Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025, which takes place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia from April 18 to 20, is the fifth race of the 2025 season, in which McLaren has already surpassed Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull in points for the Driver and Constructors Championships.

Like the racetracks in Monaco and Las Vegas, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a city street circuit that is open to the public during the day, with the race events held at night under bright lights. The first Formula 1 Grand Prix was held at the Jeddah circuit in 2021.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a city street circuit that is available to the public throughout the day, much to the racetracks in Monaco and Las Vegas. The racing takes place under brilliant lights at night. The Jeddah track hosted its maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2021.

The Grand Prix's 50 laps will span 192 miles on the 4.2-mile circuit. There are 27 bends or twists (the most of any track this year), three significant straightaways, and three Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones.

George Russell secured a strong second place for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton achieved his best Sunday result since moving to Ferrari, finishing fifth.

Max Verstappen struggled with Red Bull’s pace, ultimately placing sixth, amid growing rumors that the Dutch driver might depart the team at season’s end. Verstappen triumphed in last year’s Jeddah race, which was notable for Ollie Bearman’s Formula 1 debut. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix joined the F1 calendar in 2021 as the second-to-last race but has shifted to an earlier slot since 2022.

The Jeddah street circuit is renowned for its thrilling qualifying sessions, though overtaking remains difficult. Crafted by Carsten Tilke, son of famed F1 track designer Hermann Tilke, the circuit includes a fast, distinctive section that some drivers find risky due to poor visibility of upcoming corners.

Given the high speeds on this urban track, crashes are a real concern, increasing the chances of a safety car deployment.

Leclerc and Ferrari showed solid form in the Bahrain heat, consistently featuring near the top of the timesheets during practice—either Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton secured a top-four spot in all three sessions. Their performance carried over into the race as well.

Ferrari debuted a new floor in Bahrain, though they didn’t confirm whether it enabled them to run with a lower ride height. Still, both drivers demonstrated impressive pace during the middle stint on medium tyres, keeping up with race leader Oscar Piastri when running in clean air.

Alex Albon, meanwhile, seems to have caught Carlos Sainz at a vulnerable moment. Still highly regarded in the Red Bull camp, Albon might emerge as a surprise contender to spearhead a revamped Red Bull lineup in 2026—should the team undergo a major overhaul.

And then there’s Isack Hadjar, who hinted at an eventful season the moment he spun out during the formation lap in Australia.

Hadjar has since been one of the standout rookies, consistently performing at a high level over the opening four rounds and establishing himself as a name to watch.