McLaren’s New Upgrade Promises Great Pace

McLaren introduced its first major upgrade of the season in Saudi Arabia, with a new diffuser and lower-downforce wings. The car showed promising pace, with no major alarm bells, and is ahead of its competition by 0.3s in qualifying and up to 0.7s in race runs, according to Mark Hughes’ analysis.

– Jonathan Noble, The Race

Verstappen and Red Bull Break into Top Six

For the first time in 2025, Max Verstappen and Red Bull broke into the top six in an FP2 session, finishing third overall. Although the car isn’t without its troubles, it showed genuine speed and could be a strong contender this weekend.

– Edd Straw, The Race

Ferrari’s Hamilton Struggles Despite New Floor

Lewis Hamilton faced balance and consistency issues in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix practice sessions, struggling to match his teammate Charles Leclerc’s pace. This is despite Ferrari introducing a new floor upgrade.

– Edd Straw, The Race

Drivers Getting Caught Out in High-Speed Corners

The tricky Jeddah circuit continues to catch out drivers, with several incidents involving rear slides and off-track moments in FP2 alone. Teams will look to tidy up set-ups overnight, but drivers will have limited opportunity to practice in qualifying conditions due to FP3 taking place during the daytime.

– Scott Mitchell-Malm, The Race

Q&A

Who leads the FP1&2 sessions in Saudi Arabia?

McLaren, with Oscar Piastri topping FP1 and Lando Norris leading FP2.

Which driver scored his first major setback with Red Bull?

Yuki Tsunoda, who crashed out in FP2 after a promising start.

Which team struggled despite a strong start to the season?

Haas, who found themselves struggling in the high-speed corners of the Jeddah circuit.