Mercedes and Red Bull have taken a pole and a win each so far in Jeddah, while three teams share the record of most podiums in Saudi Arabia. Here’s everything you need to know about each team’s history at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!
RED BULL
WINS: 1, POLES: 1, PODIUMS: 2 | 2022 RESULT: VERSTAPPEN 1st, PEREZ 4th
Max Verstappen recorded Red Bull’s first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory in 2022, taking the win by just half a second from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Verstappen is the only Red Bull driver to finish on the podium at the circuit, having also finished as runner-up in 2021.
Sergio Perez took Red Bull’s first pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022 but failed to convert it into a win. He finished only fourth, after being unlucky with race strategy. Perez is also responsible for Red Bull’s only retirement so far in Saudi Arabia, having crashed out at the first restart in the 2021 race.
Red Bull are yet to qualify outside of the top five at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – but Perez’s pole in 2022 is their only front row start in Jeddah so far.
FERRARI
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 2 | 2022 RESULT: LECLERC 2nd, SAINZ 3rd
Along with Mercedes, Ferrari are one of two teams yet to see either of their cars finish outside of the points at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished seventh and eighth in 2021, both finished on the podium in 2022. Leclerc was just half a second behind race winner Max Verstappen, while Sainz was a further eight seconds behind in third place.
Carlos Sainz’s 15th place in qualifying at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that a Ferrari driver has failed to reach Q3 – or failed to qualify in the top four – at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. In 2022, both Sainz and Charles Leclerc qualified in the top three. Leclerc recorded the team’s first front row qualification at the track, lapping just 0.025 seconds slower than polesitter Sergio Perez.
MERCEDES
WINS: 1, POLES: 1, PODIUMS: 2 | 2022 RESULT: RUSSELL 5th, HAMILTON 10th
Mercedes have scored with all four of their entries at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The team were first to win at the track, with Lewis Hamilton taking victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Team-mate Valtteri Bottas joined him on the podium, overtaking Alpine’s Esteban Ocon just before the finish line.
While neither Mercedes driver finished on the podium in the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, both scored points. George Russell finished fifth, while Lewis Hamilton came home in tenth place.
Mercedes locked-out the front row at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but failed to repeat their Saturday success in 2022. George Russell reached Q3 last year, qualifying sixth, while Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1. He could manage no better than the 16th fastest time.
ALPINE
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: OCON 6th, ALONSO DNF
Esteban Ocon very nearly brought Alpine a podium finish in the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, only to be overtaken by Valtteri Bottas on the line. Ocon’s fourth place remains the team’s best result at Jeddah Corniche Circuit to date.
The Frenchman is the only driver to score for the team at the venue, with Fernando Alonso having finished outside of the points in 2021 and failing to finish with a reliability issue in 2022.
Fernando Alonso’s 13th place in qualifying at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that the team has failed to reach Q3 in Jeddah. Esteban Ocon supplied Alpine with their best qualifying result in Saudi Arabia to date last year, with fifth on the grid.
McLAREN
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: NORRIS 7th, RICCIARDO DNF
McLaren may have qualified in the top ten only once at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but Daniel Ricciardo’s retirement in 2022 is the only time that the team has failed to score in Jeddah. Ricciardo gave the team their best finish to date at the track in 2021, with fifth place, while Lando Norris finished tenth and seventh in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Lando Norris’ seventh place in qualifying for the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time so far that a McLaren driver has reached Q3 at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The team’s other three entries at the track have resulted in Q2 exits, with two 11th place qualifications and a worst Saturday result of 12th for Daniel Ricciardo in 2022.
ALFA ROMEO
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: ZHOU 11th, BOTTAS DNF
Antonio Giovinazzi’s ninth place in the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that Alfa Romeo have picked up points at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. While two of their other entries have resulted in finishes outside of the points, Valtteri Bottas recorded the first retirement for an Alfa Romeo driver at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022.
Alfa Romeo are yet to record a Q1 exit at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In both visits to Jeddah so far, the team has recorded a Q3 appearance and Q2 elimination. Antonio Giovinazzi qualified tenth in 2021, while Valtteri Bottas bettered the team’s top qualifying performance at the circuit with eighth place at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
ASTON MARTIN
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: HULKENBERG 12th, STROLL 13th
Aston Martin are yet to score at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Lance Stroll recorded the team’s best result in Jeddah to date in 2021 with 11th place, while Sebastian Vettel recorded the team’s only retirement at the venue to date. In 2022, substitute driver Nico Hulkenberg finished 12th – one position ahead of regular driver Stroll.
Lance Stroll’s 15th place in qualifying for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that Aston Martin have made it out of Q1 at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The team are yet to qualify on the back row at the track. Their worst qualifying result here is 18th – recorded by Stroll in 2021 and Nico Hulkenberg in 2022.
HAAS
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: MAGNUSSEN 9th, SCHUMACHER DNF
Kevin Magnussen’s ninth place finish in the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that a Haas driver has crossed the finish line at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Both Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin crashed out in the inaugural race at the track, while Haas fielded just one car in the 2022 race after Schumacher was ruled out of the race following a heavy crash in qualifying.
In 2022, Kevin Magnussen became the first Haas driver to reach Q3 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He qualified in tenth place. Mick Schumacher reached Q2 before suffering the heavy crash which forced him out of Sunday’s race. At the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, neither Schumacher nor Nikita Mazepin could make it out of Q1. The duo locked-out the back row of the grid.
ALPHATAURI
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: GASLY 8th, TSUNODA DNS
There’s yet to be a Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in which AlphaTauri have failed to score. Both of the team’s points-scoring appearances have come courtesy of Pierre Gasly, who recorded AlphaTauri’s best Saudi Arabian Grand Prix result to date with sixth place in the inaugural race. He finished eighth last year, while team-mate Yuki Tsunoda failed to make the start with engine issues.
It was a weekend to forget for Yuki Tsunoda at the track last year, with him also failing to set a lap time in qualifying. As a result, he recorded the team’s first non-Q3 appearance at the track. Pierre Gasly set AlphaTauri’s best Jeddah qualifying result to date at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with sixth place.
WILLIAMS
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2022 RESULT: ALBON DNF, LATIFI DNF
Nicholas Latifi’s 12th place finish at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the only time that a Williams driver has crossed the finish line at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. George Russell was caught up in a crash in 2021, while Latifi crashed out in 2022 and Alex Albon retired following a collision with Lance Stroll, for which the Thai driver received a three-place grid drop at the next event.
George Russell’s 14th place in qualifying for the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix remains the only time that a Williams driver has progressed past Q1 in Jeddah. In 2022, Nicholas Latifi recorded the team’s first back row qualification at the track, setting the slowest lap time of the 19 drivers who put in a fast lap.
