presented by
2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1931 1930 1929 1927 1925 1923 1922 1921 1914 1913 1912
Saudi Arabia GP
Bahrain GP Emilia Romagna GP Portuguese GP Spanish GP Monaco GP Azerbaijan GP French GP Styrian GP Austrian GP British GP Hungarian GP Belgian GP Dutch GP Italian GP Russian GP Turkish GP United States GP Mexican GP Brazilian GP Qatar GP
Saudi Arabia GP
Abu Dhabi GP
2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabia GP
Dec 3, 2021 to Dec 5, 2021
| Jeddah Street Circuit, SA
Overview Live Commentary Results News Videos
Live text
Formula 1 Saudi Arabia GP
F1 Saudi Arabia GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Minute-by-minute updates from Saudi Arabia's first ever F1 race
Live
Chat
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
-
Summary
- Hamilton wins the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from Verstappen. Bottas snatches third from Ocon at the finish line.
- Two red flags stop and start chaotic race.
- First red flag for Schumacher crash and barrier damage.
- Race resumed Verstappen grabs lead after running across the run off at Turn 1. Second red flag for big crash behind involving Perez, Russell and Mazepin. Perez was tagged by Leclerc. Mazepin ran into the back of Russell.
- Hamilton and Verstappen clash at Turn 1. Verstappen holds the lead by using the run off. Verstappen then told to give position to Hamilton and they collide. Incident under investigation.
- Verstappen handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
- Hamilton takes lead with seven laps to go and wins from Verstappen.
-
Leaderboard
1. Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Bottas, Mercedes
4. Ocon, Alpine
5. Ricciardo, McLaren
6. Gasly, AlphaTauri
7. Leclerc, Ferrari
8. Sainz, Ferrari
9. Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
10. Norris, McLaren
View more Show Less
Live Text
Sort by Oldest first Newest first
Checkered flag
04:14:07 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The race is finished but this one isn't over, oh no, not by a long stretch. Thanks for being with us for the last three hours of drama and keep an eye on the post-race fallout to follow. Until then, goodbye for now!
Breaking news
04:08:36 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Have you caught your breath after all that? Here's the full race report to make sense of what we've just witnessed:
04:06:15 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
04:04:27 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen didn't fancy hanging around for the podium celebrations as he walks off in the background while Hamilton and Bottas get busy with the fizzy.
04:01:50 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Our stats gurus have been hard at work to deliver this: The only other time F1 title contenders have been equal on points going into the final race was in 1974: Emerson Fittipaldi for McLaren and Clay Regazzoni for Ferrari, with Fittipaldi taking the title.
03:58:07 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Just like the start of the race there is an almighty lights show going on before the podium ceremony. Jeddah certainly puts on a show, in many, many ways going on that race.
03:56:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen, on being told he was voted driver of the day, had some interesting comments on team radio: "Luckily the fans have a clear mind about racing because what happened today was unbelievable... this sport is more about penalties than racing and for me this is not Formula 1."
03:52:58 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton on his collision with Verstappen: "I don't quite understand why he suddenly hit the brakes quite heavily, then I hit the back of him and he went off again. Then I got the message he was going to let me past, so it was quite confusing."
03:51:41 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton, to cheers and boos, on his win: "That was incredibly tough and I tried to be as sensible and as tough as I could. With all my experience and I was trying to keep it on track."
03:50:16 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Bottas on P3: "It was not easy today with a few red flags. Being on the hard tyres for the restart wasn't the right decision. It wasn't easy to overtake today but we got there in the end."
03:49:22 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen, to a few boos from the crowd, on his P2: "Yes it was quite eventful. A lot of things happened which I don't fully agree with but it is what it is, I tried to give it my all on track."
03:47:00 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton punches the air as he gets out of his car. Both he and Verstappen are keeping their distance in parc ferme but in truth they look absolutely shattered.
03:44:22 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
How about that then, Verstappen and Hamilton are level on points going into the final race of the season. Verstappen has the net lead by winning most races so far this season.
03:42:53 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
A mighty effort from Ocon but it isn't enough for a podium and he has to settle for fourth ahead of Ricciardo, Gasly, Leclerc, Sainz, Giovinazzi with Norris completing the points places.
03:41:28 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen finishes second and Bottas gets Ocon at the finish line to steal third place! Wow, action all the way through!
Checkered flag
03:40:18 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Lewis Hamilton wins the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix! He also takes the point for fastest lap!
03:39:47 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
On the last lap, Leclerc has taken Sainz for seventh.
03:39:04 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Bottas is struggling to find enough to close the gap on Ocon for an overtaking opportunity. Hamilton is starting the final lap of this wild race.
Quote
03:37:21 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
"Is he backing off to go for fastest lap?" Hamilton asks his Mercedes team. The response is he, Verstappen, is nursing the tyres to the finish with two laps to go.
03:35:45 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Bottas is hunting down Ocon for third place, closing within a second of the Alpine, so it could be a double Mercedes podium in all this carnage.
03:34:24 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Vettel has called it a day and retired. A day that started so promisingly all went awry with that lunge from Tsunoda.
03:34:24 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen has reported his rear tyres are dropping - he's on the mediums remember - and his pace is dropping. The gap is 4.6s.
03:34:00 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc is now just within a second of Sainz as the Ferraris continue to run in Noah's Ark formation. Could we see them swap places again as Sainz's tyres wear?
03:32:53 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
If this live text commentary is reading like we don't know what is going on, that's because we don't know what's going on. But we can say Hamilton leads by 3.9s from Verstappen with 5 laps to go.
03:31:06 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
On lap 43 Verstappen appears to let Hamilton through again at the final corner and now Hamilton leads.
03:31:04 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
A spot of housekeeping, no investigation necessary for the clash between Raikkonen and Vettel earlier on.
03:30:03 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hard to keep up with all this, honest. At Turn 27 Verstappen lets by Hamilton but bolts back ahead with the aid of DRS to keep the lead.
Penalty
03:28:47 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen has a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. So nothing to do with the clash? Who knows at this stage.
03:28:01 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The FIA to team radio has shed some light on the chaos. It sounds like Verstappen was instructed to give the place to Hamilton but the Mercedes team, and therefore Hamilton, wasn't aware, so came up to the back of Verstappen and that triggered the contact.
03:25:42 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
"Race control has instructed him to give the place back," Pete Bonnington tells Hamilton over team radio. But so far the gap remains stable.
03:24:20 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
We've not seen it, but Giovinazzi has lost two places and is now behind both Ferraris, dropping back to ninth.
03:24:13 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen currently leads by 2.0s from Hamilton, while further back Bottas gets by Ricciardo for fourth place.
03:23:23 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
This race and this title fight literally has had it all and is boiling over. Toto Wolff is furious in the Mercedes garage.
03:23:05 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Amid all of that, Norris has passed Stroll for tenth.
03:22:12 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen slowed in the middle of the track, likely to let Hamilton by, and that incident has been put under investigation. Hamilton has front wing damage but is still going. Not sure on damage to Verstappen's car yet.
Crash
03:20:55 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen is told to give the place to Hamilton but as he slows Hamilton runs into the back of him! What is happening!
03:19:52 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton catches Verstappen napping on that restart and gets the DRS down the start/finish straight. Hamilton goes around the outside but Verstappen gives him no room and forces them both wide.
03:18:37 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Once again, it looks like Vettel's car that was the culprit of that most recent pause. Perhaps not surprising though, given the number of hits its taken from Tsunoda and then Raikkonen.
Green flag
03:18:13 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Aaaaaand it's gone. VSC over and back to green racing.
Safety car
03:17:25 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Virtual Safety Car! For yet more debris.
Pagination
1
2
3
...
5
By: Autosport Staff
Published: Dec 5, 2021, 8:14 PM
Lap:
Copy link
Share on Viber