The long runs in FP2 were interrupted by the red flag caused by Tsunoda. Excellent performance from McLaren, while Ferrari was a bit further behind.
Just like in Sakhir, McLaren proves to be the car to beat right from Friday. In fact, Lando Norris set the fastest time in FP2, 163 thousandths quicker than his teammate Oscar Piastri. Right behind them is Max Verstappen, still chasing his fifth consecutive World Championship despite numerous rumors linking him away from Red Bull. Nearly half a second off the pace is Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton is all the way down in thirteenth.
For the fifth round of the season, Pirelli has chosen to bring the softest compounds in the range: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft). Compared to last season, the Milan-based manufacturer has opted for better performance, as in 2024 teams had harder compounds available — namely C2, C3, and C4.
Nevertheless, the race is expected to feature a one-stop strategy, just like last season’s round, as tire degradation is not anticipated to be particularly high.
However, one variable that must definitely be taken into account is the possible deployment of a Safety Car or the appearance of a red flag. In fact, in all four previous editions held at the Jeddah circuit, the Safety Car has played a key role during the race, often leading to unexpected strategy changes.
Race pace analysis F1 Saudi Arabia: here are this afternoon’s lap times.
The Jeddah circuit, although featuring three DRS zones, doesn’t offer many overtaking opportunities, except for turn 1, as there are no significant braking zones. Therefore, teams preferred to focus on qualifying, leaving the final twenty minutes for race pace simulations.
The teams’ schedule was disrupted, however, by the red flag caused by Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull crash with just over 8 minutes remaining in the session. Therefore, we also refer to some long runs carried out during FP1 while awaiting FP3.
Just like in the previous weekend, McLaren appeared dominant right from the first free practice session, although the Jeddah circuit is less suited to the characteristics of the MCL39 compared to the Sakhir circuit.
In FP1, Lando Norris’ long run on the medium tire was almost a second per lap faster than those of Leclerc and Verstappen. The British driver, who needs to maintain his Championship lead, showed great confidence with his MCL39 from the very first laps and will need to confirm his performance on Sunday, after two challenging races.
Charles Leclerc’s long run was also strong, as he set two excellent lap times in the final two laps, indicating low tire degradation, particularly on the medium compound, which will likely be the most used tire during the race. Ferrari, therefore, appears to be a strong contender for a podium position, especially with Charles Leclerc, as Hamilton was slower than his teammate both in qualifying simulations and in the long run.
A rival for Ferrari’s podium hopes could be Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which likely simulated a race scenario with a fuller fuel load. Mercedes, on the other hand, didn’t complete any notable long runs, but should still be watched closely, as the Jeddah street circuit suits the characteristics of the W16 quite well.
PHOTO: Mclaren F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari HP, Gabriel Bortoleto, GPKingdom.
