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The Jeddah Corniche Circuit roared back to life today as the first practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend got underway. Under the bright afternoon sun and scorching track temperatures, it was Pierre Gasly who unexpectedly topped the timing sheets in FP1, hinting at potential pace from Alpine in what proved to be a session filled with incidents, traffic woes, and incredibly tight margins at the sharp end.
As the green light signaled the start of the session, teams wasted no time getting out on track. Esteban Ocon in the Haas was among the first out, with a mix of medium (C4) and hard (C3) Pirelli compounds initially being evaluated. Several cars, including those from teams likely focusing on aerodynamic performance, were seen sporting flow-vis paint, particularly around the rear wings, as engineers sought to understand airflow on this high-speed street circuit.
Track temperatures were a significant factor early on, hitting a blistering 50 Degrees Celsius while the air temperature sat at a warm 28 Degrees. These conditions are notably different from the cooler, floodlit sessions for FP2, Qualifying, and the race, making FP1 less representative of the true pecking order. Despite this, drivers pushed hard to build confidence on the unforgiving circuit walls.
The initial laps saw Oscar Piastri set the early benchmark on the medium tyres, quickly followed by Max Verstappen and George Russell. However, the close proximity of the walls inherent to a street circuit soon claimed its first minor victims. Rookie Oliver Bearman, driving for Haas, clipped the wall after a lock-up, sending his car momentarily skewing. While he managed to return to the pits, the team assessed the damage. Shortly after, Piastri also reported a light touch with the wall and pitted for checks, though no visible damage was apparent. Kimi Antonelli, the young Mercedes driver, also had a moment, locking a front tyre and running wide, highlighting the challenge of finding the limit here.
As the session progressed and the track began to rubber in, lap times tumbled. George Russell briefly held the top spot with a 1m 30.425s, a significant chunk off last year's pole but impressive for the conditions. Lando Norris then leapfrogged his compatriot, setting a 1m 30.454s, with teammate Piastri slotting into second, just a tenth behind. McLaren appeared strong on the medium compound.
Approaching the halfway point, teams began bolting on the softer C5 compound tyres for performance runs. Carlos Sainz was among the first to switch, immediately jumping to second place, two tenths shy of Russell's then-leading time, his Ferrari kicking up sparks as he pushed. This triggered a wave of soft tyre runs from other frontrunners, including Russell, Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen.
Mid-session observations revealed ongoing challenges for some teams. Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu noted that the team's "fundamental car issue" – the bouncing – persisted, particularly in bumps and changes of direction, despite hoping a new floor would alleviate it. Meanwhile, the Racing Bulls garage seemed to be on a different program, working on Isack Hadjar's rear wing and being the last team to send their drivers out on the softs, putting them out of sync with the rest of the field. Liam Lawson eventually climbed to P11, but Hadjar's session seemed disrupted.
As the final minutes ticked down, and with track temperatures dropping slightly to 44 Degrees Celsius, conditions became marginally more favourable. It was in this window that Pierre Gasly, who had yet to show his hand on the softs, delivered a stunning lap. The Frenchman, fresh off scoring points in Bahrain, posted a 1m 29.239s, snatching P1 by a mere 0.007 seconds from Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc then slotted into third, just 0.070s off Gasly's pace, with Oscar Piastri a close fourth, only 0.102s back. The gaps at the top were incredibly tight, promising a thrilling weekend.
Other notable improvements included Alex Albon jumping to P5 for Williams, a team expecting to perform well here. Lewis Hamilton improved to eighth on older soft tyres, though still half a second adrift of his teammate Russell. Yuki Tsunoda showed decent pace early on, climbing to fourth at one point before finishing P10.
Traffic also proved to be a factor, with Carlos Sainz voicing frustration over a "dangerous" moment involving a Ferrari ahead trying to get out of the way. This highlights the challenge of managing traffic on such a fast, narrow circuit, an issue likely to intensify in Qualifying.
The chequered flag brought FP1 to a close with Gasly surprisingly on top. While his lap was set later in slightly cooler conditions than some rivals' best efforts, it's a significant boost for Alpine and Gasly, who has shown strong form recently.
McLaren demonstrated clear pace on both medium and soft compounds, but both Norris and Piastri felt there was more to come, acknowledging that FP2 is the crucial session for representative running under the lights. Ferrari looked solid with Leclerc in P3, and will be hoping their new floor delivers more performance as the weekend progresses. Red Bull and Mercedes had quieter ends to the session, likely focusing on longer runs, but their early pace suggests they remain firmly in the mix.
The nature of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, demanding driver confidence and punishing mistakes, means that every lap counts. The high lap counts seen in FP1 reflect the drivers' need to get comfortable pushing close to the walls.
With the top four separated by just over a tenth of a second, and several teams showing flashes of pace, the fight for Q3 and strong grid positions looks set to be epic. FP2, taking place under conditions mirroring Qualifying and the race, will be the true indicator of performance.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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