F1 Grid Today: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix starting positions

Lewis Hamilton will once again have a mountain to climb after the grid was set for the 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The seven-times world champion was almost a second off the pace down in P8 as his farewell season at Mercedes continues to produce miserable early results.

Meanwhile Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen dominated the field once again to take pole by more than three tenths of a second - he will once again start alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the front row.

Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate on Saturday will be the 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, who is set to become the youngest ever Briton to drive in an F1 Grand Prix. He claimed P11 on Friday deputising for Carlos Sainz, who had been ruled out by appendicitis.

Sergio Perez was third in front of Fernando Alonso who performed an experienced trick to drag the Aston Martin to fourth.

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

F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 Grid

1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull] - 1:27.472

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

11. Oliver Bearman [Ferrari]

12. Alex Albon [Williams]

13. Kevin Magnussen [Haas]

14. Daniel Ricciardo [VCARB]

15. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas]

16. Valtteri Bottas [Kick Sauber]

17. Esteban Ocon [Alpine]

18. Pierre Gasly [Alpine]

19. Logan Sargeant [Williams]

20. Zhou Guanyu [Kick Sauber]

Are there any grid penalties?

The final grid with penalties applied is confirmed a couple of hours before lights out by the FIA. We will update with any official penalty information as soon as it is available.

When is the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Lights out in Jeddah will be at 8pm local time on Saturday March 9. That is 12 noon ET, and 9am PT.

READ MORE: Ferrari reveal F1 star will MISS Saudi Arabian GP for surgery

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