Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the fastest street circuit on the F1 calendar. The first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was held in 2021 – and it proved to be a highly dramatic affair! The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is set to take place on April 20.
1130th F1 GRAND PRIX | 5th SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX | 5th GRAND PRIX AT JEDDAH CORNICHE CIRCUIT
2024 POLESITTER: MAX VERSTAPPEN | 2024 WINNER: MAX VERSTAPPEN
2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday April 18
Free Practice 1 – 4:30pm Local Time/ 2:30pm UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 8pm Local Time/ 7pm UK Time
Saturday April 19
Free Practice 3 – 4:30pm Local Time/ 2:30pm UK Time
Qualifying – 8pm Local Time/ 6pm UK Time
Sunday April 20
The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – 8pm Local Time/ 6pm UK Time
2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
Max Verstappen currently holds the record for most Saudi Arabian Grand Prix wins, with two. He could extend the record this weekend, or his record could be equalled by Lewis Hamilton. Any other driver winning would make them the fourth driver to win in Jeddah, after Hamilton, Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Charles Leclerc is the only driver to have taken multiple fastest laps at Jeddah Corniche Circuit. He could extend the record to three at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, or his existing tally could be equalled by Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen will be hoping to continue his 100% podium finish rate at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, having never finished off the podium at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Sergio Perez currently holds the record for most pole positions at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with two. His record could be equalled at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Changes to the circuit since last year’s race will be posted here.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
It’s yet to be announced how many DRS zones there will be at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Last year, Last year, there were three DRS zones. The activation zones were located on the main straight, at the exit of Turn 19 and on entry to Turn 25.
JEDDAH CORNICHE CIRCUIT TRACK GUIDE
Rumours of a Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia have been ongoing for a number of years. In 2019, it was announced that a permanent circuit was to be built in Qiddiya, outside of capital city Riyadh. The plans were confirmed in January 2020.
Track designer Alex Wurz appeared with a number of past and present Formula 1 drivers – including World Champion Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean – in an event on the proposed site of the circuit. It was confirmed at the event that the circuit was designed to FIA Grade 1 standards, meaning that Formula 1 could theoretically race there – though not until 2023. Instead, for the time being at least, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place on the streets of Jeddah, the country’s second-largest city.
Saudi Arabia has attracted other major motorsport events in recent years. The Race of Champions, held at the King Fahd International Stadium in February 2018, was the first ever international motorsport event to take place in the country. Meanwhile, Formula E has raced in Diriyah since 2018 and the Dakar Rally has been held in the country in each of the past two years.
The track layout for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was unveiled on 18th March 2021. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is designed by Hermann Tilke, and is situated on the Jeddah Corniche. It is the fastest street circuit in Formula 1, with an average speed of over 250km/h. Race organisers say that the circuit – which has 27 turns set out over 6.175km – prioritises overtaking, rather than scenic views. The race takes place at night.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are yet to be announced.
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are yet to be announced.
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
Rui Marques will be the race director at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is yet to be announced.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2025 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli have not yet announced which tyre compounds will be used at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The C2, C3 and C4 compounds were used in 2024.
WHAT HAPPENED AT LAST YEAR’S SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
Max Verstappen took the win but Ferrari substitute Ollie Bearman took the headlines over the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Suffering from appendicitis, Carlos Sainz was forced to miss the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Formula 2’s Ollie Bearman recruited to replace the Ferrari driver ahead of Free Practice 3. The British driver impressed in qualifying, setting the 11th fastest lap time with minimal preparation, just 0.036 seconds away from reaching Q3.
A crash in Free Practice 3 for Zhou Guanyu put the Sauber driver on the back foot, with him unable to set a lap time in qualifying. At the front end of the grid, Max Verstappen eased to pole position with a three tenth advantage over Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen held the lead at the start and Leclerc maintained second place, despite a big challenge from Sergio Perez. Meanwhile, Lando Norris looked to have jumped the start but received no penalty for the alleged incident. At the end of Lap 1, Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri pulled a move on Fernando Alonso to claim fourth place.
By the start of Lap 4, Perez was on Leclerc’s gearbox once more and this time took second place from the Ferrari driver. The Safety Car was called on Lap 6 when Lance Stroll made heavy contact with the barriers, which caused a flurry of activity in the pit lane. In the flurry, Perez picked up a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in front of Alonso.
Most drivers switched to the harder compound tyre in a bid to see out the race on a one-stop strategy. Lando Norris did not pit and led the field over the line at the restart on Lap 10. Norris’ lead would last three laps before Verstappen powered past the McLaren.
Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen was on a mission to help his team-mate score a point – at whatever cost to his own race. He and Alex Albon made contact, damaging the Williams and resulting in a 10 second time penalty for the Haas driver. Later, Magnussen would receive another 10 second penalty, this time for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Elsewhere, Bearman continued to impress, overtaking Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu and Nico Hulkenberg in succession to get himself into a points-paying position. He held onto it until the chequered flag, finishing in seventh place.
Red Bull continued their 1-2 streak in 2024, with Verstappen leading home Perez for the second weekend in a row. Leclerc completed the podium.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Jeddah Corniche Circuit in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.