2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix brought Formula 1 to Jeddah’s fast waterfront circuit and produced a fiercely contested penultimate round. Lewis Hamilton won after two red flags, repeated battles with Max Verstappen and a collision between the title rivals, leaving them level on points before the season finale.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 December 2021
Race start time: 20:30 local time (UTC+03:00)
Circuit: Jeddah Corniche Circuit
Laps: 50 laps
Circuit length: 6.174 km
Previous winner: None — inaugural Grand Prix

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:27.511
Fastest lap
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:30.734 on lap 47
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Third	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
3 December 2021	Practice 1	16:30 – 17:30
3 December 2021	Practice 2	20:00 – 21:00
4 December 2021	Practice 3	17:00 – 18:00
4 December 2021	Qualifying	20:00 – 21:00
5 December 2021	Race	20:30

All times are local (UTC+03:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Verstappen arrived eight points ahead of Hamilton, with the championship nearing its conclusion. Jeddah was new territory for the whole field: a high-speed street circuit lined by close barriers and offering little margin for error. Mercedes held the constructors’ lead, but both titles remained undecided and every point could influence the outcome in Abu Dhabi.

Race entries

All 20 regular drivers took part, with no substitutes. Alpine ran a special livery treatment to mark its 100th race with Castrol, while the field prepared for a demanding night race on an unfamiliar circuit.

Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with a 1:29.786, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.056s) and Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton led the first session by a narrow margin from Verstappen, with Bottas third as the drivers began building confidence between the barriers.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 with a 1:29.018, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.061s) and Pierre Gasly. Hamilton remained fastest in FP2 ahead of Bottas and Gasly. Leclerc’s heavy late crash brought the session to an early conclusion.

Max Verstappen topped FP3 with a 1:28.100, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.214s) and Sergio Perez. Verstappen topped FP3 ahead of Hamilton and Perez, keeping the leading contenders closely matched before qualifying.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix FP1, 3 December 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:29.786	21
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.056s	23
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.223s	24
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.477s	28
5	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.532s	27
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.778s	26
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.814s	26
8	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+0.822s	25
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.056s	27
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.100s	25
11	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.174s	27
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.237s	29
13	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.243s	23
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.258s	25
15	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.313s	26
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.510s	26
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.557s	28
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+1.739s	24
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.035s	27
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+3.678s	23

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix FP2, 3 December 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:29.018	22
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.061s	23
3	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.081s	22
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.195s	20
5	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.423s	21
6	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.537s	22
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.571s	24
8	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+0.579s	20
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.750s	22
10	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.754s	23
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+0.950s	22
12	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.986s	19
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.092s	23
14	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.258s	24
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.424s	22
16	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.484s	22
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.488s	24
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+1.634s	20
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.021s	23
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.611s	20

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix FP3, 4 December 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:28.100	20
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.214s	23
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.529s	21
4	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+0.541s	20
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.615s	22
6	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.919s	19
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.001s	22
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.049s	19
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.077s	19
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.200s	18
11	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.318s	21
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.490s	20
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.589s	24
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.617s	19
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.930s	14
16	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.934s	17
17	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+2.196s	15
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.266s	17
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.833s	20
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.879s	23

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position with a 1:27.511, ahead of Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes secured the front row. Max Verstappen qualified third after a dramatic final attempt that had been on course to challenge for pole before he hit the wall at the last corner.

Charles Leclerc recovered from his practice crash to qualify fourth, with Sergio Perez fifth and Pierre Gasly sixth. Verstappen’s accident left Red Bull Racing checking the car carefully, but he retained his third-place start for a race in which the opening corners would prove important more than once.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Qualifying, 4 December 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:28.466	1:27.712	1:27.511	23
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:28.057	1:28.054	1:27.622	25
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:28.285	1:27.953	1:27.653	19
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:28.310	1:28.459	1:28.054	24
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:28.021	1:27.946	1:28.123	23
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:28.401	1:28.314	1:28.125	26
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:28.338	1:28.344	1:28.180	21
8	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:28.503	1:28.222	1:28.442	26
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:28.752	1:28.574	1:28.647	22
10	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:28.899	1:28.616	1:28.754	21
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:28.216	1:28.668	—	17
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:28.856	1:28.885	—	18
13	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:28.944	1:28.920	—	17
14	63	George Russell	Williams	1:28.926	1:29.054	—	17
15	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:28.237	1:53.652	—	16
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:29.177	—	—	9
17	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:29.198	—	—	10
18	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:29.368	—	—	9
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:29.464	—	—	9
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:30.473	—	—	8

What happened in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton won a turbulent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, taking fastest lap as well and drawing level with Max Verstappen on 369.5 points. Verstappen finished second despite penalties, while Valtteri Bottas snatched third from Esteban Ocon at the line.

Hamilton initially led Bottas and Verstappen, but Mick Schumacher‘s crash triggered a safety car and then a red flag. Mercedes had already stopped both cars, while Verstappen stayed out and was able to change tyres during the suspension, gaining the lead.

The first standing restart brought further controversy. Hamilton challenged Verstappen, who left the track at the opening chicane and retained the advantage, while Ocon moved ahead of Hamilton. Separate incidents behind eliminated Perez, George Russell and Nikita Mazepin, prompting another red flag.

The restart order was adjusted to put Ocon first, Hamilton second and Verstappen third. Verstappen attacked immediately on medium tyres and took the lead, leaving Hamilton to pass Ocon and resume the chase. Further interruptions for debris repeatedly broke up the contest.

When Hamilton attacked again, Verstappen ran wide and was instructed to give the position back. The attempt to do so ended in contact when Verstappen slowed and Hamilton struck the rear of the Red Bull Racing car. The stewards later imposed a ten-second penalty on Verstappen for causing that collision, in addition to a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Hamilton eventually took the lead and pulled clear, completing the race despite front-wing damage. Verstappen’s penalties did not change his second place. Bottas passed Ocon at the finish to take the final podium position by just 0.102s, denying Alpine another podium after Alonso’s Qatar result.

Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth, followed by Gasly, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Antonio Giovinazzi and Lando Norris completed the points. Hamilton’s third consecutive victory had erased the remaining points deficit, although Verstappen retained the championship lead on wins countback.

The season would therefore be decided in Abu Dhabi with the leading drivers tied. Jeddah had added another contentious chapter to their rivalry and left the championship balanced as closely as it could be before the final race.

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was held on 5 December 2021, with a scheduled start of 20:30 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	50	2:06:15.118	26
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	50	+21.825s	18
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	50	+27.531s	15
4	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	50	+27.633s	12
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	50	+40.121s	10
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	50	+41.613s	8
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	50	+44.475s	6
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	50	+46.606s	4
9	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	50	+58.505s	2
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	50	+61.358s	1
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	50	+77.212s	0
12	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	50	+83.249s	0
13	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	49	+1 lap	0
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	49	+1 lap	0
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	49	+1 lap	0
Ret	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	44	Collision damage	0
Ret	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	14	Collision	0
Ret	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	14	Collision	0
Ret	63	George Russell	Williams	14	Collision	0
Ret	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	8	Accident	0

Includes one bonus point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

Max Verstappen received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He also received a ten-second time penalty after the race for causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton. His final position was not affected by the penalties.

Yuki Tsunoda finished 13th, but received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Sebastian Vettel.

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	47	22:35:18	1:30.734	244.962
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	47	22:35:49	1:31.408	243.155
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	35	22:16:43	1:31.488	242.943
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	46	22:34:33	1:31.601	242.643
5	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	46	22:35:40	1:31.633	242.558
6	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	47	22:35:49	1:31.797	242.125
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	37	22:20:44	1:31.851	241.983
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	49	22:39:29	1:31.914	241.817
9	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	46	22:34:30	1:32.297	240.813
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	44	22:32:38	1:32.506	240.269
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	43	22:29:48	1:32.716	239.725
12	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	49	22:39:49	1:32.751	239.635
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	45	22:34:16	1:32.778	239.565
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	45	22:33:30	1:32.804	239.498
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	37	22:20:43	1:32.865	239.340
16	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	41	22:27:33	1:34.030	236.375
17	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	9	20:48:00	1:34.138	236.104
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	8	20:46:53	1:36.043	231.421
19	63	George Russell	Williams	7	20:45:15	1:36.130	231.211
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	7	20:45:21	1:37.043	229.036

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	369.5
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	369.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	218
4	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	190
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	158
6	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	154
7	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	149.5
8	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	115
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	100
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	77
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	72
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	43
13	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	34
14	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	20
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	16
16	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	10
17	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	3
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
21	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	587.5
2	Red Bull Racing	559.5
3	Ferrari	307.5
4	McLaren	269
5	Alpine	149
6	AlphaTauri	120
7	Aston Martin	77
8	Williams	23
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	13
10	Haas	0