As Verstappen seeks to take pole at a 20th different circuit, Mercedes hope to equal their longest scoring streak in F1 and Leclerc could reach 100 Q3 appearances. Here are the milestones and the records which could be broken at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!
BEARMAN TO MAKE F1 DEBUT
After suffering from appendicitis, Carlos Sainz will miss the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This will be his first non-start since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, the first race for which he will not qualify since the 2015 Russian Grand Prix and the first race which he is not entered into since the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Oliver Bearman will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He becomes the first driver to make their Formula 1 debut with Ferrari since Arturo Merzario at the 1972 British Grand Prix.
At 18 years, 10 months and 1 day, Bearman becomes the youngest driver to ever race for Ferrari in Formula 1. The previous youngest Ferrari driver was Riccardo Rodriguez, who first raced with the team at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 27 days.
Bearman is the first British driver to race for Ferrari since Eddie Irvine at the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix.
THE 2024 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX MILESTONES
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the 1,103rd World Championship event in Formula 1 history.
This will be the fourth time that Formula 1 has raced in Saudi Arabia – and the fourth Grand Prix held at Jeddah Corniche Circuit since the track joined the calendar in 2021.
This will be the first time that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place on a Saturday. With last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix having also taken place on a Saturday, this will be the first time two successive F1 races take place on Saturdays since the 1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix and the 1982 South African Grand Prix
This is only the second time that successive Grands Prix during a single season have taken place on a day other than a Sunday. It last happened at the 1972 South African (Saturday) and Spanish (Monday) Grands Prix. If you include the Indianapolis 500 races, consecutive races also took place on days other than Sundays during the 1958 and 1960 seasons.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is set to be Max Verstappen’s 187th consecutive race start. That will see him equal Riccardo Patrese for fourth in the list of most consecutive F1 race starts in the sport’s history.
Alex Albon will make his 84th start in car number 23 at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. That sees him overtake Pierluigi Martini for the most starts in car 23.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix marks Nico Hulkenberg’s 150th start in car number 27.
The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the third Formula 1 race held on March 9. Both previous races which have taken place on this date were held at Albert Park, in 1997 and 2003.
The final lap of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the 200th racing lap completed at Jeddah Corniche Circuit since F1 first visited the track in 2021.
WILL VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE?
Pole position for Max Verstappen at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would be his 34th pole, seeing him overtake both Jim Clark and Alain Prost for fifth on the all-time list of most poles in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen has never previously taken pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. A pole at Jeddah Corniche Circuit would make it the 20th different circuit at which Verstappen has taken pole, making him the sixth driver to have taken pole at as many as 20 tracks and moving him ahead of Michael Schumacher in the list.
Victory for Max Verstappen at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would see him record a ninth consecutive Grand Prix win. It’s a feat which has been achieved only twice previously in Formula 1: by Sebastian Vettel in 2013 and by Verstappen himself in 2023.
A win for Red Bull at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would see them overtake Williams for fourth in the list of most Grands Prix wins for a team in F1. The two teams are currently tied on 114 victories apiece.
A 1-2 finish for Red Bull would make them the fifth team in F1 history to record 30 1-2 finishes.
A 1-2 result for Red Bull at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make this only the sixth time that a team has recorded 1-2 finishes in the first two races of the season. Red Bull would become the first team to achieve the feat in successive years.
A podium finish for Max Verstappen would make him the seventh driver to record 100 podium finishes in Formula 1. He would become the youngest driver to achieve the feat and would become the third driver to record 100 podium finishes with a single team.
A Grand Slam for Max Verstappen at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make him only the fourth driver – after Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark and Sebastian Vettel – to record Grand Slams at consecutive F1 races.
A win from pole position for Max Verstappen would mark the 29th time that Verstappen has won a Grand Prix from pole. That would see him equal Ayrton Senna for fourth on the list of most wins from pole.
If Max Verstappen leads every lap of the race, he will overtake Jim Clark for fourth in the list of most races led from start to end. It would be the 14th time he has done so in his career.
Should Max Verstappen lead 17 laps of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he will overtake Ayrton Senna for fourth in the list of most Grand Prix laps led in Formula 1.
If Max Verstappen finishes on the podium at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, car number 1 will become the first to have scored 5,000 points in Formula 1 history.
A front row start for Max Verstappen would be his 60th front row start in Formula 1, equalling Nico Rosberg for sixth in the list of most front row starts.
If he reaches Lap 14 of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen will become the 20th driver to have raced 10,000 Grand Prix laps in Formula 1.
THE FORMULA 1 RECORDS WHICH COULD BE BROKEN
Lewis Hamilton’s last Grand Prix victory came at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. If he wins at Jeddah Corniche Circuit again in 2023, he would add his name to a short list of drivers who’ve taken successive career wins at a single circuit. In fact, Hamilton is already on the list, having taken his 95th and 96th career wins at Bahrain International Circuit in 2020 and 2021. He would be the first driver to appear on the list twice.
If Lewis Hamilton fails to finish in the top five at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, it would be the first time he has finished outside of the top five at five successive races since doing so at the five races between the 2009 Spanish and German Grands Prix.
At the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen joined Fernando Alonso as only the second driver to have won races from nine different grid positions. Either driver could become the first to win from ten different grid positions, while Lewis Hamilton could equal the existing record.
A second or third place finish for Lando Norris would see him overtake Nick Heidfeld as the driver with the most podium finishes to have never won a Grand Prix.
A points finish for Nico Hulkenberg at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make him the 19th driver to score points at 100 Grand Prix weekends.
If Nico Hulkenberg scores a point, it would make 2024 the 34th consecutive year in which a German driver has scored a point. That would see Germany overtake France for third in the list of most consecutive seasons in which a nation has scored points.
A points finish for a French driver would make 2024 the 70th season in which a French driver has scored. Only two other nations have scored points in 70 seasons: Britain and Germany.
Pole position for a Ferrari driver would mark the 250th pole position for a Ferrari car in Formula 1 history.
A 1-2 finish for Mercedes would make them the second team, after Ferrari, to record 60 1-2 finishes in Formula 1. Ferrari reached the milestone at the 2002 United States Grand Prix.
A podium finish for a Mercedes-powered car would make 2024 the 30th consecutive season in which Mercedes power has recorded a podium finish.
A top ten finish for Lewis Hamilton or George Russell at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make this the 62nd consecutive race in which Mercedes have scored, equalling the team’s longest scoring streak in F1. Mercedes previously scored at 62 consecutive races between the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2016 Russian Grand Prix. Only Ferrari and McLaren have had longer scoring streaks in F1 history.
A points finish for Logan Sargeant would make the United States the 12th country to score 1,000 points in World Championship history.
A front row start for Oscar Piastri would make this the 100th Grand Prix at which an Australian driver has lined up on the front row of the grid.
A Q3 appearance for Charles Leclerc at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make him the 15th driver to record 100 Q3 appearances in Formula 1.
If Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll score a point at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Aston Martin would become the 26th constructor to score points in 50 Grands Prix.
THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX RECORDS TO BREAK
No driver has taken multiple wins at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but that could change this weekend if Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez cross the finish line first. A victory for someone other than Hamilton, Verstappen or Perez would see the record for most successive different winners at Jeddah Corniche Circuit extended to four.
Red Bull lead the way for most team victories at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with two. Mercedes could equal their record this weekend.
A win for Red Bull would make them the first team to record three successive Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victories, extending the record for most consecutive wins in Jeddah.
Max Verstappen remains the only driver to record multiple podium finishes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and holds a 100% podium record at the track. He could extend that record this weekend, while Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso could join him in the group of drivers with more than one top three finish at the track.
Mercedes or Ferrari could equal Red Bull’s record of four podiums at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but only if both of their cars finish on the podium with neither Red Bull driver finishing in the top three.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc or Max Verstappen could become the first driver to record multiple Fastest Laps at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while their respective teams could be the first to record multiple Fastest Laps at the venue.
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly are the only drivers who’ve raced all 150 Grand Prix laps at Jeddah Corniche Circuit since its first race in 2021. Any of those drivers could set a new outright record for most laps raced at the track at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to maintain their 100% laps raced record at the track.
2024 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING RECORDS
Sergio Perez has the record for most pole positions at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. His record of two could be equalled at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by Lewis Hamilton.
A pole position for Sergio Perez would see him extend the record for most consecutive poles at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to three.
A pole for either Red Bull driver at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would make Red Bull the first team to record three successive pole positions at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Mercedes could equal Red Bull’s record of two poles in Saudi Arabia, while Red Bull could extend their existing record to three.
CAN LECLERC CONVERT A POLE TO A WIN?
A pole position for Charles Leclerc would see him overtake Niki Lauda as the driver to have taken the second-most pole positions with Ferrari. Only Michael Schumacher has taken more poles at Ferrari than Lauda and Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc has failed to convert all of his last 12 pole positions into wins. Should he take pole and fail to win again at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he would equal the record for most successive poles without a win. Rene Arnoux currently holds the record, having failed to convert any of the first 13 poles of his career into victories.
If Charles Leclerc takes pole position and fails to win, it would be the 20th time that he has done so in his Formula 1 career. That would see him overtake Nelson Piquet for fifth in the list of most failed pole to win conversions.
LONGEVITY RECORDS FOR HAMILTON AND ALONSO
A victory for Lewis Hamilton at any race in 2024 would see him overtake Michael Schumacher as the driver to have won at least one race in the most Formula 1 seasons. Both Schumacher and Hamilton have won races in 15 different Formula 1 seasons.
A podium finish for Lewis Hamilton at any race in 2024 would make him the third oldest British driver to finish on the Formula 1 podium. He currently sits fourth in the list, behind Nigel Mansell, Graham Hill and Reg Parnell.
A Fastest Lap for Lewis Hamilton would make him the first driver to have set a Fastest Lap in 17 Formula 1 seasons. A Fastest Lap would also see Hamilton equal Schumacher’s record for most consecutive seasons in which a driver has set the Fastest Lap in a Grand Prix. Schumacher set at least one Fastest Lap in all 15 seasons between 1992 and 2006, while Hamilton has set a Fastest Lap every year since 2010.
A Fastest Lap for Lewis Hamilton would see him set a new record for most Fastest Laps with a single team. He is currently tied with Michael Schumacher, having set 53 Fastest Laps with Mercedes. Schumacher took 53 Fastest Laps with Ferrari during his tenure at the team.
A win for Fernando Alonso at any Grand Prix in 2024 would make him the oldest driver to win a Grand Prix since Jack Brabham at the 1970 South African Grand Prix.
A podium finish for Fernando Alonso would see him overtake Alain Prost as the driver to have taken the fourth-most podiums in Formula 1 history.
A podium finish for Fernando Alonso would make him the third driver – after Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – to record podium finishes in 15 different Formula 1 seasons.
Pole position at any race for Fernando Alonso in 2024 would make him the oldest polesitter since Jack Brabham at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix.
If Fernando Alonso leads a lap of any race in 2024, he would become the first driver to have led Formula 1 races over a period longer than 20 years. Alonso first led a Grand Prix in Malaysia in 2003. He most recently led at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, just a week short of the 20th anniversary of him leading a lap for the first time in Formula 1.
