2024 Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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WHO ARE YOU SUPPORTING THIS WEEKEND?

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Round 2 of the 2024 Formula One season takes place in Saudi Arabia this weekend on the Jeddah Corniche circuit. Here are all the stories to look out for.

Image credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Merc.jpg

Image Credit: Rudy Carezzevoli. via Getty Images

Update March 8, 14:20 CET
Carlos Sainz will not take the start of the race. The Spaniard has been diagnoses with appendicitis, meaning Prema F2 driver Oliver Bearman is going to make his Grand Prix Debut at Jeddah. Remarkably, the 18-year old had scored Pole Position in Formula 2 qualifying - not knowing that instead of getting to start the F2 race from P1, he would actually be in a Ferrari F1 cockpit come race day.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1766063611737186638

Original article March 7, 19:00 CET
After an uneventful round one, the Formula One circus travels across the Middle East to Saudi Arabia for round two of the World Championship.

Comparing Bahrain to the Jeddah street circuit is like comparing the World Endurance Championship and Formula One - two completely different beasts. The fast-flowing nature of this high-speed venue is sure to produce a different experience to Bahrain. The tyre-shredding stop-start layout of Bahrain could not be further from the upcoming Jeddah street circuit if it tried.

The opening round of the season at Bahrain saw pre-season testing concerns become a reality as Red Bull once again proved this year will be a fight for second place. The battles behind did not particularly inspire fans either with a fairly processional display from 1st to 20th.


Red Bull In Strife?
Coming into the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull are in front of both championships. However, their team boss Christian Horner is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The Red Bull team principal was cleared by an internal investigation last week following allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour'. This weekend has altered the trajectory of this story entirely. Horner's accuser has been suspended from Red Bull Racing. Leaked text messages, allegedly involving Horner, mean the story remains very much in the public eye.

Max Verstappen's father Jos has been claiming the issues within the team threaten to tear Red Bull Racing apart from the inside out.

Alongside the Red Bull controversy, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is currently under investigation for allegedly overturning Fernando Alonso's 10-second penalty at last years Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Christian Horner faces questions over his future at Red Bull. Image credit: AFP via Getty Images

F1's Most Boring Season?
Aside from Red Bull's issues, the rest of the grid has a lot of work to do. The front runners are in a league of their own, as proven by the procession at Bahrain. Ferrari has to close quite the gap to Red Bull, and teams like Mclaren and Aston Martin are likely to be fighting closer to the front come mid-season.

It is all well and good having pace in the mid-season, but by the time the results start to come for these other teams, will Red Bull be home and dry? What do you want to see from the midfield over these next few races?

When And How To Watch the 2024 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix​

As ever, Formula One race streams are available as part of the official F1 TV subscription while many channels around the world will show race coverage.

If you are in the UK, watching Sky Sports F1 or on the NOW app will be your best way to watch the action.

US fans can watch the race in its entirety through ESPN via Sling/Fubo and ESPN Plus

Saudi Timetable.jpg

Image Credit: Tomsguide.com

Who will you be supporting in the 2024 Formula One Saudi Arabia Grand Prix? Let us know in the poll above or down in the comments below!
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  • Connor Minniss
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Connor Minniss
Connor Minniss
Website Content Editor & Motorsport Photographer aiming to bring you the best of the best within the world of sim racing.

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Comments

K
Only Ferrari seems to have improved its car in 2024. McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin are still way off the pace of the Red Bull car. It’s easy to complain about Verstappen’s domination (and I am certainly no fan of the guy), but I am more and more disappointed by the so-called top teams lack of improvement. With all the resources at their disposal, how come they can’t do better? Mercedes, in particular, is a huge letdown. Ever since the tech rules changed in 2022, they have not been able to figure out how to design a good car.

It seems like the entire field is frozen in mediocrity. Some teams are even worse than before. Alpine and Sauber are simply terrible.

And these are the same teams that rejected Andretti’s bid because it « didn’t add enough value ». What value are Sauber, Haas, Alpine or RB bringing, except the display of their mediocrity?
 
Zolazem
Premium
Kingkoenig said:
Only Ferrari seems to have improved its car in 2024. McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin are still way off the pace of the Red Bull car. It’s easy to complain about Verstappen’s domination (and I am certainly no fan of the guy), but I am more and more disappointed by the so-called top teams lack of improvement. With all the resources at their disposal, how come they can’t do better? Mercedes, in particular, is a huge letdown. Ever since the tech rules changed in 2022, they have not been able to figure out how to design a good car.

It seems like the entire field is frozen in mediocrity. Some teams are even worse than before. Alpine and Sauber are simply terrible.

And these are the same teams that rejected Andretti’s bid because it « didn’t add enough value ». What value are Sauber, Haas, Alpine or RB bringing, except the display of their mediocrity?
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This is not true, the problem is everyone improved more or less the same. Qualifying pole time Bahrain 2023 would be 9th in 2024. Qualifying pole time Saudi Arabia 2023 would be 7th in 2024.
 
Damage Inc
Badwheels said:
As far as Horner is concerned, if it was your daughter or sister that this happened to, if indeed it did happened, you would scream to the high heavens about coverup and conspiracy. If he was just banging a cooperative coworker, you are right , it ain't our business. But this doesn't seem the case especially after they suspended her. They would have just fired her.
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I've not seen anything real (just what I've read of what others have seen) but it seems to me the aspect of "coercion" I get from what other people say is the alleged "pay off". So what exactly has Horner done wrong that has generated this **** storm? I'm genuinely curious, because all I've read is pretty innocuous. Talking about wanting selfies, commenting on clothes. I've read nothing about actual "threats".

There are countless daughters and sisters that have been involved in affairs and are involved in affairs right now all over the world, what business is it of other people? As you say it's nobodies business but theirs.

People say it's Horner that has dragged the rep of RB and F1 through the mud, incorrect, it's those who leaked it and the media who published it that have done that. If it had all stayed private (as it should have) then RBs and F1 reputation would be unharmed.

Look at the womanising that went on in the 70's, this is tame compared to that.

IMO there does seem to be a "oooh good we can all undermine RB here" attitude from 90% of those banging on about it, and it's clear there's a power struggle going on at RB.
 
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K
Premium
F1 sucks in this new era that was supposed to improve racing. the cars are huge and ugly, sound crap, and are super easy to drive (a rookie with no f1 experience just finished 7th). they are so easy to drive in sim driving also that you do a few laps and go drive gt3 or nascar or vintage cars. i have watched f1 since 1994, and the seasons are too long now to have one team dominate... f1 is a very out of touch racing formula.. the race tracks suck, they look and drive hideous, one man has a monopoly in the last 20 years of making worse and worse tracks... and the money factor of the sport is insane... it is a business and nothing else anymore. most of the fans in f1 now are just new f1 fans... and their social media chatter amongst each other is complete fanboy casuals.. bashing on hamilton or verstappen mostly. Horner has a history of womanising, he left his pregnant wife for an spice girl.... why are man babies defending him? who cares if he is innocent or guilty anyway, he is a nothing to any F1 race.
 
K
lol here we are with the usual bs xD..sadly there's one driver dominating, but behind him the challenge and fights are great; the cars are huge well they'll be smaller from 2026, the sound is good and way better than past years, and anyway it will be better from 2026. Not easy to drive in fact bearman ached like hell. Agree that the seasons are too long now (business) if one driver dominates but that's not f1's fault. Race tracks are great including jeddah track, the speed there is unbelievable and out of this world. Yes, the money factor is super important now as is in everything and anything these days, every sport and everything, not only f1.
 
Badwheels
Damage Inc said:
I've not seen anything real (just what I've read of what others have seen) but it seems to me the aspect of "coercion" I get from what other people say is the alleged "pay off". So what exactly has Horner done wrong that has generated this **** storm? I'm genuinely curious, because all I've read is pretty innocuous. Talking about wanting selfies, commenting on clothes. I've read nothing about actual "threats".

There are countless daughters and sisters that have been involved in affairs and are involved in affairs right now all over the world, what business is it of other people? As you say it's nobodies business but theirs.

People say it's Horner that has dragged the rep of RB and F1 through the mud, incorrect, it's those who leaked it and the media who published it that have done that. If it had all stayed private (as it should have) then RBs and F1 reputation would be unharmed.

Look at the womanising that went on in the 70's, this is tame compared to that.

IMO there does seem to be a "oooh good we can all undermine RB here" attitude from 90% of those banging on about it, and it's clear there's a power struggle going on at RB.
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I am all for "womanizing" if the women are not the underlings of the boss. That is when the line of power influence may be crossed. James Hunt and those dudes back then were just ho's, they weren't the women's bosses.

But, Red Bull is a cluster right now. This is Game of Thrones level crap that is going on at that company. They brought this on themselves. Of course the vultures will start circling.
 
Badwheels
I have a way to fix F1.

Any team that is not Mclaren or Red Bull needs to fire all of their car developers. Clearly the talent pool in F1 is subpar. This is actually embarrassing. Red Bull wins 4 straight with Vettel. Merc wins 7 straight with Hambone. RB wins 4 straight with Max Headroom.

That means the other teams are nothing but chafe. Fire them all, bring in college engineering grad students. Help the youth live the dream.
 
markg88
Premium
muzikant said:
He didn't impress me much during the previous qualifying in Dubai and it was actually the same today. Curious if he goes to Ferrari, Leclerc is a bit different from Russel. at least my opinion.

I really don't doubt his skills, but it seems he doesn't drive with his soul, which could be fatal! in F1
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I think he struggles when not in the best car, he doesn't seem to have the desire to wring the neck out of a car that isn't a winner unlike Alonso for example. Maybe he has had the best cars for too long and therefore some elements are missing, such as can be seen when battling with equal cars to his, he often lets red mist take over because of frustration I assume.
 
Damage Inc
kpduke said:
why are man babies defending him? who cares if he is innocent or guilty anyway, he is a nothing to any F1 race.
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No-one is "defending" Horner, what he did is between him, his wife and the other woman. What seems clear to me is this: The other woman threatened to "expose" Horner, he responded with the "shut up and take this wedge of cash". It's no-one's business. But someone within RB doesn't like Horner and has leaked all of this. Horner is not the first nor will he be the last man to think with his dick.

I find it horribly ironic though, that Jos Verstappen of all people is taking the moral highground on this matter, didn't he get convicted for Assault, accused of assaulting a gf, accused of assaulting his wife.....is what Horner did anywhere near the **** Jos has done?
 
muzikant
Damage Inc said:
No-one is "defending" Horner, what he did is between him, his wife and the other woman. What seems clear to me is this: The other woman threatened to "expose" Horner, he responded with the "shut up and take this wedge of cash". It's no-one's business. But someone within RB doesn't like Horner and has leaked all of this. Horner is not the first nor will he be the last man to think with his dick.

I find it horribly ironic though, that Jos Verstappen of all people is taking the moral highground on this matter, didn't he get convicted for Assault, accused of assaulting a gf, accused of assaulting his wife.....is what Horner did anywhere near the **** Jos has done?
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who cares about this Circus? it seems to be the only way to get RB out of balance because on the track they can't beat RB. it gets annoying. Until there is a story about how it really works, we don't know anything! the rest is speculation. and you're talking about Jos. but Jos is not the team boss of RB racing. Redbull does not want their name to be damaged by this idiotic behavior. But we don't know anything until now.
 
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Damage Inc
muzikant said:
who cares about this Circus? it seems to be the only way to get RB out of balance because on the track they can't beat RB. it gets annoying. Until there is a story about how it really works, we don't know anything! the rest is speculation. and you're talking about Jos. but Jos is not the team boss of RB racing. Redbull does not want their name to be damaged by this idiotic behavior. But we don't know anything until now.
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TBH I don't care, as you say it all a circus that is being stirred up by an internal power struggle IMO. I read somewhere that Horner tried to get more control of RBRacing with a buy out or something. It's a mess, but media has spun it way out of control. Then you have Toto and Zak stirring the **** a bit more. On top of that you have the people with a beef with RBRacing loving every second and stirring things even more!

I feel sorry for just two people, the woman who complained (who has been used as a pawn) and Geri (Who's husband was flirting with another woman).
 
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Badwheels
My last comments on this race and Red Bull.

Oliver Bearman is either a major gangsta or an F1 car is not as difficult to drive as we were led to believe.

Every team may want Max as a driver, but unfortunately, Jos is part of the package.
 
muzikant
Badwheels said:
My last comments on this race and Red Bull.

Oliver Bearman is either a major gangsta or an F1 car is not as difficult to drive as we were led to believe.

Every team may want Max as a driver, but unfortunately, Jos is part of the package.
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Bearman certainly did a very good job. but first let him drive an entire F1 season. Nowadays everyone is quickly regarded as the new god or burned down.
 
muzikant
what a lot of complaining and complaining... there have been more times when a team won everything. Lotus, McLaren, Williams, Ferrari, Mercedes. nothing new!!

Mercedes was even more dominant.

Redbull has done his homework AGAIN and don't forget Verstappen who squeezes everything out of the car. Which certainly gives the last 20% to the dominance. We are now looking at that combination. If Redbull drives with Ford engines in 2026, things will be different.
 

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