After an action-packed qualifying session on Saturday, it was Sergio Perez who beat the chasing pack to put his Red Bull on pole position for the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Mexican driver pipped Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso to take just the second pole of his F1 career, both of which have come at the same circuit in Jeddah.
His teammate Max Verstappen arguably would have taken top spot if it wasn’t for a transmission problem that saw the Dutch driver have to retire halfway through Q2, meaning that he’ll start today’s race from P15 on the grid.
The opening race winner will be closely behind World Drivers’ Championship title rival Leclerc who, despite finishing qualifying in P2, drops to P12 on the starting grid today due to a 10-place penalty for changing engine parts ahead of the weekend.
MORE: F1 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Predictions, odds, betting tips and best bets
F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 live updates, highlights: As it happens
1 hour and 15 minutes to lights out: It perhaps isn’t the Red Bull car that we all expected to see on pole today but Sergio Perez will be absolutely desperate to take the chequered flag.
He’s only ever won four races throughout his career and he’ll be hoping for better today than last year’s visit to Saudi Arabia. That’s because last season he took pole here but ended up finishing the subsequent race in P4..
1 hour and 30 mins to lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — the second race of the new F1 season.
With its tight corners and lightning-quick straights, expect plenty of drama today as F1 returns to the Jeddah Street Circuit.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 starting grid
| Position | Driver |
| 1 | Sergio Perez |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso |
| 3 | George Russell |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz |
| 5 | Lance Stroll |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg |
| 11 | Zhou Guanyu |
| 12 | Charles Leclerc* |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas |
| 15 | Max Verstappen |
| 16 | Yuki Tsunoda |
| 17 | Alex Albon |
| 18 | Nyck de Vries |
| 19 | Lando Norris |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant |
*denotes grid-place penalty.
What time does the F1 race start?
- Date: Sunday, March 19
- Start time: 5 p.m. GMT / 1 p.m ET / 4 a.m AEST (Mar 20) / 8 p.m. local time
Sunday’s 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. local time. Lights out will take place just after 3 p.m. GMT
Below is the complete schedule for the weekend’s F1 events at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
| Date | Event | Time (GMT) | Time (ET) | Time (AEST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Mar 17 | Practice 1 | 13:30 p.m. | 9:30 a.m | 12:30 a.m (Mar 18) |
| Friday, Mar 17 | Practice 2 | 5 p.m. | 1 p.m | 4 a.m (Mar 18) |
| Saturday, Mar 18 | Practice 3 | 13:30 p.m. | 9:30 a.m | 12:30 a.m (Mar 19) |
| Saturday, Mar 18 | Qualifying | 5 p.m. | 1 p.m | 4 a.m (Mar 19) |
| Sunday, Mar 19 | Race | 5 p.m. | 1 p.m | 4 a.m (Mar 20) |
What TV channel is the F1 on?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV Channel | Sky Sports F1 | ESPN/ABC | TSN (English); RDS (French) | Fox Sports |
Where can I live stream F1?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Live Stream | NOW TV / Sky Go app | ESPN+ | fuboTV, TSN Direct | Kayo |
How to watch Formula 1 in the US
- TV channel: ABC; ESPN
- Live stream: FuboTV / Hulu / Sling TV
F1 fans in the USA can catch all the action in 2023 with all 23 races set to be shown live on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. For Spanish-language viewers, they can find live broadcasts on ESPN Deportes, though ESPNews and ESPNU will also show some practice and qualifying sessions live throughout the year.
As well as on the official F1 TV service, the action can be live streamed on Hulu + Live TV with subscriptions. Elsewhere, Sling TV will also show the action, as too will FuboTV in the US.
How to watch Formula 1 in Canada
- TV channel: TSN (English); RDS (French)
- Live stream: TSN Direct
For fans in Canada, TSN will carry the English-language telecast of races. For those looking for the French-language broadcast, RDS will have you covered.
Races can be streamed on fuboTV and via TSN’s streaming service, TSN Direct.
How to watch Formula 1 in the United Kingdom
- TV channel: Sky Sports F1
- Live stream: NOW TV / Sky Go app
Viewers in the United Kingdom can catch all F1 action on Sky Sports F1, the dedicated F1 channel. For viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2023, you can watch via the Sky Go app if you’re an existing subscriber or you can purchase a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.
How to watch Formula 1 in Australia
- TV channel: Fox Sports; Channel 10
- Live stream: Kayo
Fox Sports will carry all races in Australia for the 2023 season.
How to watch Formula 1 in India
- TV channel: N/A
- Live stream: F1 TV Pro
No TV broadcast network is currently set to host the action throughout this year in India, though Formula 1 has launched F1 TV Pro in the country for the first time so fans can live stream the action.
