Andrew Priestley: Fernando Alonso is doing a tremendous job of staying within 1 second of Sergio Perez in order to benefit from his DRS and using it to scamper away from George Russell in 3rd place, especially with a 5-second penalty yet to serve.

Jeremiah Kariuki: Looking at how Hamilton is struggling and Russell not making much progress in front, Mercedes has dropped performance for being car number 3 to 4th or 5th in pace compared to last season.

Charles Leclerc takes himself off the Verstappen wanted list by using a mixture of his soft tyres and a healthy dose of DRS to shift through on the Alpine of Esteban Ocon for sixth.

Image source, Getty Images

Down the main straight comes the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull.

The RB19 propels like a rocket ship and breezes by the W14 to leave Hamilton nursing ninth place.

Verstappen is now up to eighth with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in seventh.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Lewis knows it's not his fight but I can't imagine he will want to make it easy for Max Verstappen knowing their history.

Fernando Alonso is told by his Aston Martin pit wall that hard tyres, the ones Lewis Hamilton has just said sucks for grip, aren't looking good.

"The grip sucks on this tyre."

Sergio Perez still leads the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but his Red Bull team-mate is creeping up the order. Max Verstappen has dispatched Pierre Gasly in the Alpine and is riding in ninth place - just behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton...

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Alonso on the radio always seems like he's in his living room doesn't he, all chilled out and relaxed like he's watching the TV. For him at the moment where he's lacking behind Perez is in the first sector it's a couple of tenths.

Lewis Hamilton knows he won't smoke the Ferrari in a straight-line battle, so the Mercedes man plays the safe game and lets Charles Leclerc go through into seventh. Hamilton has gained something though: a black and white flag for weaving on the straight.

Image source, Getty Images

Turn One is where the action is and Max Verstappen hasn't got time to waste in his pursuit of another 2023 victory. Zhou Guanyu is easy pickings for the reigning world champion and he moves his Red Bull up into the points in 10th.

Andrew Priestley: A rookie mistake from the vastly experienced Fernando Alonso.

Kayleigh: Quite frankly very very surprised the stewards made a decision so quickly. They usually need half a race to investigate

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Leclerc's pace is looking pretty strong but he's on the soft tyre. Max is making his way through now. Just getting a little bit snap of oversteer where they've tightened up the corner to stop people carrying too much speed we've had some big accidents, but yes he's struggling to make moves.

Fernando Alonso was "too far left" when he lined up on the grid earlier, so a five-second time penalty was dished out.

The Alpine of his best mate Pierre Gasly is the challenge for Charles Leclerc next. The Ferrari is on the soft tyres and knows now is the time to brush aside the Frenchman down the straight before the reach one of the dicey corners.

The Monegasque man is now up to eighth with Lewis Hamilton on the to-do list in seventh...

Max Verstappen has climbed up to 11th place and has the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu as his next target. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, has reached ninth from his P12 starting position.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Max Verstappen's issue he's got now is he's stuck in that DRS train, so the car in front, they've all got DRS which makes it even harder for him to pass down that main straight.

1. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

Image source, Getty Images

The cars have reached Turn One again and Sergio Perez knows he needs to get back to the front of the queue before his team-mate Max Verstappen sneaks up behind. The Mexican spies an opening a passes the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso to take back control in Jeddah.

Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

Max Verstappen isn't making huge progress here, but the DRS, the drag reduction system, is now enabled.

For now, Fernando Alonso leads the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Spaniard has been told about his incoming penalty and replied "copy".

More woes for McLaren. Lando Norris is into the pits next for a tweak. The Briton is now down in 20th place.

Alice Powell
British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's just come up on the screen, incident involving car 14 that is Alonso, incorrect starting location so out of his grid box or too far forward. But Alonso a perfect getaway.