2021 Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia Hamilton Verstappen.jpg

Who will win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

  • Max Verstappen

    Votes: 1,117 46.4%

  • Lewis Hamilton

    Votes: 1,120 46.5%

  • Other Driver

    Votes: 172 7.1%
  • Total voters
    2,409
Just two races remain in this unforgettable 2021 F1 season, and both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships are still hotly contested as the teams head to Saudi Arabia.

Most Formula 1 fans are feeling some combination of excitement and exhaustion entering the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend. On one hand, the most tightly contested F1 championship in many years is a racing fan’s dream, but on the other hand the off-track drama has been a racing purist’s nightmare.

Amidst this on-track versus off-track furor, the 10 F1 teams and drivers are focused on securing or advancing their positions in the championship standings. Max Verstappen sits eight points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings. The pair have combined to win all but four races so far this season, and a win by either driver in Saudi Arabia will have a significant impact on the title outcome. A win by Hamilton will close the gap to two or fewer points entering the final race, and a win by Verstappen would reduce Hamilton’s hopes of taking the title to a few unlikely outcomes in Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes and Red Bull are just five points apart in the constructors’ standings entering Saudi Arabia. Valtteri Bottas was the first race retirement in Qatar, which limited Mercedes’ points to the 25 collected by Hamilton. 2nd and 4th place finishes by the Red Bull drivers gave them a significant points surge to help narrow the championship gap. Like the drivers’ standings, a lot is on the line in Saudi Arabia for the teams.

Jeddah Corniche Circuit is host to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and should make for a compelling showcase of how fast the current generation of F1 cars is. Nearly 80% of the lap at this street circuit will be flat out for the drivers. Despite being over 6 kilometers long and encompassing 27 turns, qualifying laptimes will be well under one and a half minutes.

All eyes will be on the front of the field this weekend in this high-stakes race. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below on how you think this race will play out.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix? Let us know on Twitter at @RaceDepartment or in the comments section below!

Photo credits: Red Bull Content Pool
  • Like
Reactions: randomcallsign and Adyl
About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

More in F1 & Motorsport

Comments

randomcallsign
muzikant said:
if you want to know after silvertone i have no respect for Merc anymore and how they have been helped back in the fight by the Fia fueled by the british press like the time of schumacher alonso..just like today by not awarding a penalty what with others teams will be awarded again..Max had already become world champion.
Click to expand...
Yes, we've heard that salty bullshit tale a million times already.
Boring.
 
muzikant
zwiss said:
You must be the most retarded person on the internet.
Even when Max has only himself to blame for hitting that wall, you still focus on shaming Hamilton. You are a disgrace to this forum.
Click to expand...
sorry act normal say your shame for the forum i've been here for 10 years i make car skins for the community act normal
 
BrainsBush
Watched quali with an hour delay. What a quali! Apetheose 2.0
Now the race is even more interesting tomorrow.
 
K
Richard Wilks said:
My gosh, that lap from Max up to the last corner was absolutely amazing, no fear, no compromise, that was incredible, shame for the mistake, or that would have gone up into history as one of the most incredible displays of grit i have ever seen.
Click to expand...
It was amazing until it wasn't... He was already pushing his luck a little when he brushed the wall early on at the start of his lap and then he was just a little bit too aggressive in the hairpin. It doesn't take much to ruin a perfect lap, doesn't it? In the end, he gambled and he lost. But the racing tomorrow should be interesting, because Max will be on the prowl and Lewis will have to defend.
 
Richard Wilks
The tracks i dangerous, there is no question about it. It's almost a joke after so much crying about Spa, and this is accepted as an F1 track.

Also, seeing Max's lap reminded me how great it was that we could see the qualy laps in full,before they came out with this knoockout system and the super tight times for the drivers to do a lap.
 
Richard Wilks
Kingkoenig said:
It was amazing until it wasn't... He was already pushing his luck a little when he brushed the wall early on at the start of his lap and then he was just a little bit too aggressive in the hairpin. It doesn't take much to ruin a perfect lap, doesn't it? In the end, he gambled and he lost. But the racing tomorrow should be interesting, because Max will be on the prowl and Lewis will have to defend.
Click to expand...
The mistake doesnt take anything away from the commitment and the bravery we witnessed. It's not about perfection, its about sheer grit and willpower, and punching above.
 
K
Richard Wilks said:
The mistake doesnt take anything away from the commitment and the bravery we witnessed. It's not about perfection, its about sheer grit and willpower, and punching above.
Click to expand...
To me, all that grit and willpower doesn't mean much if your lap ends in the wall. The result matters. It's nice to punch above, and all, but you also need to know just how far to push. Max didn't, probably because he was so confident that he slightly overestimated just how far he could go.

I believe it was Jackie Stewart who once said: "Sometimes, you have to slow down to go faster."
 
Last edited:
K
Richard Wilks said:
The tracks i dangerous, there is no question about it. It's almost a joke after so much crying about Spa, and this is accepted as an F1 track.

Also, seeing Max's lap reminded me how great it was that we could see the qualy laps in full,before they came out with this knoockout system and the super tight times for the drivers to do a lap.
Click to expand...
It would have been even better if they had hired a competent director. I don't know how many good laps we didn't see because the camera was cutting away from the important stuff going on the track in Q1 and Q2.

Also, someone should tell Liberty Media that there's an invention called "split screen" that allows broadcasters to show two cars at once...
 
Richard Wilks
Kingkoenig said:
To me, all that grit and willpower doesn't mean much if your lap ends in the wall. The result matters. It's nice to punch above, and all, but you also need to know just how far to push. Max didn't, probably because he was so confident that he slightly overestimated just how far he could go.

I believe it was Jackie Stewart who once said: "Sometimes, you have to slow down to go faster."
Click to expand...
Fine, i am sure you would NOT be a fan of G Villeneuve or Ayrton Senna.

Now please, let me apreciate the things i want to apreciate. Thank you.
 
BillyBobSenna
Premium
Kingkoenig said:
It was amazing until it wasn't... He was already pushing his luck a little when he brushed the wall early on at the start of his lap and then he was just a little bit too aggressive in the hairpin. It doesn't take much to ruin a perfect lap, doesn't it? In the end, he gambled and he lost. But the racing tomorrow should be interesting, because Max will be on the prowl and Lewis will have to defend.
Click to expand...
Yep and Lewis has more to lose if they crash. We have seen this scenario before in other close championships. I hope Max doesn’t watch the Schumacher or Senna documentaries tonight.
 
Last edited:
BrainsBush
Appie Kuipers said:
Redbull in protest with the stewards verdict:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p
Click to expand...
The RedBull team decided not to appeal.

Just let it happen on track. Like Lewis after his penalty was on fire. I guess Max is also extra motivated tomorrow. For those who have missed it: watch the FP2 race and imagine this close racing tomorrow with the F1 cars. :thumbsup:
 
Badwheels
I have been exonerated. How many times, hot lapping, have I been on my best time only to throw it into a wall or off the track? A hell of lot more times than Max. I actually winced when I saw that.
 
LeSunTzu
At least he was on a truly fast lap when he crashed, his first sector was amazing to watch. If he has a bit of luck (ie safe gearbox) he will not have lost anything.
 
K
Richard Wilks said:
Fine, i am sure you would NOT be a fan of G Villeneuve or Ayrton Senna.

Now please, let me apreciate the things i want to apreciate. Thank you.
Click to expand...
On the contrary: Gilles is my racing hero.

No one is trying to keep you from enjoying anything. I really loved watching Max on his flying lap. I was merely pointing out the fact that as impressive as it was, it doesn’t mean much in the end because he will start 3rd. It was a good show, but still an imperfect performance.
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Mike Smith
Article read time
2 min read
Views
38,007
Comments
556
Last update

Share this article

Are you buying car setups?

  • Yes

  • No

Results are only viewable after voting.
See comments…
Back
Top