After a dramatic qualifying session in which Hamilton retired and Mick Schumacher had an accident, Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Pérez clinched his first Formula 1 pole position on his 215th attempt.
Just a week after the world championship opener in Bahrain, Formula 1 will be taking to Jeddah’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The free practice session on the ultra-fast street circuit in Jeddah showed that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are about evenly ahead, while Mercedes continues to have difficulties getting the set-up under control.
For insiders like GP winner Johnny Herbert it was therefore clear: “If nothing unforeseen happens in the final training session, then the duel for pole position will be Ferrari versus Red Bull Racing, or perhaps more precisely – Bahrain winner Charles Leclerc versus world champion Verstappen.”
But then things turned out very differently: Sergio Pérez sensationally conquered his first Formula 1 pole, ahead of Leclerc and Sainz. Max Verstappen is fourth.