FP1 in Saudi Arabia: Surprise Leader Gasly in the Alpine, Norris Just 0.007s Behind. Leclerc Splits the McLarens, Piastri in P4. Hamilton 8th, Max Struggles in 9th
The fifth round of the Formula 1 World Championship takes place in Jeddah, with all eyes on whether McLaren can continue their strong form. Red Bull faces turbulence with Max Verstappen under pressure, Mercedes hopes to spring a surprise, and Ferrari chases its first podium of the season. Follow our live coverage of FP1 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
LIVE Coverage: FP1 Session Updates
16:30 – The FP1 session ends with a stunning result: Pierre Gasly finishes on top in the Alpine! Lando Norris is just 0.007s behind, while Charles Leclerc secures third. Oscar Piastri takes fourth, Hamilton eighth. It’s a tough session for Red Bull, with Verstappen down in ninth. Here’s the full top 10:
- Pierre Gasly 1:29:239
- Lando Norris 1:29:246
- Charles Leclerc 1:29:309
- Oscar Piastri 1:29:341
- Alexander Albon 1:29:606
- George Russell 1:29:618
- Carlos Sainz 1:29:779
- Lewis Hamilton 1:29:815
- Max Verstappen 1:29:818
- Yuki Tsunoda 1:29:821
16:25 – With 6 minutes to go, teams begin to focus on long-run pace
16:15 – Current top 10 (provisional): Gasly, Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Albon, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Verstappen, Tsunoda
16:08 – Out of nowhere, Gasly sets a blistering 1:29.239 to take the lead, edging Norris by 7 thousandths. Leclerc is third, just 0.070s behind
16:05 – Lando Norris posts a 1:29.246, leading Russell by 0.372s. Piastri is third, 0.4s back. Leclerc sits fourth, half a second off the pace, while Verstappen is in fifth. Hamilton struggles down in ninth, almost a second adrift.
15:58 – Drivers begin their first runs on soft tyres—stand by for flying laps.
15:55 – With 35 minutes remaining, Russell leads the session. Norris follows 0.3s behind. Red Bulls (Verstappen and Tsunoda) are 3rd and 4th, Piastri 5th. Ferrari is still easing in—Leclerc is 11th, 0.9s off, Hamilton 13th and a full second down.
15:45 – The track keeps improving. Norris clocks 1:29.980, 0.3s ahead of Piastri. But George Russell storms ahead with a 1:29.674 to top the timesheets.
15:42 – Russell leads with a 1:30.425, just 0.029s quicker than Norris. Piastri is a tenth off. Verstappen is fourth, while Leclerc holds sixth
15:35 – First competitive runs on medium tyres: Piastri goes quickest with 1:31.548, two-tenths ahead of Verstappen, and three over Russell. Norris is close behind in fourth
15:30- 15:30 – GREEN LIGHT! . FP1 is underway in Saudi Arabia. The sun is shining, with air temperatures near 30°C and track temperatures soaring above 50°C
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, McLaren, BWT Alpine Formula One Team
