardo, Norris.
Verstappen is out there on soft rubber, but is yet to better his 1m30.888s set on the hards earlier in the session.
Gasly now deposes Leclerc in the AlphaTauri, though did clip the wall on that lap. The AlphaTauri driver did that lap on soft tyres.
Bahrain winner Leclerc jumps up to second on the hard tyres, 0.582s off Verstappen's best.
There was briefly a yellow flag at Turn 1 but was instantly cleared.
Jeddah is F1's fastest street circuit - and the helmet onboard cam from Norris gave a real stomach-churning sense of that speed as he darts between the barriers.
Hamilton's comment is somewhat worrying given how smooth Jeddah is compared to Bahrain.
"There's a lot of bouncing," Hamilton reports to his team.
A replay of Leclerc showed him having a bit of a rear-end moment into Turn 16. He's moved up to fifth now on the timesheets.
Haas is continuing its work on Magnussen's car after his earlier problem. Hard to see him getting back on track before the end of FP1 unfortunately.
Sainz goes up to 13th after that first flying lap, while team-mate Leclerc is 10th.
Finally we get to see both Ferraris on track this session. Sainz goes onto his first flying lap on the hard tyre.
Green flag
FP1 is back underway.
More from Matt Kew:

"The marshals are very interested by the inside kerb at Turn 5. They’re using the red flag break just to clear any tyre debris that’s been deposited between each individual green and white section."
Session will resume in two minutes at 5:26pm local time.
Our F1 Editor Matt Kew is out track side.

"Does the Alfa Romeo look the most convincing through the change of direction at Turn 4-5 because it’s the car with the shortest wheelbase and is light, or because we know the Alfa has those properties. We’ll understand more the other side of this red flag."
It was Norris who destroyed the marker board. He reported to his McLaren team that he thought he clipped the wall.

By: autosport.com

Published: