F1 Race Event: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Race Track: Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Carlos Sainz (55) Williams FW47  leads Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB21 and Lando Norris driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)

Weather: dry  28°C
Tarmac: dry  46°C
Humidity : 66%
Wind : 3.6 km/h

Gasly Surprises as McLaren and Ferrari Lurk in Fiery Saudi FP1

Jeddah, 4 April 2025 – The scorching streets of Saudi Arabia delivered a red-hot start to the weekend as Pierre Gasly stunned the paddock by topping the timing sheets in Free Practice 1 for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Yes, you read that right—Alpine is back in the spotlight, and for once, not because of off-track drama.

Gasly Flies as the Walls Close In

In a session where track temperatures hit a sizzling 50°C, grip was at a premium—but that didn’t stop Gasly from threading the needle through Jeddah’s concrete corridors. His 1m29.239s lap came late in the session when conditions cooled slightly and grip improved, giving him just enough of an edge to beat Lando Norris by 0.007s and Charles Leclerc by 0.071s.

For context? That’s tighter than an F1 PR statement.

Close Calls and Concrete Kisses

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Both Oscar Piastri and Ollie Bearman had brushes with the barriers—mild enough to avoid serious damage but dramatic enough to spike the heart rates of their engineers. Bearman’s incident came after a lock-up, while Piastri reported a light tap and asked his team to check over the McLaren. Luckily for both, their sessions continued unhindered.

McLaren Lurking, Norris Charging

Lando Norris was up for the fight, showing strong pace on both the C4 medium and C5 soft compounds. Despite admitting he hasn’t fully gelled with his 2025 McLaren, Norris’ confidence is clearly building—especially after outpacing Piastri early in the session.

McLaren have three wins from the opening four races this year, but with Piastri and Norris trading blows like a Netflix mini-series, the internal battle is heating up just as fast as the tarmac in Jeddah.

Ferrari's Floor and Frustrations

Ferrari debuted a new floor last week, and while the Scuderia hinted it would shine more brightly here, it’s still unclear how much of a step forward it truly is. Leclerc looked solid in P3, while Carlos Sainz had a messy session—running into traffic and calling out his teammate over team radio for nearly blocking him in a high-speed section. The Spaniard clearly isn’t in the mood for misunderstandings.

Russell Leads Early, Mercedes Watching Closely

George Russell was one of the early pace-setters before the soft tyre runs kicked in, eventually slipping to seventh as others improved. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, hovered in the midfield with old soft tyres—still half a second down on his teammate. Mercedes looked… fine. Not great, not terrible. Perhaps saving their hand for FP2 under the lights.

Traffic Troubles and Rookie Watch

Kimi Antonelli, still finding his rhythm, locked up and skated wide late in the session, finishing 13th. He wasn’t alone in battling the tight confines of Jeddah’s street circuit, where traffic started to become an issue and will likely get worse as the weekend progresses.

Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson appeared slightly out of sync on the softs for Racing Bulls, and while they didn’t show headline pace, both are gaining mileage and confidence.

Verstappen Watching, Red Bull Waiting

Max Verstappen, winner here in 2022 and 2024, was unusually quiet in this session. Red Bull looked steady, but not sparkling. The reigning champion didn’t complete a flying lap on the softs, and had a near miss with the wall while still on the mediums. Classic Max—quiet now, probably monstrous later.

A Glimpse Into Qualifying Pace?

With just seven hundredths separating the top three, FP1 offered a tantalising taste of what's to come. But remember, this was a daylight session—conditions will shift dramatically under the lights in FP2, the only fully representative practice before Qualifying.

Gasly’s headline time may raise eyebrows, but whether Alpine can replicate that pace when it really matters remains to be seen.

Up Next: The Real Test

As the sun sets over Jeddah and the floodlights flicker on, the real drama begins. Will McLaren extend their hot streak? Can Ferrari make their new floor sing? Is Red Bull playing possum? And will Pierre Gasly’s fairy tale form continue into the night?

We’ll find out soon.

FP1 Times Table 2025 Saudi Arabian GP

✅ Don't forget to check out the 2025 Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix preview

The quickest lap time of last year's first practice was a 1:26,659 min driven by Max Verstappen on a set of soft tyres underneath the Red Bull RB20.

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