The Formula 1 juggernaut storms into Jeddah for the fifth round of the season, where the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix promises to ignite a championship fight already blazing with intensity. With a mere 14 points separating the top four drivers, the lightning-fast Corniche Circuit is primed for a high-stakes showdown that could reshape the title race.
Here are our top five storylines we’re following into the last race of the 2025 Formula 1 early-season triple header.
Related: Ferrari Formula 1: Hamilton & Leclerc to exact Saudi redemption?
McLaren’s intra-team rivalry is heating up at 2025 Saudi Arabian GP
In the first few races of the 2025 season, a new challenger has emerged in the person of Oscar Piastri as a genuine threat to teammate Lando Norris. Piastri took a dominant victory in the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix to become the second winner of the season and closed the gap with his teammate Norris to just three points behind in the Drivers’ Championship. Many have started to consider Piastri as the new favorite to win the championship. In contrast, Norris himself admitted to a difficult weekend in Bahrain, qualifying was poor and he finished third after a time penalty spoiled a good first lap.
This dynamic could be heightened further at Jeddah for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It must be noted that Piastri has had the better of his teammate at this track in the last two seasons, as he has qualified ahead of him and finished ahead of him. With a win in Bahrain under his belt, Piastri arrives in Jeddah full of confidence and it is now down to Norris to figure out why he has not been able to get entirely comfortable with this year’s McLaren. The pressure is on Norris to find solutions fast, as another strong performance from Piastri could see the Australian move to the top of the championship. The battle within the McLaren team is one of the most exciting storylines as the season progresses.
Related: Max Verstappen and Red Bull in crisis as champion eyes exit
Is Red Bull ready to return from the lost momentum in Jeddah?
It was a completely different story in Japan, where Max Verstappen emerged victorious, but in Bahrain, Red Bull Racing was left wanting. Verstappen was not his usual self through the weekend, ending up in sixth place in a car that looked like it was not competitive. Brake problems in qualifying and basic issues with car balance that affected tire wear and race pace plagued the champions. Not helping their cause were pit lane issues, including malfunctioning driver signal lights and a slow pit stop for Verstappen.
The team in Bahrain held an “ad-hoc meeting with the key personnel” to identify the problems. According to Helmut Marko, the team performed poorly, which he called “unacceptable” and emphasized the need to get the car right and the pit stops perfect. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a high-speed circuit different from Bahrain, and its front-limited nature may play to the strengths of the Red Bull car. However, there are no guarantees of a return to their Suzuka form. Since McLaren has been strong on high speed, Red Bull must ensure they get their car right to allow Verstappen to fight for the win and not lose more ground in the Drivers and Constructors’ Championship. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be an important test for Red Bull to diagnose and fix the problems they have been facing lately.
Read More: Max Verstappen and Red Bull in crisis as champion eyes exit
Ferrari’s pursuit: Hamilton continues his transition
Ferrari provided their most positive performance of the 2025 season in Bahrain, where Charles Leclerc took fourth place and Lewis Hamilton took fifth. This was especially positive for Hamilton, who called this weekend his most valuable so far and felt like he made huge progress in understanding this new Ferrari. He especially felt like he was “on the same page” with the car during the middle stint and learned a lot from the setup directions, which included some from Leclerc.
It has not been one of his best tracks in the past and Hamilton has also said that Jeddah is not one of his best circuits. McLaren is expected to bring a new front wing to this race and Ferrari knows that McLaren is still the better car. However, the progress made in Bahrain has given the Scuderia a positive feeling and Hamilton will be looking to translate that into better qualifying and racing in Saudi Arabia. The seven-time World Champion will be looking to prove that he is on the right track and can get the most out of the Ferrari every weekend.
Read More: Ferrari 2025 Bahrain GP Upgrade: Small gains, big hopes for Jeddah?
The battle of the midfield gets hot at the 2025 Saudi Arabian GP
In the early races of 2025, the fight for points in the midfield has been remarkably close and competitive. The Bahrain Grand Prix saw Alpine become the last team to score points, a marked difference from last year, when several teams did not even score at this stage. Going into the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Haas leads the tight midfield battle in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship and Williams is just one point behind. Aston Martin, Racing Point, Alpine, and Sauber are also tightly packed.
It is possible that the unique Jeddah circuit could work in favor of some of the midfield teams. For instance, Racing Bulls were strong in the second sector of China, and the first sector of Jeddah is quick, meaning the Bulls could once again be right up at the front of the midfield. Oliver Bearman also drove for Haas in Jeddah last year, which means he has more experience of this challenging circuit than other rookies. The tightly contested margins between these teams mean that a well-executed strategy or a track layout that suits their car can lead to significant gains in points. This race within the race will be a great one to watch.
Jeddah: A high-speed thrill ride with consequences
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is one of the most eye-catching and complex circuits on the Formula 1 calendar. Characterized by its fast corners, frequent direction changes, and long straights, all set on a street circuit with no run-off, Jeddah is a special challenge for drivers and teams. With 27 corners, it has the most corners of any track this year, and most of them are flat out at over 185 mph, especially in the three DRS zones.
While the surface of the Bahrain International Circuit is very abrasive, Jeddah’s is much smoother, which means less tire wear. However, Pirelli has decided to bring a softer tire compound this year, which may lead to more strategic racing and possibly more overtaking, even though this track has always been challenging. It requires a lot of precision, and even a tiny mistake can lead to a crash with the walls, ending your race. Due to the high-speed nature of the track, teams will be running with less downforce than Bahrain, which could change the competitive order. For any driver who wants to do well in the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, it will be essential to master the “crazy Formula 1 track – it’s like Monza with walls,” as described by Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti.
