BRIEFING F1: SAUDI ARABIA GP

The tour that began in Japan comes to a close on the treacherous street circuit of Jeddah—one of the most unforgiving tracks on the calendar. Built for spectacle, it often feels more like a budget-wrecker than a proper racing venue: one mistake can shatter a driver's race and a team's finances in an instant. It’s the textbook definition of a modern street circuit—fast, unpredictable, and tailor-made for chaos, with the near certainty of a safety car keeping the race on edge.

The paddock arrives under pressure, with tension mounting and several drivers seemingly teetering on the edge.

Lando Norris has a lot to prove. He’s behind the wheel of what’s arguably the most competitive car on the grid right now—the McLaren—but still seems unsure of how to extract its full potential. Botched qualifying sessions and messy races have become the norm. Sometimes, all it takes is a clean Saturday and a trouble-free Sunday to flip a season around. But even that seems just out of reach for Norris at the moment.

After a promising sprint performance in China, Lewis Hamilton has slipped back into the shadows. His transition to Ferrari has been marked by inconsistency and a longer-than-expected adjustment period. There’s talk of issues with the power unit and regenerative braking system, but fans and critics alike expected more from a seven-time world champion. And when you're Lewis Hamilton, fading into the background isn’t an option—every technical problem gets amplified by the weight of expectation and relentless media scrutiny. Age, too, might finally be starting to whisper in the background.

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, is fighting with a blunt weapon. His Aston Martin simply isn’t up to the task, and any standout result relies almost entirely on his skill. But at 43, one has to wonder how much longer it makes sense to keep battling for scraps. The passion is still there—no doubt—but watching him consistently outpaced by a teammate who’s far from extraordinary isn’t the legacy one would wish for such a storied career.

Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams was supposed to be a fresh start. Instead, it’s looking more like a nightmare. Poor results, visible struggles, and no real lifeline to cling to. He can’t blame age, and talent has never been his issue. But right now, he’s simply not making a mark. A breakthrough is needed—urgently.

In the Red Bull universe, nothing really changes. Max Verstappen exists in a league of his own, while everyone else is playing a supporting role. The entire system is built around him to such an extent that it’s nearly impossible for anyone else to shine. Searching for the next Verstappen every five years is wishful thinking, and in the meantime, the rest of the drivers fade into the background—though credit where it's due: Tsunoda has exceeded (admittedly low) expectations this season.

Jeddah doesn’t forgive mistakes. Here, qualifying can easily dictate the outcome of the race. Ferrari might find conditions favorable—the fast, sweeping corners and smooth asphalt could help compensate for the limitations of the SF-25, a car still defined by its infamous “short blanket” dilemma: every improvement seems to expose a new flaw.

The biggest challenge for teams will be nailing the setup during free practice sessions, most of which take place in conditions quite different from race time. On top of that, Pirelli is bringing softer compounds this year, adding a layer of tire management complexity. Graining could become a serious concern, and as always, any strategy might be thrown into disarray by a safety car—which is more of a certainty than a possibility in Jeddah.

Despite—or maybe because of—all these variables, Jeddah remains one of the best tracks for raw entertainment. It might not always feel organic, but it’s certainly thrilling. Every lap can bring drama, and for some, this could be the perfect opportunity to bounce back or at least quiet the critics for a while.

And yes—every reference here is entirely intentional.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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