Verstappen’s Struggles Worsen as FIA Summons Red Bull’s St…read more
Max Verstappen’s weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took another frustrating turn during the final practice session (FP3), where he not only failed to match the pace of the front-runners but also ended up being summoned by the FIA stewards, compounding what has already been a challenging race weekend for the Red Bull ace.
In a surprising shift in pace, McLaren dominated the final practice session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Lando Norris leading the way. Norris set the benchmark with an impressive lap time of 1:27.489, narrowly beating out his team-mate Oscar Piastri by just 0.024 seconds. The pair locked out the top two positions for McLaren, underlining the team’s growing strength in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes driver George Russell finished third in the session, albeit six-tenths off the pace set by Norris. The Brit continues to show consistency in his performances this year, keeping the Mercedes squad within touching distance of the frontrunners.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, meanwhile, could only manage P4 in the final practice session. While that may seem respectable on paper, a closer look at the times reveals a bigger concern — the three-time world champion was 0.845 seconds slower than Norris’ leading time. This significant gap suggests that Red Bull is not yet fully dialed in with their setup ahead of qualifying and the race. Verstappen appeared frustrated in the garage, and the team faces a critical challenge to unlock more performance before the grid is set.
Ferrari also endured a mixed session. Charles Leclerc put in a solid performance to finish fifth, just behind Verstappen, but it was a tough outing for his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion could only manage the 12th fastest time, ending the session more than 1.2 seconds adrift of Norris. Hamilton appeared to struggle with grip and balance throughout the run, raising concerns about Ferrari’s ability to compete at the sharp end this weekend.
Elsewhere on the grid, Williams enjoyed a notable session, with both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finishing in sixth and seventh, respectively. Their performance continues to show promise, especially in one-lap pace scenarios. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly followed closely in P8, while Yuki Tsunoda, now driving for Red Bull’s main team, slotted into ninth. Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top ten, maintaining his strong form in only his second full F1 season.
Behind the top ten, the pack was tight. Racing Bulls’ rookie Isack Hadjar put in a solid lap for P11, narrowly edging out Hamilton in P12. Liam Lawson followed in 13th, while Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin could only manage 14th. Alpine’s Jack Doohan was 15th, but his session gained more attention due to an off-track incident rather than lap time.
Doohan was called to the stewards after the session for breaching the regulations related to pit entry. During FP3, he was seen driving through the painted area that separates the pit entry from the main track. This part of the circuit was specifically highlighted in the FIA’s race notes as an area to avoid under any circumstances — even a slight deviation could result in a penalty. However, the stewards opted for leniency, issuing Doohan a formal warning rather than a sporting penalty, citing the non-competitive nature of the session. The incident raised eyebrows, though, as the governing body continues to emphasize strict adherence to track safety guidelines.
Haas endured another difficult outing, with Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon only good enough for 16th and 18th respectively. Between them was Nico Hulkenberg in the Kick Sauber, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto languished in 19th. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin was rooted to the bottom of the timesheets after a difficult session where he failed to set a competitive time.
With qualifying just hours away, Red Bull finds itself with a lot of ground to cover. Verstappen, known for pulling out heroics under pressure, will need to deliver something special to overturn McLaren’s current momentum. Meanwhile, McLaren will be hopeful of turning their strong practice pace into a front-row start — or possibly even a pole — as they look to shake up the order at the front of the grid.
As things stand, McLaren leads the charge in Jeddah, with Red Bull struggling and Ferrari facing an uphill climb. The stage is set for an unpredictable qualifying session in Saudi Arabia.
