The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is heating up at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as teams gear up for the qualifying rounds this weekend. McLaren has set the pace during the practice sessions, showcasing impressive speed and performance. With only one hour left to fine-tune their cars ahead of qualifying, the stakes are high for all drivers as they aim to secure advantageous grid positions.
On Friday, April 18, 2025, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri led the charge for McLaren, with Norris clocking a blistering time of 1:28.267 in the second practice session, placing him at the top of the leaderboard. Piastri wasn't far behind, finishing with a time of 1:28.430, solidifying McLaren's dominance by securing a one-two finish. Norris expressed satisfaction with the day's performance, stating, "A good start to the weekend and a productive first day on track, getting comfy in the car and building confidence." His teammate Piastri echoed similar sentiments, noting, "It was a little bit of a trickier day, but I think the pace in the car is good. The competition doesn’t seem far away, so we need to iron out a couple of things to put us in the best place for Qualifying."
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, is looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance in Bahrain, where he finished sixth. He managed to secure the third-fastest time in FP2 with a lap of 1:28.547. Despite the positive result, Verstappen remains cautious, stating, "Today we tried some different things with the car and worked to find a different direction. I think we learned a lot from the sessions today, but it is still not quite where we want the car to be." His teammate Yuki Tsunoda had a more challenging day, crashing into the wall at the final corner during FP2, which cut his session short. Tsunoda expressed his frustration, saying, "First, a big apology to my Team today about the accident, I just turned in too much and clipped the wall. It is frustrating because the pace was looking good."
Ferrari also had a mixed day, with Charles Leclerc showing promise by securing the fourth-fastest time in FP2 at 1:28.749. Leclerc acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, "We are missing a bit of pace compared to the cars in front of us, but if we put everything together tomorrow, it should be a close Qualifying." Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton struggled to find his rhythm, finishing 13th in FP2 with a time of 1:29.371. Hamilton admitted to facing difficulties, saying, "It was a challenging day. We’re still chasing the right balance between the front and rear axles, and I’m struggling a bit with consistency across the lap."
Mercedes' George Russell managed to secure the seventh position with a time of 1:28.973, while Kimi Antonelli finished 11th with a time of 1:29.242. Russell noted that the team faced challenges in FP2, stating, "It was a slightly messy day from our side. We didn’t manage to get too many clean laps in, owing to both traffic and a few efforts where we didn’t quite get the tyres in the right window."
Alpine's Pierre Gasly made headlines by topping FP1 with a time of 1:29.239, although he slipped to eighth in FP2. Gasly expressed confidence in the car's performance, stating, "Overall I am pleased with our Friday Practice today. I had a great feeling in the car in Free Practice 1 and it is always nice to top a session even if it is only Practice."
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both showed competitive times for Williams, with Albon finishing 10th in FP2 at 1:29.220 and Sainz fifth at 1:28.942. Albon remarked on the excitement of driving at Jeddah, saying, "It’s a lot of fun to drive around this track with so many high-speed sections. It’s going to be very close in Qualifying, so there’s some fine-tuning to be done ahead of the session."
As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on the upcoming qualifying session, scheduled for 6 PM local time on Saturday, April 19. With McLaren looking strong and Red Bull eager to recover, the stage is set for an exhilarating showdown. Will McLaren maintain their edge, or can Verstappen and his team mount a comeback? Fans are eagerly awaiting the outcome as the drivers gear up for what promises to be a thrilling qualifying session.
In the driver standings after four races, Lando Norris leads with 77 points, closely followed by Oscar Piastri with 74 points. Max Verstappen sits in third with 69 points, while George Russell is in fourth with 63 points. The competition is fierce, and every point counts as the season progresses.
With the Jeddah Corniche Circuit known for its high-speed sections and technical challenges, drivers will need to find the perfect balance between speed and control to succeed in qualifying. As the teams analyze data and make adjustments overnight, the anticipation builds for what could be a pivotal moment in the 2025 Formula One season.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the qualifying session, where the battle for pole position will unfold under the lights of Jeddah!
