The 2025 Formula 1 season powered into its final stop of the first triple header with the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, set against the striking backdrop of Jeddah’s Red Sea coast. A city known as a historic gateway for pilgrims en route to Mecca and a modern cultural and commercial hub, Jeddah delivers a unique blend of tradition and modernity — and its Grand Prix circuit is no different. Making its April debut in 2025, the race would potentially take on an extra layer of unpredictability, with warmer temperatures, swirling winds, and higher humidity levels expected to echo summer-like conditions and challenge teams in new ways.
At 6.174 kilometers, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit remains one of the fastest on the calendar, despite being a twisty street layout packed with 27 corners — 16 left, 11 right — many of which are tackled at medium to high speed. Drivers can keep the throttle pinned for roughly 80% of the lap, dealing with precision and bravery in equal measure. While there are three DRS zones, the lack of heavy braking points means overtaking remains a high-stakes last-minute affair.
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 18 April 2025 – 20 April 2025
Race date: Saturday, 20 April, 2025
Race start time: 20:00 local time
Circuit: Jeddah Corniche Circuit
Laps: 50
Circuit length: 6.174km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | TBC | TBC | |
| Second | TBC | TBC | |
| Third | TBC | TBC | |
As Formula 1 wraps up the first tripleheader of the 2025 season under the Jeddah lights, it’s easy to forget just how new this race is in the sport’s history. Saudi Arabia only joined the Grand Prix calendar in 2021, becoming the 35th nation to host a race in motorsport’s premier category. The event arrived just two weeks after Qatar’s debut, significantly expanding F1’s presence in the Middle East. With Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar firmly established on the schedule, the region has quickly become a core part of the modern F1 calendar, collectively hosting 44 races to date.
Among those, Jeddah has carved out a reputation as one of the fastest and most dramatic street circuits in the sport. With its mix of high-speed sweeps and dauntingly close walls, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has already seen its fair share of standout races. Three drivers had claimed victory here so far — Lewis Hamilton in the inaugural 2021 race, Sergio Perez in 2023, and Max Verstappen twice, in 2022 and 2024. Before the 2025 race the same trio had also locked out all four pole positions, with Perez securing two, Hamilton one, and Verstappen topping qualifying in 2022.
While Verstappen led the charge in terms of points scored in Jeddah, with 87 to his name, Perez followed with 55, and Charles Leclerc sat third on 49, despite not yet claiming a win here. Leclerc had, however, set the fastest lap twice and landed on the podium twice, proving his pace around this rapid street circuit. In just four editions, Jeddah has already built a compelling legacy — one that continues to evolve as the 2025 season pushes forward at full throttle.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 18 April 2025 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm local time |
| 18 April 2025 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm local time |
| 19 April 2025 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 4:30 am – 5:30 pm local time |
| 19 April 2025 | Qualifying | 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm local time |
| 20 April 2025 | Race | 8:00 pm local time |
Saturday qualifying short report. Post-session.
Sunday race short report. Post-session.
Championship background
Oscar Piastri took a commanding win in Bahrain and had blown the 2025 title race wide open, bringing him within just three points of championship leader Lando Norris. With Max Verstappen also lurking just eight points behind the McLaren frontman, the top of the 2025 Drivers’ Championship was shaping up to be a fierce, three-way battle. George Russell was firmly in the mix too — his impressive drive to fend off Norris for second place in Sakhir put him just 14 points off the top, keeping the Mercedes man in close contention.
In the 2025 Constructors’ standings, McLaren had surged ahead with a 48-point cushion over Mercedes, establishing themselves as the early team to beat in 2025. Their form looked set to continue in Jeddah, a circuit that rewards the kind of cornering precision and straight-line efficiency the MCL38 had shown in abundance. Behind them, Ferrari were showing signs of life, hoping to carry the momentum from a stronger outing in Bahrain into this weekend. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton would both be eyeing their first podiums of the season on a track where both had performed strongly in the past.
Weather-wise, the Jeddah weekend looked set to mirror the conditions seen in Bahrain — hot, dry, and relentless. Despite the nighttime sessions for FP2, Qualifying, and the race, ambient temperatures were expected to hover around 30°C across all three days. Managing tyre temperatures and engine cooling would be critical, especially with the tighter battle lines now drawn in both championships.
Race entries
The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race other than the driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda moved up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson headed in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, for round three at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
All the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
For the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Pirelli made a subtle but potentially significant shift in tyre strategy. While the first four rounds of the season had featured the same compound selections as 2024, round five in Jeddah saw the Italian supplier opting for a softer set: the C3 as the Hard, C4 as the Medium, and the ultra-sticky C5 as the Soft. This adjustment, made in collaboration with the FIA, Formula 1, and the teams, was part of an ongoing effort to open up more strategic variety and inject a dose of unpredictability into race day.
Historically, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been a one-stop affair, with that strategy proving both the most efficient and the most widely adopted—even in races complicated by Safety Cars. But this year’s softer compound set could throw that trend into question. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit isn’t especially abrasive, and while tyre wear is moderate, the high-speed layout subjects tyres to significant lateral loads — though not quite on the level of Suzuka or Barcelona. Early in the weekend, graining can be an issue due to the dirty track surface, as the venue sees little racing outside of Formula 1. However, as rubber builds up and the surface evolves, grip improves. With a softer trio in play for 2025, how teams manage degradation and grip could be crucial — and may finally tip the balance toward more dynamic strategy calls under the lights.
FIND OUT MORE
Free Practice
FP1 report, post-session.
FP2 report, post-session.
FP3 report, post-session.
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 18 April 2025 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 18 April 2025 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 19 April 2025 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Qualifying report and results, post-qualifying session.
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 19 April 2025 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm local time.
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
What happened in the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Full race report post-race.
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race results
The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Race was held on 20 April 2025 at 8:00 pm local time.
2025 Saudi Arabian Prix Fastest Laps
Full standings are announced post-race.
2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
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