F1 Saudi Arabia GP 2024 LIVE: Race updates, schedule and times as Lance Stroll crashes – MyCyberBase

Max Verstappen romped to another commanding win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as rookie British teenager Ollie Bearman completed a dream debut by beating Lewis Hamilton to finish a brilliant seventh.

Despite threatening to quit Red Bull just 24 hours previously, following another twist in the ongoing Red Bull saga, Verstappen followed his win at the season-opening round in Bahrain last Saturday with another comfortable triumph in his all-conquering machine – remarkably his 19th in 20 appearances.

Sergio Perez completed a one-two finish for Red Bull, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third.

But for Bearman, just three months old when Hamilton made his debut in 2007, this will be a night he will never forget.

Handed his shock debut as an 11th-hour stand-in for Carlos Sainz, the boy from Chelmsford, 18 years, 10 months and one day, drove into the record books as the youngest British driver to start a Formula One race.

Verstappen’s Red Bull future is in the spotlight amid the in-fighting at Formula One’s dominant franchise.

The Dutchman, who won Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to land his second win of the season – and his ninth in a row – opened the door to sensationally quitting Red Bull if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out.

It emerged this weekend that Marko could be suspended as a result of Red Bull’s inquiry into Horner, although the 80-year-old Austrian said prior to Saturday’s race that he expects to carry on.

However, the unrest at Red Bull has put Mercedes – seeking a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in 2025 – on red alert.

Bearman drove into the record books by becoming the youngest British driver to race in Formula One and he delivered by finishing seventh, ahead of both Lando Norris, eighth and Hamilton, ninth.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton waited by Bearman’s Ferrari before embracing the 18-year-old as he climbed out of his scarlet machine at the end of the race.

“A star is born now,” Hill, the 1996 world champion, said on X.

“To jump in at such short notice, on a track as intimidating as Jeddah, in a Ferrari of all things, and hold up under immense pressure from Lando and Lewis and keep it together. Wow.”

“It’s important to have peace in the team and focus on the driving and performance, so that’s what we do at the team.”

“A lot is made of this stuff but we are one team. Nobody is bigger than the team. Everybody has a role to play, from the bottom to the top. Unfortunately, there’s been a lot of speculation this weekend but our focus is very much on track.

“Helmut is a consulatant to Red Bull GmbH, not the race team. Max is a valued member, no single individual is bigger than the team. Today was Max’s 100th podium finish, all of which in RBR cars. This is an incredibly strong team which has strength in depth.

“I’m aware of what’s been said, Max is an important part of this team. As team principal and CEO, I’m resonsible for the operation and running of this team.

“Speculation is obviously rife. The most important thing is the team. We all have vested interests in performances like today.”

“Fantastic race, shocked at how fast we were pushing. That was incredible. I couldn’t relax, really exciting and fun race.

“The countdown was going slower than normal, we managed it really well. I think I did my fastest lap on the final one, I had good confidence.

“It was really difficult to follow, it requires extra precision.”

A familiar feel. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard the Dutch-Austrian national anthem combination.

And it doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.