surprise pole for Perez, ahead of the Ferraris!

If the first examinations had revealed nothing, Mick Schumacher still declares package for the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Haas, who gave no further details, also announced that he would not be replaced and that there would therefore be only one team car in the race.

Pole position is for Sergio Perez! The Mexican from Red Bull snatches pole from the nose of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. This is the first of his career. Max Verstappen is 4th. Great performance for the French Esteban Ocon, 5th in these qualifications. Pierre Gasly will start in 9th position on the starting grid. These qualifications were marked by the big crash of Mick Schumacher in Q2 and the elimination of Lewis Hamilton in Q1, a first since 2017.

The Ferraris still dominate these qualifications. Perez is currently 3rd behind Leclerc and ahead of Ocon, author of a fine 4th time.

The Dutch world champion on his Red Bull only signs the 6th fastest time. There are still 5 minutes left.

The provisional pole is Carlos Sainz who is ahead of his teammate at Ferrari Charles Leclerc. Third provisional time for Sergio Perez.

The ten best pilots of these qualifications enter the track for the final explanation. It’s gone for 12 minutes.

Lando Norris, 11th in qualifying, on Canal +: “It was much better than in Bahrain but I’m annoyed because we should have been in Q3. I was a little bothered by the traffic.”

… Norris (11th time), Ricciardo (12th), Zhou (13th), Schumacher (14th) and Stroll (15th). Ninth in time before his crash, Schumacher could not avoid elimination. The two French Gasly and Ocon will compete in Q3, they are respectively 7th and 9th.

There are less than 4 minutes left for the 14 drivers to qualify for Q3.

Good news for Mick Schumacher. After going through the medical center, the German driver suffered no injuries despite his big crash. He was nevertheless transferred to the hospital in Jeddah as a precaution.

Qualifying will resume after nearly an hour’s hiatus. Q2 should resume at 9:40 p.m.

We are still waiting for a sign of recovery for this Q2, interrupted for more than 45 minutes with the crash of Mick Schumacher.

Mick Schumacher is in good physical condition announces Haas. According to Canal +, he was able to exchange with his mother, Corinnna. Michael Schumacher’s son is going to the hospital for a CT scan.

“He was up, he’s doing very well,” reports Canal +.

There will then be 4”58 left for the drivers to finish this Q2. As a reminder, Charles Leclerc has the best time. The five drivers who have been eliminated so far are Zhou Guanyu (11th in qualifying), Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, and Esteban Ocon.

Lewis Hamilton, eliminated in Q1, at the microphone of Canal +: “I had no rear axle so I suffered in the turns. I can’t wait to get home.”

Broken in two, Schumacher’s Haas is evacuated. Debris on the track is swept away.

Haas announces that Mick Schumacher is conscious. He got out of his car and talks to the doctor. The German pilot will undergo medical examinations at the hospital.

Very big crash of the German Mick Schumacher who lost control of his single-seater in turn n°12. Red flag. We hope the Haas driver is doing well. According to Canal+, Schumacher would have removed his helmet himself and would discuss with the doctor. This is the second time that these qualifications have been interrupted. Canadian Nicholas Latifi also went off track in Q1.

… Zhou, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Stroll and Ocon. There are 6 minutes left to change the situation.

Blocked by Ricciardo, the Frenchman from Alpine only achieved the 13th provisional time. Infuriating.

The Ferrari driver is already the fastest one lap in 1’28”883. Second time for Russell (Mercedes).

Without Lewis Hamilton, the 15 drivers have 15 minutes to finish in the top 10 and earn their ticket to Q3.

Incredible, Lewis Hamilton is eliminated in Q1! The Briton only achieved the 16th fastest time. Also eliminated are Albon (17th), Hülkenberg (18th), Latifi (19th) and Tsunoda (20th). The best time is to the credit of Carlos Sainz on his Ferrari. The last time Lewis Hamilton was taken out in Q1 was in 2017 in Brazil. On the French side, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon achieved the 8th and 13th times.

The seven-time world champion has the 16th provisional time, he is currently eliminated from this Q1.

The Mercedes driver only has the 14th provisional time of this Q1. He is in danger.

The Japanese had to return to the pits following problems with his Alpha Tauri.

Authors of the two best times, Sainz and Leclerc already place the Ferraris at the top of the classification. Verstappen is 3rd.

After an interruption of a few minutes following the crash of Latifi, Q1 will resume.

Canadian Nicholas Latifi loses control of his Williams and crashes off the track. Red flag!

At the wheel of his Haas, Dane Kevin Magnussen completed the first lap in 1’30”425.

The 20 drivers have 18 minutes to warm up the clock. The five worst times will be eliminated.

According to ESPN, a race steward was dismissed from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday. He would have been sanctioned for having posted a message against Lewis Hamilton, to whom he wished “an accident like Romain Grosjean in Bahrain.” The article is here.

If the holding of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is ​​maintained on Sunday (7 p.m.), a very long crisis meeting took place on Friday evening until late at night to discuss the situation after the attack on a nearby oil site. of the Jeddah circuit. According to some media, six drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly were reluctant to participate in the race.

>> The article can be read here

After long negotiations and discussions that continued late into the night, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix should go well this weekend. A continuation of the race despite several attacks in the country, including an explosion that took place in an oil factory about twenty kilometers from the Jeddah circuit. On the paddock side, opinions were more mixed when it came to this second Grand Prix of the season. But on Saturday, the drivers’ association (GPDA) confirmed, through its president Alex Wurz, that after a “stressful” day, the final tests, qualifying and the race will take place this weekend.

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In the aftermath of the attack on an oil site near the Jeddah circuit by the Yemeni Houthi rebels, the Formula 1 promoter and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) reconfirmed on Saturday the maintenance of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix of F1. “After discussions with all the teams and drivers, the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix will continue as planned,” the authorities said in a statement.