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Formula 1 Saudi Arabian GP

F1 Saudi Arabian GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying

Friday's action from the second round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso topped Thursday practice at Jeddah but Red Bull remains the hot favourite ahead of the main event in Saudi Arabia.

Carlos Sainz has withdrawn from the rest of the race weekend with appendicitis and Ferrari has called up junior driver Oliver Bearman who will make his F1 debut as his replacement.

Saudi Arabian GP final practice starts at 1:30pm GMT (4:30pm local time) ahead of qualifying at 5pm GMT (8pm local time).

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Lights green
Off we go again for Q2!
Bearman is at the front of the queue in the pitlane on fresh softs, while the Mercedes pair directly behind him at on used softs.
Russell, Norris, Hamilton and Piastri got representative laps in before the red flag but nobody else got a useful lap time to their name. Q2 will restart in two minutes with 10m58s left on the clock.
Mechanical problem
Replays show Hulkenberg's Haas coughing coming out of Turn 3 and eventually gives up when he parks at Turn 8. That's him out of qualifying unless a miracle fix can be found.
Red flag
The yellow flags are out now with the Haas stationary on the edge of the run-off. And the yellows turn into red flags.
Hulkenberg has stopped at Turn 8 but no yellow flags have been displayed. Odd. "I've lost the power, something's wrong," is the answer.
The Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Haas pairs are the early runners in this session. We suspect most will be on a set of used softs for the first run.
Lights green
The green light at pitlane exit is shown so off we go again!
On to Q2 we go, when 15 becomes 10 for the pole position shootout.
Bearman will be investigated after qualifying for failing to adhere to the maximum delta lap time. Given he's been in the car a matter of hours, I think he can be excused. If not, we riot.
Out in Q1: P16 Bottas, P17 Ocon, P18 Gasly, P19 Sargeant, P20 Zhou.
Zhou didn't make it to the line before the chequered flag so hasn't been able to start a lap to get out of Q1. So close, but all that hard work is for nothing.
Ricciardo was on the bubble but goes 11th, while Tsunoda jumps to ninth to leap out of the drop zone.
Stopwatch
Verstappen goes fastest again with a 1m28.171s, while Perez goes third.
Sargeant is already out of qualifying with his last effort leaving him 18th.
Zhou is out on the track! He needs the out-lap of his life to have one go at it to make it through Q1.
Stopwatch
Bottas lifts himself to 14th to push Tsunoda into the drop zone. At the top Leclerc goes fastest overall with a 1m28.318s.
In the drop zone is Gasly, Sargeant, Bottas, Ocon and Zhou with three minutes in Q1 to go.
Zhou is in his car but not going anywhere as mechanics get the tape out for his front-left corner. It isn't looking good.
Mercedes has ditched its medium tyres for softs as Russell goes fourth and Hamilton goes ninth.
Into the final six minutes of Q1 and still no sign of Zhou... pressure is on at Sauber now.
Bearman's father looks very tense at the back of the Ferrari garage as he goes an inch away from clipping the wall. He survives and is seventh fastest at the moment.
Stopwatch
Here comes Verstappen who goes top with a 1m28.491s to go two-tenths clear. Leclerc moves up to second ahead of Alonso and Piastri.
Russell has been shown the black and white flag for crossing the white line at pit entry. He'll need to be careful with that.
Bearman goes fourth fastest and quicker than Leclerc! Impressive.
Stopwatch
Piastri kisses the wall coming out of the final corner but he looks to have got away with it. The Australian goes fastest with a 1m28.755s.
Hamilton and Russell pit after one timed lap on the mediums, while out come Red Bulls and RBs. Just missing Zhou.
The Mercedes pair have come out on mediums rather than softs so they slot seventh and eighth respectively. Elsewhere Hulkenberg calls Sargeant "a ******* idiot" as he is blocked.
Bearman's first Q1 lap time is a 1m30.136s which puts him 14th. It is a tough ask but getting out of this session in that car will be the minimum aim.
Stopwatch
Alonso takes over at the top with a 1m28.876s from Stroll, Hulkenberg, Piastri, Norris and Magnussen. Still no sign of the Red Bulls, RBs or Zhou.
Stopwatch
Magnussen posts the first lap time of 1m29.528s for the early marker to beat.
Zhou's got his helmet on as the car is lowered down. It is still missing some pretty vital parts but they have time for him to get out and into the thick of it in Q1.
Bearman joins the early takers which includes both Mercedes, both Astons, both McLarens, both Haas, both Williams and Bottas.
Lights green
In fact there is a queue of cars at the pitlane exit ready for the start. Here we go for Q1!
The Alpines fancy an early start to qualifying as Ocon and Gasly head down to the pitlane exit for Q1. Zhou is in the Sauber garage but his car is still missing an engine cover.
Five minutes to go until the start of qualifying, who are you backing for pole position?
The better news for Sauber, long term at least, is Audi has confirmed its takeover of the team ahead of its 2026 F1 entry. Meanwhile in the garage Zhou's car is still up on the jacks being worked on by the mechanics but it is looking like he'll make the start of qualifying. All systems go!
Breaking news
Bearman ended FP3 in 10th in a session that was headed by Verstappen and halted by a heavy crash for Zhou. Sauber has been in a race against time to repair his car in time for qualifying.
Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44, climbs out of his damaged car after a crash in FP3

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44, climbs out of his damaged car after a crash in FP3

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

At Autosport we've known Bearman for a few years, given he is a two-time Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award finalist, and he doesn't usually feel pressure and is generally a relaxed guy. But maybe today with the eyes of the F1 world on him, he might be feeling it a little and who can blame him.
Sainz has already undergone surgery and is beginning his recovery in preparation for the Australian GP which is just over two weeks away. It means British 18-year-old Bearman is in his Ferrari for the rest of the weekend. No pressure!

By: Autosport Staff

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