The fifth race weekend of the Formula 1 season kicked off with a surprise at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, as Pierre Gasly put his Alpine on top of the timesheets during Friday’s first practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The French driver outpaced championship leader Lando Norris of McLaren and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in a session that saw the top four separated by just one-tenth of a second.
Gasly’s performance continues his upward momentum after scoring his first points of the season with a strong 7th place finish at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Though he expressed frustration with that result after the race, his pace in Saudi Arabia suggests Alpine might have more potential than initially thought on a track that wasn’t expected to suit their car’s characteristics.
Top performers show tight competition
Setting a benchmark time of 1:29.239, Gasly led a closely contested session where the front-runners showcased remarkable consistency. Norris, who currently leads the drivers’ championship, came in second, followed by Leclerc’s Ferrari in third place. Oscar Piastri, already a two-time race winner this season, rounded out the top four in the second McLaren.
What makes Gasly’s time even more intriguing is the possibility that Alpine might have run with a lighter fuel load than their competitors—a common practice variation during Friday sessions as teams work through different program priorities. (The real question is whether they can maintain this form when qualifying and race setups come into play tomorrow.)
Williams shows promising pace
Not to be overlooked, the Williams team made a strong impression with both cars finishing in the top six. Alex Albon and George Russell placed fifth and sixth respectively, with Russell briefly holding the fastest time while teams were running on medium compound tires. This strong showing from the British outfit suggests they might have found something that works well on the high-speed Jeddah track layout.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz followed in seventh position, with Lewis Hamilton taking eighth in his Mercedes.
Champions struggle to find pace
In an unusual turn of events, Red Bull Racing found themselves lower in the order than fans have grown accustomed to seeing. Defending world champion Max Verstappen could only manage ninth fastest, while teammate Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten despite vocal frustrations about his car’s balance issues over team radio.
The session highlighted how the competitive order in Formula 1 might be shifting. Is Red Bull holding back their true pace, or are we witnessing a genuine challenge to their dominance? (Sometimes these practice sessions can be misleading, but there’s no denying the gap seems to be narrowing between teams.)
Rookies face challenges
French rookie Isack Hadjar faced a frustrating session, finishing 15th after limited running time due to issues with his car’s wing. For any newcomer to Formula 1, track time is absolutely precious—every lap provides valuable data and experience to fine-tune both car setup and driving approach on a circuit as demanding and unforgiving as Jeddah.
Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon in the Haas car rounded out the session in 19th position, suggesting the American team still has work to do to find competitive pace on this circuit.
A circuit unlike any other
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit remains one of the most challenging venues on the Formula 1 calendar. With average speeds exceeding 150 mph and walls lining much of the 3.84-mile layout, drivers must balance aggression with precision. The track features 27 corners, making it a true test of driver concentration and car setup.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to navigate a concrete canyon at those speeds? Drivers often describe the experience as both exhilarating and terrifying, with the barriers just inches away at several points around the lap.
What’s next for the weekend?
As teams analyze the data from this first practice session, all eyes will be on whether Alpine can maintain their unexpected advantage or if traditional frontrunners like Red Bull and Ferrari will assert themselves in later practice and qualifying.
With temperatures expected to drop for the evening qualifying session on Saturday, and Sunday’s race also taking place after sunset under floodlights, conditions will change dramatically. This could completely reshape the competitive order we saw today.
Gasly’s performance has certainly raised eyebrows in the paddock, but the real test awaits in qualifying tomorrow. Can Alpine transform this early promise into their best grid position of the season? The battle for pole position looks set to be one of the closest yet in this increasingly competitive 2025 Formula 1 season.
