A week after the opening of the season marked by the domination of Red Bull and in particular that of Max Verstappen, the Formula 1 world championship continues this weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The first Grand Prix of the year, contested last weekend in Bahrain on the Sakhir circuit, did not excite the crowds. And for good reason, despite a promising qualifying session as the gaps between the cars were so tight, the race left little room for suspense. Starting in pole position, Max Verstappen flew through the debates, his team, Red Bull, signed a first double with second place for Sergio Perez, however relegated to 22 seconds behind the triple world champion. Behind, the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz (3rd) and Charles Leclerc (4th), the Mercedes of George Russell (5th) and Lewis Hamilton (7th), or the McLarens of Lando Norris (6th) and Oscar Piastri (8th) were behind. beaten for the places of honor, like last year and probably as will often still be the case in 2024.
The second race of the season, scheduled for this Saturday in Saudi Arabia, will be an opportunity to see if the first hierarchy established in Bahrain is confirmed. We hope for Alpine that this is not the case as its drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, ranked 17th and 18th respectively, one lap behind the winner last week, experienced an ordeal. There has already been some movement within the team between the two Grands Prix, but the two French people will undoubtedly have to be patient as their A524, already worrying during the first official tests, has performed poorly.
What time to follow the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Due to Ramadan, the start date of which was set for the evening of Sunday March 10, the first two races of the season, contested in countries with a large Muslim majority (Bahrain and Saudi Arabia), were exceptionally scheduled for a Saturday. Like last weekend in Bahrain, the cars will hit the track on Thursday in Saudi Arabia with two first free practice sessions. The start of the Grand Prix will be at 6 p.m., therefore at 8 p.m. in the Middle Eastern country.
- Free practice 1 at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday March 7 (duration: 1 hour)
- Free practice 2 at 6 p.m. on Thursday March 7 (duration: 1 hour)
- Free practice 3 at 2:30 p.m. on Friday March 8 (duration: 1 hour)
- Qualifying at 6 p.m. on Friday March 8 (duration: 1 hour)
- Grand Prix at 6 p.m. on Saturday March 9 (duration: 2 hours maximum)
On which TV channel to watch the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be broadcast exclusively on the channels of the Canal group, holder of the rights to the Formula 1 world championship. But everyone will be able to watch the race, scheduled for late Saturday afternoon, since it will exceptionally be broadcast unencrypted.
- Thursday March 7: Free 1 at 2:15 p.m. + Free 2 at 5:45 p.m. on Canal+ Sport
- Friday March 8: Free 3 at 2:15 p.m. on Canal+ Sport + Qualifications at 5:40 p.m. on Canal+
- Saturday March 9: “La Grille” show at 5 p.m. + Grand Prix at 6 p.m. on Canal+
Ranking of the drivers’ world championship (after 1 Grand Prix)
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 26 points
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 18 points
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 15 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 12 points
5. George Russell (Mercedes) 10 points
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) 8 points
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 6 points
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 4 points
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 2 points
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1 point
What are the dates for the F1 Grands Prix in 2024?
The 2024 Formula 1 season will have 24 Grands Prix. It began at the end of February in Bahrain and will end at the beginning of December in Abu Dhabi. Here is the complete F1 2024 calendar with times given in French time:
1. Bahrain GP (Sakhir): Saturday March 2, 2024 at 4 p.m. (Winner: Verstappen)
2. Saudi Arabian GP (Jeddah): Saturday March 9, 2024 at 6 p.m.
3. Australian GP (Melbourne): Sunday March 24, 2024 at 7 a.m.
4. Japanese GP (Suzuka): Sunday April 7, 2024 at 7 a.m.
5. Chinese GP (Shaghai): Sunday April 21, 2024 at 8 a.m.
6. Miami GP (Miami): Sunday May 5, 2024 at 9 p.m.
7. Emilia-Romagna GP (Imola) : Sunday May 19, 2024 at 3 p.m.
8. Monaco GP: Sunday May 26, 2024 at 3 p.m.
9. Canadian GP (Montreal): Sunday June 9, 2024 at 8 p.m.
10. Spanish GP (Barcelona): Sunday June 23, 2024 at 3 p.m.
11. Austrian GP (Spielberg): Sunday June 30, 2024 at 3 p.m.
12. British GP (Silverstone): Sunday July 7, 2024 at 4 p.m.
13. Hungarian GP (Budapest): Sunday July 21, 2024 at 3 p.m.
14. Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps) : Sunday July 28, 2024 at 3 p.m.
15. Dutch GP (Zandvoort): Sunday August 25, 2024 at 3 p.m.
16. Italian GP (Monza): Sunday September 1, 2024 at 3 p.m.
17. Azerbaijan GP (Baku): Sunday September 15, 2024 at 1 p.m.
18. Singapore GP (Marina Bay): Sunday September 22, 2024 at 2 p.m.
19. United States GP (Austin): Sunday October 20, 2024 at 9 p.m.
20. Mexican GP (Mexico): Sunday October 27, 2024 at 8 p.m.
21. Brazilian GP (Interlagos): Sunday November 3, 2024 at 7 p.m.
22. Las Vegas GP (Las Vegas): Sunday November 24, 2024 at 6 a.m.
23. Qatar GP (Losail): Sunday October 1, 2024 at 3 p.m.
24. Abu Dhabi GP (Yas Marina): Sunday December 8, 2024 at 2 p.m.