Formula 1’s controversial new season continues at full speed with its second stop at the Saudi Arabian GP. Leclerc was the winner of the Bahrain GP, which we left behind in the past days, and Ferrari had a great success by making a double.
In the Saudi Arabian GP, which started as of today, we watched a breathtaking struggle from the pilots in the qualifying laps, which took place after the training laps. Leclerc, who won the pole position in the Bahrain GP and remained at the top in all three training laps, lost his chance to start the race in the first place this time. So, what happened in the qualifying laps of the Saudi Arabian GP?
The winner of the first session was Sainz
The first round, which started with great excitement, was interrupted after Latifi lost the rear of the car and hit the barriers by spinning. After learning that Latifi’s condition was good, Lewis Hamilton was one of the first to be eliminated from the sensta, after the performance problems he experienced in his car. Hamilton was last eliminated in Q1 at the 2017 Brazilian GP.
First session order:
- Sainz
- Verstappen
- Leclerc
- Russell
- Bottas
- Perez
- Magnussen
- Gasly
- Norris
- Yu Zhou
- Alonso
- Ricciardo
- Ocon
- Schumacher
- Strroll
First round eliminations
- Hamilton
- Albon
- Hulkenberg
- Latifi
- Tsunoda
Sainz retained his lead in the second session
After Latifi’s accident in the first lap, accidents followed the pilots in this lap as well. After the heartbreaking accident by Haas pilot Mick Schumacher, paramedics and ambulance crews arrived at the scene. At the end of the tense wait, when the footage of the accident was not shown on the screens for a while, it was finally announced that Schumacher was in good health. Ferrari driver Sainz was the winner in this tour, which gave the audience moments of fear.
First round standings
- Sainz
- Leclerc
- Perez
- Verstappen
- Alonso
- Bottas
- Gasly
- Magnussen
- Ocon
- Russel
Eliminated in the second session
- Norris
- Ricciardo
- Zhou
- Schumacher
- Strroll
The name of the winner of the pole position after the third session is Perez it’s done!
Despite the tire disadvantage in the first laps, Sainz, who did not give up the first place, lost the pole position in this lap. In the third and last session of the qualifying rounds, which was full of accidents and anxious waiting, the winner was Perez, who scored at the last minute. Leclerc, who had the pole position in the first race, became the 2nd place, 0.025 seconds behind Perez. Thus, the advantage of starting the race in the Saudi Arabian GP narrowly slipped from Leclerc’s hands. Perez, on the other hand, will start the race on pole position for the first time in his career.
Third session order
- Perez
- Leclerc
- Sainz
- Verstappen
- Ocon
- Russell
- Alonso
- Bottas
- Gasly
- Magnussen
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