Gasly Claims Practice P1 by Whisker Over Norris

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a spectacular and challenging street track known for its high-speed sections and unforgiving walls, kicked off the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend with an intriguing first practice session. Under the scorching Saudi sun, with asphalt temperatures soaring close to 50 degrees Celsius, teams and drivers grappled with the demanding conditions, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating race weekend. In a surprising turn of events, it was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who emerged at the top of the time sheets, showcasing unexpected pace from the French constructor and hinting at a closer battle than many anticipated.

The session began with various teams testing their setups and gathering crucial data on the fast-flowing circuit. Early on, Lando Norris of McLaren quickly established a strong benchmark, posting a lap time of 1’29.246. His initial pace proved difficult for many of his rivals to match, signaling McLaren’s continued competitive form seen in recent races. The tight nature of the Jeddah circuit, with its 27 corners and numerous blind spots, makes precision and confidence paramount, and Norris appeared to find his rhythm swiftly.

However, as the session progressed and drivers pushed harder on the soft compound tires, the competitive order began to crystallize. It was Pierre Gasly who ultimately delivered a stunning performance in the crucial final sector, narrowly pipping Norris to the fastest lap by an infinitesimal margin of just seven-thousandths of a second. This sensational effort placed Alpine at the summit, a significant boost for a team often seen battling in the midfield. Gasly’s run highlighted not only his individual skill but also the potential for Alpine’s A525 challenger to perform strongly on circuits that reward aerodynamic efficiency and driver confidence.

Close behind the top two was Charles Leclerc, positioning his Ferrari SF-25 in third place, just seven-hundredths of a second adrift of Gasly’s time. Leclerc’s pace underscored Ferrari’s strong showing, though his session wasn’t without drama. Towards the session’s conclusion, he radioed his team to report a light contact with the wall at Turn 4. While seemingly minor, such incidents on a street circuit like Jeddah can have significant consequences for car setup and driver confidence, making it a point of concern for the Ferrari garage heading into the critical qualifying session.

The performance of the top three teams’ stablemates painted a varied picture across the rest of the time sheet. Last week’s race winner, Oscar Piastri, continued to impress, securing a strong fourth place. His lap time was within a tenth of a second of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, demonstrating remarkable consistency and a rapid adaptation to the challenging circuit. Piastri’s consistent front-running form suggests McLaren has a potent package for the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and both drivers could be strong contenders for pole position and race victory.

In the sister Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton continued to work through his setup adjustments but ultimately finished in eighth position, half a second behind his teammate Leclerc. Hamilton’s slightly larger gap to Leclerc indicates that he may still be fine-tuning his comfort with the SF-25 in Jeddah’s unique conditions. The seven-time world champion is known for his ability to extract performance as the weekend progresses, and Ferrari will be diligently analyzing the data to help him close that gap and contend for top positions in the sessions to come.

Another interesting storyline from the session involved the engine allocations. Notably, Jack Doohan, driving the second Alpine, finished 16th, nearly a second off his teammate Gasly’s leading pace. It was confirmed that Doohan had not taken a new engine this weekend, unlike Gasly. This could partially explain the performance differential, as fresh power units often provide a marginal but crucial performance boost. Additionally, all four drivers equipped with Honda RBPT power units – comprising both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls teams – were also running new engines, suggesting a strategic refresh of components early in the season.

Williams showed promising pace, with both drivers comfortably inside the top 10. Alexander Albon spearheaded their effort, securing an impressive fifth place. This strong showing from the FW47 suggests that Williams has found a sweet spot for the high-speed demands of Jeddah. Carlos Sainz Jnr, driving the other Williams and finishing seventh, voiced his displeasure over blue flag infringements, particularly on a track with numerous blind and high-speed corners. “Please someone tell the Ferrari not to let people by there, it’s so dangerous,” he radioed, highlighting the inherent safety risks when cars are forced to slow down or deviate on this unforgiving circuit. This feedback from a seasoned driver like Sainz underscores the critical need for drivers and teams to maintain high situational awareness and adhere strictly to racing etiquette, especially during practice sessions on such a perilous track.

Sandwiched between the two Williams cars was George Russell’s Mercedes. Russell initially displayed strong pace on the medium compound tires, showcasing the potential of the Mercedes W16. However, his session was cut short due to a persistent braking problem that troubled him towards the end, forcing him to pit early. The Mercedes team will be working tirelessly to diagnose and rectify this issue, as braking performance is absolutely crucial for stability and lap time on a circuit demanding aggressive braking into high-speed corners and precise modulation through the faster sections.

The Red Bull Racing duo completed the top 10, a somewhat subdued start for the reigning champions. As is often the case in Friday practice, Max Verstappen sounded audibly discontent with his car’s behavior. Early in the session, he reported difficulties navigating the slow Turn 1-2 chicane, a critical section for maintaining momentum. Later, his frustrations grew, describing his car as “very loose in the high-speed” sections. On a track like Jeddah, where confidence in high-speed corners dictates lap time, a loose rear end can be particularly detrimental. Despite his complaints, Verstappen still managed to secure ninth place, just ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda in tenth. This performance pattern from Verstappen – initial struggles followed by dominant performances – is a familiar narrative, but the team will undoubtedly be working overtime to dial in the RB21 and mitigate these handling issues before qualifying.

Further down the field, Racing Bulls opted for a different strategy regarding tire usage. While most drivers completed their fastest laps on the softest rubber much earlier, Racing Bulls waited until the final 10 minutes of the session to conduct their first significant runs on the soft compound. This approach could have been to conserve tires or to test performance in slightly cooler track conditions as the sun began to set. Adding to the team’s eventful session, Liam Lawson was summoned to the stewards for allegedly crossing the painted area on the approach to the pit lane, a clear contravention of the race director’s guidelines. Such infractions often result in penalties, underscoring the strict adherence required to track rules, even in practice sessions.

The varied performances and minor incidents in FP1 provide a tantalizing glimpse into the competitive landscape for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. With Alpine showing unexpected front-running pace, McLaren and Ferrari firmly in contention, and Red Bull grappling with initial setup challenges, the stage is set for a thrilling weekend. The unique characteristics of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, from its high-speed sweeps to its proximity to the walls, demand absolute precision and courage from the drivers. The teams will now delve deep into the data collected during this session, working to refine their strategies, optimize their car setups, and address any lingering issues. The next sessions, FP2 and particularly qualifying, will be crucial in determining who can master this demanding circuit and position themselves for a strong showing in Sunday’s main event.

2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix First Practice Result

2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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• Russell told race control what he thought of Verstappen’s first lap corner cut
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