Second Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season, second double by Red Bull. After what was seen in the first race of the year in Bahrain, the excessive power of the world champion team and Max Verstappen who dominates the Saudi Arabian GP far and wide, crossing the finish line with a wide margin ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez second despite a 5″ penalty (for unsafe release). Charles Leclerc's Ferrari came third who, also author of the best lap, took his first podium, confirming the Prancing Horse as the second force in the championship with a good margin over McLaren Oscar Piastrifourth, and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, fifth Bagna, with a seventh place to remember the debut in the Circus and on a Red as the youngest ever, the 18 year old British his first time Oliver Bearman who took the place on the SF24 of Carlos Sainz who underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis.
Regular start in the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix with Verstappen's Red Bull taking the lead from pole position. Second was Leclerc's Ferrari followed by Perez's other Red Bull and Piastri's McLaren. The other Ferrari of the 18 year old Briton starts in eleventh position Oliver Bearman (youngest driver to debut with a Red) replacing Carlos Sainz who underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis. Spagnolo who, a few hours after the operation at the Jeddah hospital, first published a post on Instagram from his hospital room to thank the fans (with the ironic phrase: “Sainz 2, appendicitis 0″) and then did his return to the paddock to follow the second Grand Prix of the season from there. A few laps and the first twist with the accident caused by Stroll's Aston Martin hitting the wall between turns 22 and 23. The GP ended for the Canadian driver and the safety car was on the track, followed by a pit stop for almost all the drivers between including those of the two Red Bulls and Leclerc. Norris's McLaren does not stop and momentarily takes the lead and Hamilton's Mercedes moves close to the McLaren. Massive stop which provokes an investigation for Perez for a near accident with Alonso's Aston Martin in the pit lane: 5” penalty for unsafe release for the Mexican.
Once everyone returned to the track with the race resuming its regular course, on lap 15 there were tests of the future for Ferrari with Leclerc dueling with his next teammate Hamilton and overtaking him, taking fourth position behind Norris who in the meantime was taken over by the two Red Bulls with Verstappen back in command and making the usual difference by gaining over half a second per lap. Halfway through the race the situation sees the world champion increasingly ahead followed by his teammate Perez at over seven seconds, by Norris's McLaren (+15'') and by Leclerc's Ferrari (1' from third place). Bearman's other Red is in the points in ninth place behind Russell's Mercedes. Shortly afterwards Hamilton and Norris stopped to change tires with Alonso moving into fifth and Bearman in seventh. Nothing sensational happens up front with Verstappen increasingly the leader who goes to close and celebrate yet another Red Bull triumph. Ferrari confirms itself on the podium, this time with Leclerc, and the second force in a championship which at the second GP already seems closed in favor of the Austrian team which at least on the track does not seem to suffer in the slightest from all the controversies surrounding the case of its team principal Chris Horner .
This the order of arrival of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, second stage of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship:
1. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull in 1h20'43″273
at an average speed of 229,270 km/h
2. Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull at 13″643
3. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari at 18″639
4. Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren at 32″007
5. Fernando Alonso (Esp) Aston Martin at 35″759
6. George Russell (GBR) Mercedes at 39″936
7. Oliver Bearman (GBR) Ferrari at 42″679
8. Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren at 45″708
9. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes at 47″391
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas at 76″996
11. Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams at 88″354
12. Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas at 105″737
13. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine at +1 lap
14. Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Racing Bulls at +1 lap
15. Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams +1 lap
16. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Racing Bulls at +1 lap
17. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Kick Sauber at +1 lap
18. Zhou Guanyu (Chi) Kick Sauber at +1 lap
19. Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin DNF
20. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine DNF