F1 qualifying live: Battle for pole position at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
After taking the checkered flag in style at the opening race of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is hoping for even more success as the action shifts west this weekend.
This time we are in Saudi Arabia at the Jeddah Street Circuit, a track where Verstappen also won in 2022.
But his rivals in the Drivers’ Championship will be keen to fend him off this weekend, starting with qualifying at this fast but tight circuit that could prove difficult for some drivers.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will be particularly eager to impress after his season got off to a terrible start with a DNF finish in Bahrain two weeks ago, although he has already been handed a ten-place grid penalty for this Sunday’s race after got new engine parts.
MORE: F1 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Predictions, Odds, Betting Tips & Best Bets
F1 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Live Qualifying Commentary, Highlights: How It Happens
10 minutes before Q1: With the first lap of the flying heats recorded, it’s Verstappen who leads so far with a 1’28.761 – half a second faster than anyone else on the track so far! With that, the Dutchman is already done in Q1.
Elsewhere, Sainz has set the slowest time yet, which could be a serious concern for Ferrari.
START OF Q1: Here we go, because the battle for pole position begins in Saudi Arabia. It’s the Williams couple Albon and Sargeant that takes us to the circuit!
5 more minutes: We are here in Jeddah ready to qualify for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The action starts in just under five minutes!
Still 15 minutes: FP3 showed how tight the field was all the way down the grid, apart from the Red Bull cars up front. So expect some surprises in Jeddah in this upcoming qualifying session.
30 minutes left: Fernando Alonso continues to shine in his Aston Martin and could shake the lead again this session as he tries to snatch pole position.
McLaren are also the ones to watch further down the order, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both did well in FP3 today, finishing in the top eight. They need to recover after the disappointment in Bahrain at the season’s opening race.
45 minutes left: Sky Sports in the UK has just opened its live show with a quick focus on Mercedes and their troubles earlier this season.
Many thought this would be a turning point after suffering such a poor start but reacting well and finishing strong last season, but they haven’t had such luck in 2023 so far.
Team boss Toto Wolff remains a dissatisfied man as Aston Martin will look to let them go first, especially this weekend.
1 hour to go: So it very much seems like Verstappen is the rider to beat again this weekend after dominating this weekend’s three practice sessions, but who could stop him?
Well, teammate Sergio Perez seems like the most likely option given Red Bull’s mass dominance. The Mexican veteran will be desperate to beat him this weekend to make a real mark as he chases his first world title.
Speaking of training sessions, Esteban Ocon almost ran his car into the guard rail earlier, which shows how difficult this circuit can be.
1 hour 15 minutes left: A quick reminder before the action begins today that Charles Leclerc has already been penalized with a ten-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
That’s because his Ferrari team had to swap parts in his car after his DNF finish last time out in Bahrain. As a result he has to go as far as he can in qualifying today to try to make up for that penalty as much as possible.
1 hour 30 minutes left: Hello and welcome The sports news‘ Live coverage of qualifying for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!
Following his absolute dominance of the Bahrain International Circuit two weeks ago, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be looking for further success here in Jeddah.
When does the Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix start?
- Date: Sunday, 03/19
- Start time: 5:00 p.m. GMT / 1:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. AEDT (March 6) / 8:00 p.m. local time
The start of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time. Lights Out takes place just after 1 p.m. ET.
Below is the full schedule for the weekend’s F1 events in Jeddah.
| Date | case | Time (GMT) | time (ET) | Time (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, 03/17 | practice 1 | 1:30 p.m | 9:30 am | 00:30 (March 18) |
| Friday, 03/17 | practice 2 | 17 o’clock | 13 o’clock | 4 a.m. (March 18) |
| Saturday, 03/18 | exercise 3 | 1:30 p.m | 9:30 am | 00:30 (March 19) |
| Saturday, 03/18 | qualification | 17 o’clock | 13 o’clock | 4 a.m. (March 19) |
| Sunday, 03/19 | race | 17 o’clock | 13 o’clock | 4 a.m. (March 20) |
What TV channel is F1 on?
| United Kingdom | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV channel | SkySports F1 | ESPN/ABC | TSN (English); RDS (French) | Fox sports |
Where can I live stream F1?
| United Kingdom | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Live broadcast | NOW TV / Sky Go app | ESPN+ | fuboTV, TSN Direct | kayo |
F1 season schedule 2023
In 2023, the Formula 1 calendar includes 23 races on four different continents.
The promotion began with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5th and will end in Abu Dhabi on November 26th.
Here is the current schedule (subject to change):
| Date | race |
| 5. March | Bahrain Grand Prix |
| 19th March | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix |
| 2nd of April | Australian Grand Prix |
| April, 30th | Azerbaijan Grand Prix |
| May 7th | Miami Grand Prix |
| May 21st | Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna |
| 28th of May | Monaco Grand Prix |
| June 4th | Spanish Grand Prix |
| 18th of June | Canadian Grand Prix |
| 2nd July | Grand Prix of Austria |
| July 9th | British Grand Prix |
| July 23 | Hungarian Grand Prix |
| 30th July | Belgian Grand Prix |
| 27.8 | Dutch Grand Prix |
| September 3rd | Italian Grand Prix |
| 17th of September | Singapore Grand Prix |
| 09/24 | Japanese Grand Prix |
| 8th October | Qatar Grand Prix |
| October 22nd | United States Grand Prix |
| October 29th | Mexican Grand Prix |
| November 5th | Brazilian Grand Prix |
| 19.11 | Las Vegas Grand Prix |
| 11/26 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
How to watch Formula 1 in the USA
- TV channel: ABC; ESPN
- Live broadcast: FuboTV / Hulu / Sling TV
F1 fans in the US can catch all the action in 2023 when all 23 races will be broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. For Spanish-speaking viewers, there is live coverage on ESPN Deportes, although ESPNews and ESPNU will also be showing some practice and qualifying sessions live throughout the year.
In addition to the official F1 TV service, the action can be streamed live with subscriptions to Hulu + Live TV. Elsewhere, Sling TV will show the action, as will FuboTV in the US.
How to watch Formula 1 in Canada
- TV channel: TSN (English); RDS (French)
- Live broadcast: TSN Direct
For fans in Canada, TSN will broadcast the races in English. For those looking for French language broadcasts, RDS is here for you.
The races can be streamed on fuboTV and via TSN’s streaming service, TSN Direct.
How to watch Formula 1 in the UK
- TV channel: SkySports F1
- Live broadcast: NOW TV / Sky Go app
Viewers in the UK can follow all the F1 action on Sky Sports F1, the dedicated F1 channel. Viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2023 can watch it via the Sky Go app if they’re already a subscriber, or they can buy a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.
How to watch Formula 1 in Australia
- TV channel: Fox Sports; channel 10
- Live broadcast: kayo
Fox Sports will broadcast all races in Australia for the 2023 season.