No podium finishes have come from further back than the second row in Jeddah, while the driver starting 15th has scored in both races so far. Here’s everything you need to know about each grid slot’s history at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!
THE STATS IN BRIEF
- Polesitter has 50% win rate
- No podiums from further back than 4th
- 8th is the only top 11 grid slot yet to score
- 15th has scored on both outings
- 14th, 19th and 20th yet to finish a race
THE OVERVIEW: SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX GRID SLOTS
| Grid Slot | Last Win | Last Podium | Last Points | Last DNF | Best Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | - | 1st |
| 2nd | - | 2022 | 2022 | - | 2nd |
| 3rd | - | 2022 | 2022 | - | 2nd |
| 4th | 2022 | 2022 | 2022 | - | 1st |
| 5th | - | - | 2022 | 2021 | 6th |
| 6th | - | - | 2022 | - | 5th |
| 7th | - | - | 2021 | 2022 | 10th |
| 8th | - | - | - | 2022 | 14th |
| 9th | - | - | 2022 | - | 4th |
| 10th | - | - | 2022 | - | 9th |
| 11th | - | - | 2022 | - | 5th |
| 12th | - | - | - | - | 11th |
| 13th | - | - | - | - | 13th |
| 14th | - | - | - | 2022 | DNF |
| 15th | - | - | 2022 | - | 8th |
| 16th | - | - | - | 2022 | 12th |
| 17th | - | - | - | 2021 | 12th |
| 18th | - | - | - | 2022 | 11th |
| 19th | - | - | - | 2022 | DNF |
| 20th | - | - | - | 2021 | DNF |
The polesitter has a 50% win rate at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit from pole, but Sergio Perez failed to convert pole into a win last year. He finished fourth.
Second is one of only two grid positions from which a podium finish has been recorded in both Saudi Arabian Grands Prix to date. Valtteri Bottas lost one position from where he started to finish third in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc recorded the position’s best result to date in 2022, finishing where he started.
Along with second, third is one of only two grid slots to provide podiums at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen recorded the best result to date for this grid slot with second place in the inaugural race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, while Carlos Sainz finished third last year.
Max Verstappen won the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from fourth on the grid. It’s currently the furthest back grid slot from which anyone has recorded a podium finish in Jeddah.
In 2021, Charles Leclerc lost three places over the course of the race. He finished seventh, having started fourth.
Fifth is the only one of the top six grid slots which has recorded a retirement at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Sergio Perez failed to finish in 2021, crashing out at the first restart of the race.
In 2022, Esteban Ocon became the first driver to score points from fifth on the grid at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He finished sixth.
The driver starting sixth is yet to lose a position from where they have started at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Pierre Gasly finished sixth in 2021, while George Russell gained one position from his starting spot in 2022 to finish fifth.
A single point has been scored from seventh on the grid, with Lando Norris finishing 10th having started here in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso had less luck last year, retiring with mechanical issues.
Of the top 11 grid slots, eighth is the only one yet to score at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Yuki Tsunoda could finish no higher than 14th in 2021, while Valtteri Bottas failed to finish the race with gearbox troubles in 2022.
The driver starting ninth has finished in the top eight in both Jeddah races to date. Esteban Ocon recorded the grid slot’s best finish to date at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with fourth place – which was very nearly a podium finish, until he was passed by Valtteri Bottas on the finish line.
Last year, Pierre Gasly made up one position to finish eighth with AlphaTauri.
In both Jeddah races so far, the driver starting tenth has made up one position in the race and finished ninth. Antonio Giovinazzi picked up two points in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Kevin Magnussen repeated the feat in 2022.
11th is the furthest back position from which a top five finish has been recorded at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth for McLaren having started 11th in 2021.
Only McLaren drivers have filled this slot so far – and both have made up positions in the race. Lando Norris went from 11th to seventh in the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The driver starting 12th on the grid at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is yet to pick up a point. Zhou Guanyu recorded the grid slot’s best result to date in 2022 with an 11th place finish. Kimi Raikkonen finished only 15th having started here in 2021.
The driver starting 13th is yet to score any points at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has finished where they started in both races held at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
14th is one of three grid slots from which a driver is yet to finish the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. George Russell crashed out having started here in 2021, while Daniel Ricciardo came to a halt with a gearbox issue in 2022.
15th is the only grid slot outside of the top 11 to have scored at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – and the driver starting here scored in both 2021 and 2022.
Carlos Sainz recorded the grid slot’s best result to date in 2021 with eighth place, while Lewis Hamilton picked up a single point with a tenth place finish in 2022.
Every grid slot from 16th and further back has recorded at least one non-finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Nicholas Latifi finished 12th having started 16th in 2021, Alex Albon was forced to retire just three laps from the end of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Albon was classified 14th in the final result.
There’s yet to be any points scored from 17th on the grid at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The best result – and only finish – recorded from this position is 12th place for Nico Hulkenberg in 2022. Sebastian Vettel failed to finish the race having started here in 2021.
Of grid slots 16th and further back, it is 18th that has recorded the best finish. That was for Lance Stroll, who finished 11th having started 18th at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Nicholas Latifi had less luck having started 18th in 2022, crashing out on Lap 15.
The driver starting 19th is yet to finish the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mick Schumacher was the first driver to retire at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, crashing out on Lap 8 of the 2021 race.
Yuki Tsunoda was unlucky in 2022. He was due to line up 19th on the grid but failed to start the race due to a power unit issue.
With Mick Schumacher withdrawing from the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, only one driver has started from 20th on the grid in Jeddah.
That driver is Nikita Mazepin, who started 20th with Haas at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mazepin crashed out of the race at the first restart. It turned out to be his final race start in Formula 1.
There’s yet to be a pit lane start at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
