The reigning F1 world champion secured his fifth pole of the season in Jeddah after Max Verstappen hit the wall in the last corner on his last lap in Q3 after expecting first place at the finish.
The accident meant Verstappen will start the first Saudi Arabia GP from third behind a Mercedes jump in the front row, with Hamilton on pole from teammate Valtteri Bottas, but Hamilton remains suspicious of Red Bull’s pace this weekend .
Red Bull will also be reviewing Verstappen’s gearbox after its violent collision with the wall on the final corner in qualifying and will “not hesitate” to trade in for a new one and, if necessary, be five places behind to avoid reliability concerns .
In the meantime, Red Bull decided not to object to the FIA stewards’ decision not to penalize Hamilton for a yellow flag incident in final practice, despite weighing the option.
Behind the top three, Charles Leclerc recovered from a severe FP2 crash to finish fourth for Ferrari and beat Sergio Perez’s second Red Bull in qualifying. Pierre Gasly starts sixth for AlphaTauri, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Frenchman Yuki Tsunoda’s team-mate.
Esteban Ocon from Alpine and Antonio Giovinazzi from Alfa Romeo complete the top 10 on the grid for the Saudi Arabia GP.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
When is the Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix?
- Date: Sunday, December 5, 2021
- Start Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT, 8:30 p.m. local time
Round 21 of the 2021 F1 season, the Saudi Arabia GP at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, begins on Sunday, December 5th at 5.30 p.m. local time (8.30 p.m. GMT).
How can I see the Saudi Arabia GP?
In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the Saudi Arabia GP live, with the race being broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Pre-race coverage will begin at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Sky Sports F1, and Sky Sports Main Event coverage will start at 5:00 p.m. GMT, and pre-race coverage will start at 5:30 p.m. GMT.
- Channel: Sky Sports F1
- Start Time: 4:00 p.m. GMT on Sunday 5th December
Autosport will broadcast live text coverage of the Saudi Arabia GP here.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, celebrates at Parc Ferme after securing pole
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
When can I see the highlights of the Saudi Arabia GP?
In the UK, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights of the Saudi Arabia GP on Sunday at 10:00 p.m. GMT. The full program lasts two hours and 30 minutes and includes the run-up, the racing highlights and the first post-race reaction to wrap up the main talking points of the race weekend.
Throughout the 2021 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights of every qualifying and race of every event. The highlights will also be available through Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up service.
- Channel: Channel 4
- Start Time: 10:00 PM GMT, Sunday 5th December
Will the Saudi Arabia GP be on the radio?
Live radio broadcasts of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2021 F1 season will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra, as well as on the BBC Sport website.
Live coverage of the Saudi Arabia GP will begin at 5:15 p.m. GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Saudi Arabia GP
Current weather forecasts predict hot and dry conditions on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with a very low chance of rain during the race. At the start of the race, 28 degrees Celsius are expected – one degree warmer than the Qatar GP.
How many laps is the Saudi Arabia GP?
The race is set to complete 50 laps of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and cover a total distance of 308,450 km.
