Lewis Hamilton leads a Mercedes front-row lockout for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a dramatic qualifying session at the new Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Max Verstappen had looked set to take pole position away from title rival Hamilton but he crashed out at the last corner of his final flying lap, putting him third on the grid, behind the seven-time World Champion and Valtteri Bottas.
Verstappen was under threat of a penalty for a potential gearbox change, but RacingNews365.com understands that this is not required.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start on the second row alongside the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez, while AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris make it five different teams in the top seven positions.
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) round out the top 10 on the grid.
The starting grid is final, as confirmed by the FIA's pre-race document
Starting Grid: 2021 F1 Saudi Arabian GP
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2. | Bottas | Mercedes |
| 3. | Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 4. | Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 5. | Perez | Red Bull |
| 6. | Gasly | AlphaTauri |
| 7. | Norris | McLaren |
| 8. | Tsunoda | AlphaTauri |
| 9. | Ocon | Alpine |
| 10. | Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo |
| 11. | Ricciardo | McLaren |
| 12. | Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo |
| 13. | Alonso | Alpine |
| 14. | Russell | Williams |
| 15. | Sainz | Ferrari |
| 16. | Latifi | Williams |
| 17. | Vettel | Aston Martin |
| 18. | Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 19. | Schumacher | Haas |
| 20. | Mazepin | Haas |
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