Saudi Arabia GP Preview: Can Norris keep teammate Piastri at bay?

The 2025 FIA Formula One Championship resumes in Jeddah this weekend, for round five of the season.

Red Bull have won three out of four races at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit since its introduction in 2021.

Red Bull have won 75% of all Saudi Arabian Grands Prix ‍ #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/zZkXurnccT

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 16, 2025

McLaren will be looking to continue their dominance, whilst Ferrari and Mercedes will be hoping to cause an upset.

Lando Norris currently sits top of the World Drivers’ Championship standings but faces tough competition and pressure from his teammate Oscar Piastri, who has won two out of the four races so far this season.

Circuit stats

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit joined the F1 calendar in 2021, alongside Miami and Las Vegas, and is one of the fastest on the calendar, second to the ‘Temple of Speed’ at Monza.

It is a street circuit with 27 corners, with a lot of them taken at high speed too, making it such a demanding track for drivers and a very entertaining one for the fans.

The total race distance stands at 308km, which makes it a 50-lap race on Sunday.

Max Verstappen holds the most amount of wins, with two in 2022 and 2024. Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, and Sergio Perez won in 2023.

However, it is Verstappen’s former teammate Perez that holds the most pole positions in Jeddah, with two in 2022 and 2023.

Verstappen has labelled the circuit as “crazy fast, like a street circuit on steroids.”

What happened at last year’s Saudi Arabian GP?

Red Bull completely dominated the start of last season, winning seven out of the first 10 races, with the Saudi Arabian GP being one of those.

Verstappen eased to victory, finishing nearly 14 seconds in front of his former teammate Perez.

Piastri finished ahead of his teammate Norris last year, which he will be hoping to repeat this year as he looks to take the top spot of the World Drivers’ Championship.

A look at the championships

Norris currently sits at the top of the World Drivers’ Championship with 77 points, ahead of teammate Piastri who is only three points behind.

Verstappen isn’t out of sight either with just eight points between him and the top of the standings, despite having a slower car.

The World Constructors’ Championship is a little less tight, as McLaren are running away at the top with 151 points, with Mercedes sat second 58 points behind.

Predictions

It is hard to bet against the McLarens at the moment, as their car just seems to connect perfectly with every track.

They should be looking to further strengthen the gap they have in the Constructors’ Championship.

Piastri is the man in-form and it’s hard to look past him winning yet again, he is certainly showing why he is one of the most promising youngsters to come out of the junior categories.

But George Russell isn’t out of the question either, he has been so consistent this season, finishing every race in the top five so far this season. He definitely has the potential to cause an upset for McLaren.

The all-important times as F1 heads to Saudi Arabia this weekend pic.twitter.com/Ho3ABxw4rQ

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 16, 2025