The first triple-header of the 2025 season is coming to an end on the shores of the Red Sea. Jeddah is a port city in Saudi Arabia and is regarded as the port of entry for pilgrims heading to Mecca, as well as being a major commercial centre and cultural hub, known for its modern waterfront and the historic Al-Balad district.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix first appeared on the calendar in December 2021, with the next three events taking place in March, and this year will be the first time it is run in April, when temperature, wind and humidity levels will be more similar to those experienced in summer, which could have an impact on track action this weekend.
The Compounds
The choice of compounds for the first four races of this season were the same as last year’s, but for round five, Pirelli has taken a softer step, with the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft being the trio available in Jeddah. This is in line with the aim, shared with the FIA, F1 and the teams, to create more strategy choices for the race and therefore more exciting and unpredictable racing. In the four previous editions of this Grand Prix, the one-stop has always dominated, both in terms of its effectiveness and team preference, even when a Safety Car mixed things up a bit more.
The Track
The track is 6.174 kilometres long and one of the fastest of the season with drivers spending around 80% of the lap with the accelerator buried to the floor, even though it is fairly twisty and boasts a record number of corners, 27 in fact, with 16 to the left and 11 to the right. Many of them are taken at medium or high speed. Although there are three DRS zones, overtaking is not that straightforward due to the lack of any heavy braking points.
The track surface is not very abrasive, with an average level of roughness, but the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are considerable, although not at the level to be found at Suzuka or Barcelona for example. Graining can put in an appearance, especially in the first free practice sessions as the track is very dirty to start with, because it is rarely used for motor racing. However, with several support categories also racing, track condition improves over the course of the weekend, so that this phenomenon diminishes. However, with a softer trio of compounds this year, it will be interesting to see what effect that has.
The Stats
Three drivers have shared the wins in the four editions of this Grand Prix held to date. Max Verstappen won twice in 2022 and 2024, Lewis Hamilton claimed victory in the inaugural event in 2021 and Sergio Perez came out on top in 2023. The same three drivers are also responsible for all four pole positions, although in this case it’s Sergio Perez who has two to his name, in 2022 and 2023, with the Englishman claiming the top grid slot in 2021 and the Dutchman doing so one year later.
The four-time world champion has always finished on the podium here, with Charles Leclerc setting the most fastest race laps with two to his name, as well as finishing in the top three twice. Naturally, Verstappen leads the way for points scored on 87 followed by his former team-mate Perez on 55, with the Ferrari driver third on 49.
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Scheduling
The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is set to take place from April 18th to 20th at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The schedule for the event, in local times, is as follows:
Sunday, April 20th: · Race: 20:00
Friday, April 18th: · Practice 1: 16:30 – 17:30 · Practice 2: 20:00 – 21:00
Saturday, April 19th: · Practice 3: 16:30 – 17:30 · Qualifying: 20:00 – 21:00
How to Watch the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.
In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.
For fans in the United States, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.
Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.
Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide and is offering an F1 TV Pro Free Trial for this weekend only.
This subscription service provides access to onboard cameras, team radios, live timing, and more, for an immersive viewing experience.
Remember to check the local listings and services for the most up-to-date information regarding broadcast times and availability in your region.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Fast Facts
- The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is held on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, located in a waterfront area next to the Red Sea.
- The location presents similar challenges to Abu Dhabi with sand blowing onto the track and changes in wind direction from day to night.
- The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has the most corners of any track on the F1 calendar with 27: 16 left and 11 right.
- It is also the third-longest track F1 visits at 6.174km. Only Las Vegas and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium are longer.
- Turn 13 has a 12% gradient, with banked corners opening up more lines and helping to build momentum onto the next sweeping, high-speed section.
- Turn 2 is the slowest corner on the circuit, taken around 80 km/h, whilst the quickest are Turns 20, 21, and 26 which are taken at 300 km/h.
- Owing to its nature as a street circuit, Jeddah has a high risk of incidents leading to Safety Cars. Across the four races in Saudi Arabia to date there have been five full Safety Car periods, and two red flags.
- Drivers will spend around 70% of their lap time at full throttle around the Corniche. Only Melbourne and Monza record a higher figure than that.
- Jeddah has the fourth-shortest pit lane on the calendar, and drivers will only lose 15 seconds by making a pit stop, the third-shortest loss of the season.
- The run down from pole position to the first braking point is the fourth-shortest of the season. Only Belgium, Baku and Las Vegas are shorter.
- Mercedes won the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021 with Lewis Hamilton. First held in December as the penultimate race, the event has taken residence in the early portion of the season ever since.
- The Red Bull Racing team have celebrated a one-two finish at the last two Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen clocking a ninth consecutive race victory and a 100th podium finish last year.
- Verstappen has stood on the podium in all four GPs held in Saudi Arabia, never finishing below second in that spell.
- Verstappen’s pole lap in 2024 was taken with an average speed of 157.886 mph – the highest lap speed seen at any other circuit than Monza since 1990.
- In 2024, Jeddah hosted the first round of the all-female F1 ACADEMY series – which officially joined the F1 support bill full-time that season. It will host the second round of the championship in 2025.
