The Jeddah Corniche Circuit hosts Round 5 of the 2025 F1 season, with FP1 of the Saudi Arabian GP kicking off the final race weekend of the triple-header.
The 6.174 km long circuit is one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar while also boasting a record number of 27 corners.
Most teams have opted to only bring track-specific upgrades to the Saudi Arabian GP.
Red Bull is the most successful team, with Max Verstappen emerging as the victor in the past three events.
However, McLaren, who are leading the way in both Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship standings, look like the favorites heading into the fifth F1 race weekend.
Green Light
FP1 of the F1 Saudi Arabian GP starts with several cars lining up at the end of the pit lane, eager to lay some rubber on the mostly green track.
Only a few minutes into FP1, and all 20 cars are out on track.
Carlos Sainz in the Williams is the first to set a timed lap on the hard tyres.
After the first timed laps of FP1 for the Saudi Arabian GP, Oscar Piastri leads the timing sheets with a 1:31.548 on the medium compound.
Lando Norris is the first driver to go below 1:30, setting a time of 1:29.980 that launches him to the top.
Fifteen minutes into a busy FP1, the lead keeps changing, with Russell taking top position. His lap (1:29.674) time was three-tenths ahead of second-best Norris.
Soft runs
Carlos Sainz is the first driver out on the softest compound, nearing the halfway point of the session. The front runners follow suit, with McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari all heading out on the soft tyre.
McLaren’s Lando Norris sets the fastest time on the softs, clocking in at 1:29.246.
At the halfway point of FP1 of the F1 Saudi Arabian GP, Lando Norris is leading, with Russell and Piastri completing the Top 3.
A surprise change at the top as Pierre Gasly goes fastest in the Alpine, beating Norris by seven thousandths.
With only 15 minutes left in the session, most cars have filed back into the pits, preparing for their final run.
Closing stages
Towards the end of the session, teams switched from the soft tyre to the more durable medium compound.
No position changes at the top, as the teams launch into long runs under heavier fuel loads.
The Racing Bulls duo is out on a fresh set of the softs in the closing minutes. They are running in P11 (Lawson) and P15 (Hadjar).
FP1 of the F1 Saudi Arabian GP comes to a close as the drivers line up for a practice start.
The full standings and results for FP1 at the F1 Saudi Arabian GP:
- Pierre Gasly 1:29.239
- Lando Norris + 0.007
- Charles Leclerc + 0.070
- Oscar Piastri + 0.102
- Alex Albon + 0.367
- George Russell + 0.379
- Carlos Sainz + 0.540
- Lewis Hamilton + 0.576
- Max Verstappen + 0.579
- Yuki Tsunoda + 0.582
- Liam Lawson + 0.688
- Nico Hülkenberg + 0.677
- Kimi Antonelli + 0.695
- Fernando Alonso + 0.737
- Isack Hadjar + 0.772
- Jack Doohan + 0.944
- Lance Stroll + 1.344
- Ollie Bearman + 1.356
- Esteban Ocon + 1.790
- Gabriel Bortoleto + 1.799
