Tyre administration would be the main theme of the Saudi Arabian weekend, although another way from the earlier spherical. The Bahrain Grand Prix was determined by race tempo administration, whereas in Jeddah qualifying regains significance, albeit to not the identical extent as in Suzuka. The chase is due to this fact on for McLaren, which appeared weak on a single lap. Ferrari goals to reap the benefits of its power in high-speed corners, supplied it might grasp the difficult use of recent tyres on Saturday.
Ferrari’s power level
The Saudi circuit is high-speed and rewards aerodynamic effectivity. With its common qualifying lap velocity of 250 km/h—round 35 greater than Bahrain—Jeddah is basically a road model of Silverstone. Lots of its high-speed bends are taken at over 200 km/h, aligning completely with Ferrari’s strengths. “We’ve made an enormous step ahead in high-speed corners. Low and medium-speed corners are nonetheless areas the place we have to enhance,” stated Charles Leclerc lower than a month in the past.
In Saudi Arabia’s sweeping corners, vehicles expertise as much as 5 g of lateral acceleration—a chance for Ferrari to capitalise on its qualities. The SF-25 can even be capable to exploit the extra downforce of its new ground, which couldn’t be absolutely appreciated in Bahrain. The graceful asphalt, free from Suzuka’s bumps and irregularities, can even assist mitigate the challenges of managing experience top and permit the automotive to run decrease to the bottom.
Nonetheless, Ferrari should nonetheless confront its weak spots, notably the banked turns from corners 5 to 9 and the lengthy curve at 13, the place each McLaren and Mercedes have proven good stability. The monitor additionally options slower-speed sections, notably the primary chicane and last hairpin, requiring sturdy stability. Above all, an excellent qualifying efficiency might be important in Jeddah—placing the championship leaders on alert.
McLaren’s vulnerability
Pirelli is supplying the C3, C4, and C5 compounds, softer than the more durable tyres utilized in Bahrain and Japan, and likewise one step softer than these seen eventually 12 months’s version. Accordingly, Pirelli has raised the tyre pressures to 25.5 psi on the entrance—1.5 greater than final 12 months—and 21.5 psi on the rear. The softer compounds convey uncertainty when it comes to race degradation and graining, a phenomenon to which McLaren is especially delicate.
In 2024, an early Security Automobile compelled almost everybody to suit the toughest compound on lap 8, comfortably finishing the remaining 42 laps. This 12 months, with softer tyres, some degree of administration might be wanted even when groups nonetheless take into account a one-stop technique. With three DRS zones, overtaking is possible—extra so than in Suzuka—however the sequence of sweeping corners makes it troublesome to comply with one other automotive in soiled air.
This makes qualifying essential, which limits McLaren’s typical benefit. The MCL39 is well-balanced and wealthy in downforce, and its power lies in tyre administration over lengthy stints—particularly the rear tyres below traction. Jeddah, nevertheless, is a front-limited circuit with recurring graining dangers. The Woking automotive additionally doesn’t give drivers a lot confidence over a single lap—very important for attacking corners near the partitions. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how Norris and Piastri gel with the chosen setup, although their confidence will rely closely on tyre behaviour.
Tyre puzzle
The softer compounds will amplify dynamics seen in previous Jeddah qualifying periods. One is drivers’ larger confidence with the medium fairly than the tender, on account of much less shoulder deformation in corners exceeding 200 km/h. One other problem is the prep lap: balancing axle temperatures to have tyres prepared for the technical first sector whereas nonetheless managing them over all 27 corners. It’s not unusual to see groups experimenting with each single and double warm-up laps.
The most important issue, nevertheless, lies elsewhere. “Jeddah is a really totally different circuit from Bahrain, additionally when it comes to monitor floor,” defined Pirelli Chief Engineer Simone Berra in 2024. “With this structure and asphalt, we’ve seen that extracting the potential of the softest compound could be very troublesome.” Bahrain’s coarse floor enhanced hysteresis and mechanical grip, whereas Jeddah’s ultra-smooth asphalt highlights adhesive grip. The problem is to extract most efficiency from a tender tyre with excessive grip on a floor that’s additionally very grippy.
The tender compound has a big efficiency peak, however inside a slim window. In Jeddah, it might truly be simpler to make use of a beforehand run tender in qualifying. Having already undergone a thermal cycle, the tyre turns into extra steady, works throughout a broader temperature vary, and supplies extra confidence—regardless of barely much less grip. “We noticed many drivers enhance on used tyres: as soon as they stabilise and you should utilize them inside a broader window, they carry out higher,” stated Berra throughout final 12 months’s occasion.
New issue
Including to the complexity of the weekend is the dearth of knowledge on the C5 compound, which to this point has solely been raced in Melbourne and stays comparatively untested. “Even in Jeddah, we anticipate that some groups might battle to unlock its full potential,” famous Berra on the eve of the GP. Pirelli has fully revamped its vary for 2025—each construction and compound—which is a big change for the groups. “We’re nonetheless taking the primary steps with these compounds; I believe we’re all nonetheless a bit at the hours of darkness,” commented Frederic Vasseur after Bahrain.
The 2025 Pirellis don’t supply greater peak grip or a narrower working window; groups are merely studying to know them race by race. In Jeddah, they’ll solely have one consultant free follow session—Friday night’s FP2—as FP1 and FP3 will happen at sundown, with the monitor as much as 10°C hotter than throughout qualifying and the race. General, although, as a result of similarity in corners, asphalt, and tyres, Saudi Arabia serves as a helpful comparability to the season opener in Australia.
Mercedes knocking
In Jeddah, Max Verstappen is trying to shut the hole. The Dutchman hopes for a extra balanced RB21 via Saudi Arabia’s high-speed corners than in Sakhir’s tight hairpins, additionally banking on a low-degradation race to cover a few of Purple Bull’s tyre weaknesses. Fixing braking really feel can even be important for Purple Bull on a monitor the place six of the eight braking zones are high-intensity. However the greatest unknown could also be Mercedes: stable and constant in all situations, and in 2024 particularly sturdy on front-limited tracks. At Brackley, there’s hope that McLaren’s qualifying struggles may open the door to a primary standout results of the season for the Silver Arrows.
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