Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s thrilling Formula One title battle continues in Jeddah today with the penultimate race of the 2021 season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the Briton starting on pole and Verstappen third. The pair are battling it out for the Drivers’ Championship while Mercedes and Red Bull also go head-to-head for the Constructors’ Championship.
Verstappen goes into this race eight points ahead of Hamilton but is only third on the grid after a crash in qualifying.
The Dutchman tagged the wall on the exit of the final corner of the high-speed Jeddah street circuit when he had been on course to take pole from Hamilton due to his searing pace.
Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate, starts ahead of Verstappen in second to give Mercedes a potential tactical advantage out in the Middle East.
And Hamilton will be eager to take a third successive victory to head into the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend level, or ahead, of his title rival in the standings.
Express Sport provides live lap-by-lap updates of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix below.