Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Race History and Results: Every Winner from 2021 to 2025

In just five editions, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has produced a remarkably diverse set of winners, championship-defining moments, and controversies that have cemented its place in Formula 1 lore. Five different drivers have stood on the top step of the podium at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit: Lewis Hamilton (2021), Max Verstappen (2022, 2024), Sergio Perez (2023), and Oscar Piastri (2025). Red Bull Racing dominates the statistics with three victories, but the race has consistently delivered competitive, unpredictable racing that has defied the processional nature some feared from a high-speed street circuit. The 2026 edition was cancelled due to the Iran-United States conflict, leaving the race’s future uncertain but its existing legacy secure as one of the most dramatic venues on the modern calendar.

2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: The Inaugural Collision Course

Date: December 5, 2021 Round: 21 of 22 Winner: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) Second: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Third: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton Championship Implications: Penultimate round, Hamilton and Verstappen separated by 8 points

The first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix arrived at the most charged moment possible in the 2021 Formula 1 season. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were locked in a championship battle of historic intensity, and the brand-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit provided a setting unlike anything Formula 1 had experienced. The 6.174-kilometer street circuit, still bearing the marks of its frantic construction, hosted a race that would feature two red flags, multiple safety car periods, and a controversy between the two title contenders that would reverberate for years.

Hamilton qualified on pole position, demonstrating an immediate affinity for the high-speed, flowing nature of the circuit. The race itself was chaos incarnate. A first-lap incident involving multiple cars triggered the first red flag, resulting in a standing restart. The second red flag came after another multi-car incident, leading to an unusual situation where the race was effectively restarted twice.

The defining moment came during a confusing sequence in which Verstappen was instructed by race control to yield position to Hamilton after gaining an advantage. Verstappen appeared to slow down on the racing line, and Hamilton, seemingly unsure of Verstappen’s intentions, ran into the back of the Red Bull. Both cars continued, but the incident generated enormous controversy, with both camps accusing the other of gamesmanship. Stewards investigated multiple incidents throughout the race, ultimately penalizing Verstappen with a ten-second time penalty.

Hamilton took the victory, bringing himself level on points with Verstappen heading into the Abu Dhabi finale. Bottas completed a strong weekend for Mercedes by securing third place, edging Esteban Ocon by just 0.102 seconds in one of the tightest battles for a podium position all season, as detailed in the Saudi GP. The race attracted a global audience of hundreds of millions, establishing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as appointment television for Formula 1 fans despite — or perhaps because of — the controversy that surrounded both the on-track action and the broader political context.

The inaugural race demonstrated several characteristics that would define the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in subsequent years. The circuit’s high speeds and narrow confines amplified the consequences of racing incidents. The DRS zones created genuine overtaking opportunities, preventing the processional racing that plagues Monaco and some other street circuits. And the combination of night racing, Red Sea backdrop, and championship-level stakes created a spectacle that, whatever one’s views on the politics, was undeniably compelling television.

Full Classification Highlights

Hamilton’s winning margin of 11.825 seconds over Verstappen was somewhat misleading, as the various penalties and incidents had significantly disrupted the competitive picture. The raw pace difference between the Mercedes and Red Bull was minimal, as subsequent races at the circuit would confirm.

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Racing Through the Smoke

Date: March 27, 2022 Round: 2 of 22 Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Second: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Third: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) Fastest Lap: Charles Leclerc

The 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be remembered not only for the brilliant racing between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc but for the extraordinary security crisis that overshadowed the entire weekend. During Friday practice, a Houthi missile struck a Saudi Aramco oil storage facility located just 11 kilometers from the circuit, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the sky that was visible from the grandstands and the paddock.

The incident triggered an emergency meeting of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association that extended past midnight. Drivers were briefed by Saudi security officials and Formula 1 management, with opinions divided on whether it was safe to continue racing. Some drivers, particularly those from nations with military experience of missile threats, were reportedly comfortable with assurances that the circuit was protected by air defense systems. Others questioned whether any sporting event justified exposing participants and spectators to the risk of a missile attack.

Ultimately, the decision was made to continue with the race weekend. Saudi authorities deployed additional security measures, and Formula 1 management emphasized that intelligence assessments indicated the circuit was not a target, as detailed in the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The decision was criticized by human rights organizations and some media outlets, who argued that commercial interests had overridden safety considerations.

On track, the race itself was a masterpiece of wheel-to-wheel combat. Verstappen and Leclerc engaged in a strategic DRS battle that saw them exchange the lead multiple times through the high-speed corners. The two drivers pushed each other to the absolute limit, using the three DRS zones to attack and defend in a chess match played at over 300 km/h. Verstappen ultimately prevailed by just over half a second, demonstrating the racecraft and nerve that would carry him to a dominant championship campaign.

Carlos Sainz completed the podium for Ferrari, confirming that the Scuderia had made a significant step forward with their 2022 challenger. The race also saw several incidents that reinforced concerns about the circuit’s safety characteristics, with cars impacting the barriers at high speed in several corners.

Full Classification Highlights

The 0.549-second gap between Verstappen and Leclerc told the story of a race fought to the wire. The 2022 edition established a pattern of intense, strategy-driven racing at Jeddah that would make the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix one of the most anticipated races on the calendar for neutral fans, even as the security and political controversies continued to generate debate outside the paddock.

2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Perez in Command

Date: March 19, 2023 Round: 2 of 22 Winner: Sergio Perez (Red Bull) Second: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Third: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Fastest Lap: Max Verstappen

The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix marked a shift in the race’s competitive narrative. Where the first two editions had featured dramatic battles between rivals from different teams, the 2023 race was defined by Red Bull’s overwhelming dominance and the emergence of a surprising challenger in Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.

Sergio Perez qualified on pole position and led the field into Turn 1, but a lightning start from Alonso saw the Spanish veteran sweep past both Red Bulls on the opening lap to take an unexpected lead. The sight of the 41-year-old Alonso leading the race in the green Aston Martin Aramco car generated huge excitement among fans who had watched Alonso’s career span over two decades, as detailed in how F1 drivers view the Jeddah track.

However, Perez’s Red Bull had a significant pace advantage, and by lap four, the Mexican had reasserted himself at the front. From that point, Perez controlled the race with impressive composure, managing his tires and fuel to maintain a comfortable gap over teammate Verstappen. The Red Bull one-two finish underscored the team’s supremacy during the 2023 season, when Verstappen would go on to win 19 of 22 races in the most dominant championship campaign in Formula 1 history.

Alonso’s third-place finish was one of the feel-good stories of the season. The Aston Martin Aramco team, buoyed by the Aramco sponsorship and significant investment in their factory and design office, had made a quantum leap in competitiveness. Alonso’s podium at the sponsor’s home race had a pleasing symmetry, and his aggressive first-lap overtake demonstrated that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s DRS zones and high-speed corners could produce exciting racing even when one team held a significant performance advantage.

Full Classification Highlights

Perez’s victory at Jeddah was one of the Mexican driver’s strongest performances of the season, and the 5.355-second margin over Verstappen demonstrated genuine race-winning pace rather than reliance on team orders. The 2023 race was notable for being the cleanest and least controversial of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s five editions, suggesting that as the circuit matured and drivers became more familiar with its characteristics, the racing could find a rhythm that combined excitement with safety.

2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: The Verstappen Masterclass

Date: March 9, 2024 Round: 2 of 22 Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Second: Sergio Perez (Red Bull) Third: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Fastest Lap: Charles Leclerc

The 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was, in many respects, the most straightforward race in the event’s short history. Max Verstappen qualified on pole position and proceeded to dominate from lights out to the checkered flag, building a gap that was never seriously threatened. Perez completed another Red Bull one-two, while Leclerc secured the final podium position for Ferrari.

The race lacked the drama of the 2021 and 2022 editions, but it showcased Verstappen at the peak of his powers. The Dutchman’s command of the high-speed sections was particularly impressive, carrying speed through the flowing corners with a precision that left his competitors unable to follow, as detailed in F1 safety and controversy at Jeddah. The three DRS zones that had produced such exciting battles in previous years were largely irrelevant when the gap at the front was measured in seconds rather than tenths.

The 2024 race also highlighted a growing concern about competitive balance in Formula 1. Red Bull’s dominance through the 2023 and early 2024 seasons raised questions about whether the sport’s regulations were achieving their stated goal of creating closer racing. At Jeddah, where the circuit’s characteristics reward aerodynamic efficiency and power unit performance, Red Bull’s advantages in both areas were amplified.

For the circuit itself, the 2024 race demonstrated that the Jeddah Corniche Circuit had matured into a reliable venue capable of hosting a smooth, well-organized Grand Prix. The construction chaos of 2021 was a distant memory, the security protocols established after the 2022 missile incident were seamlessly integrated, and the circuit’s operational team delivered a professional event that drew praise from teams and media.

Full Classification Highlights

Verstappen’s commanding margin over Perez — 13.643 seconds — illustrated the gap between the two Red Bull drivers on a circuit where raw speed through the high-speed sections was the primary differentiator. The 2024 result gave Verstappen his second Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory and extended Red Bull’s winning streak at the circuit to three consecutive years.

2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Piastri Rewrites the Script

Date: April 20, 2025 Round: 4 of 22 Winner: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) Second: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Third: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Fastest Lap: Oscar Piastri Winning Time: 1:21:06.758

The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a watershed moment for both the race and Formula 1’s competitive landscape. Oscar Piastri’s victory broke Red Bull’s three-year stranglehold on the event and announced the young Australian as a genuine championship contender. It was McLaren’s first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory and the first non-Red Bull win at the circuit since Hamilton’s inaugural triumph in 2021.

The race turned on a first-lap incident that resulted in a penalty for Verstappen, disrupting the Dutchman’s strategy and opening a window that Piastri and the McLaren team exploited with clinical precision. The key move came during the pitstop phase, where McLaren’s strategy team orchestrated a perfectly timed stop that allowed Piastri to emerge ahead of Verstappen and take control of the race, as detailed in Formula 1 viewership data.

From the lead, Piastri demonstrated the composure and pace management skills that had increasingly defined his career. He controlled the gap to Verstappen, never allowing the Red Bull driver close enough to use the DRS zones effectively, and crossed the line 2.843 seconds clear. Leclerc completed the podium, 8.104 seconds behind the winner, confirming Ferrari’s position as a consistent but not quite competitive enough challenger at the front of the field.

The victory propelled Piastri into the Formula 1 championship lead, marking the first time since his arrival in Formula 1 that the young Australian had led the standings. The result validated McLaren’s development trajectory and suggested that the competitive balance in Formula 1 was shifting after Red Bull’s period of dominance.

Full Classification Highlights

The 2025 race was widely regarded as the best Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in terms of competitive quality, with the result demonstrating that the Jeddah Corniche Circuit could produce exciting racing when multiple teams were competing on a level playing field. Piastri’s victory added his name to a list of Saudi Arabian Grand Prix winners that now spanned three different teams and five different drivers — a level of diversity that many modern circuits struggle to match in such a short history.

2026: The Cancelled Edition

Scheduled Date: March 2026 (exact date TBD) Status: Cancelled on March 14, 2026 Reason: Iran-United States conflict and safety concerns

The 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled on March 14, 2026, due to the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States and the resulting security concerns across the Gulf region. The cancellation came alongside the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that geopolitical factors had forced the removal of multiple races from the Formula 1 calendar.

The decision was driven by a comprehensive assessment of the security environment that concluded the risks to drivers, teams, media, and spectators exceeded acceptable thresholds. The 2022 Houthi missile strike had established a precedent for the vulnerability of the Jeddah circuit to regional conflict, and the Iran-United States tensions elevated the threat level across the entire Gulf region, as detailed in the guide to attending the Saudi GP.

Saudi organizers reportedly offered to deploy advanced missile defense systems specifically to protect the circuit and surrounding areas during the race weekend. The offer demonstrated both the Kingdom’s determination to maintain its place on the calendar and the extraordinary reality of modern Formula 1, where circuit promoters must now factor missile defense into their event planning alongside more traditional concerns like traffic management and hospitality logistics.

Despite these assurances, Formula 1 management, in consultation with the FIA and the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, determined that the race could not proceed safely. The financial impact was substantial, with hosting fees exceeding $60 million and total commercial exposure estimated at over $100 million for the cancelled race alone.

Statistical Summary

Winners at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Most Wins by Driver

Max Verstappen leads the all-time Saudi Arabian Grand Prix winners’ table with two victories (2022, 2024). Hamilton, Perez, and Piastri each have one win. Four of the five races have been won from pole position or the front row, reflecting the importance of qualifying pace at a circuit where overtaking, while possible, requires significant pace advantage or strategic ingenuity.

Most Wins by Team

Red Bull Racing has won three of the five Saudi Arabian Grand Prix races (2022, 2023, 2024), establishing a dominance at the circuit that was only broken by Piastri’s 2025 McLaren victory. Mercedes won the inaugural race in 2021, and McLaren claimed its first Saudi victory in 2025.

Podium Appearances

Max Verstappen has appeared on the podium in all five races he started at Jeddah, making him the only driver with a perfect podium record at the circuit. Charles Leclerc has the second-most podium appearances with three (2022, 2024, 2025), as detailed in Formula1.com. The podium has been shared among drivers from five different teams: Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren.

The Circuit’s Influence on Results

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s characteristics have consistently influenced the competitive picture at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The circuit rewards cars with high straight-line speed and efficient aerodynamic packages, as approximately 80 percent of the lap is taken at full throttle. Teams that excel at generating downforce without excessive drag have historically performed well at Jeddah.

The three DRS zones provide genuine overtaking opportunities, but the narrow track and high-speed corners mean that following another car closely through the flowing sections is difficult due to aerodynamic disturbance. This creates a dynamic where drivers who qualify at the front have a significant advantage in controlling the race, but strategic creativity during pitstop windows can create opportunities for cars that are closely matched on raw pace.

Tire management has been a secondary factor at Jeddah compared to circuits with more demanding cornering loads. The smooth surface and high-speed nature of the corners reduce tire degradation relative to abrasive circuits like Bahrain or Barcelona. However, the frequent safety car periods in the early editions of the race have made tire strategy unpredictable, rewarding teams that can adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

The circuit’s night racing format has added another variable, with track temperatures dropping significantly between qualifying and the race. This temperature change affects tire behavior and aerodynamic performance, creating a setup challenge for teams that must optimize their cars for the specific conditions of each session.

Legacy and Looking Forward

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has established a legacy in just five editions that rivals races with decades of history. The combination of championship drama (2021), security crisis (2022), dominant performance (2023, 2024), and competitive breakthrough (2025) has given the race a narrative richness that few modern additions to the calendar can match.

The 2026 cancellation adds another chapter to this complex story, raising fundamental questions about the viability of racing in geopolitically volatile regions. Yet the commercial and strategic forces driving Saudi Arabia’s engagement with Formula 1 remain powerful, and the 15-year hosting contract, the $500 million Qiddiya Speed Park investment, and the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 ambitions all point toward a future in which the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix returns to the calendar and evolves into an even more significant event.

When Formula 1 eventually moves to Qiddiya, the Jeddah races will be remembered as the pioneering chapter — the period when Saudi Arabia proved it could build, host, and deliver a world-class Grand Prix, and when five different drivers from three different teams wrote their names into the race’s young but already storied history.