Verstappen misery compounded as F1 star summoned by FIA over…read more
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend has thrown up its fair share of surprises during the final practice session (FP3), with McLaren’s Lando Norris topping the timesheets in Jeddah. It was a dominant showing from the British driver, who clocked an impressive lap time of 1:27.489 around the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Just behind him was his teammate Oscar Piastri, making it a one-two for the McLaren camp, with a narrow margin of only 0.024 seconds separating the pair.
Mercedes’ George Russell rounded out the top three, showing strong pace but still finishing over six-tenths off Norris’s benchmark. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s session was far from ideal. The reigning world champion could only manage fourth place, with a time that was 0.845 seconds off the lead. It marked a continuation of Red Bull’s uncharacteristic struggles this weekend, as the Dutchman appeared to wrestle with grip and balance issues throughout the session.
Verstappen’s difficulties were further compounded after the session, as he was summoned by FIA stewards. Though the precise reason wasn’t immediately disclosed, the summons adds another layer of concern for Red Bull heading into the critical qualifying session later in the day.
The Ferrari duo also experienced mixed fortunes. Charles Leclerc secured a respectable P5, just behind Verstappen and within a second of the session leader. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton had a particularly tough outing, ending the session down in 12th place—over 1.2 seconds adrift of Norris. The seven-time world champion seemed unable to extract performance from his Ferrari, with ongoing issues possibly related to setup or tyre performance.
A standout performance came from Alex Albon in the Williams, who posted the sixth-fastest time. His teammate Carlos Sainz, driving in place of Logan Sargeant this weekend, also put in a solid lap to take P7, making it a strong showing for the Grove-based outfit. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted into P8, while Yuki Tsunoda placed ninth in the second Red Bull, showing that even within the team, Verstappen is not having it all his way.
Rounding out the top ten was young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who continues to impress in his rookie season. Antonelli showed composure and consistency on the tight Jeddah street circuit, ending up just over 1.1 seconds behind Norris.
Further down the order, Racing Bulls duo Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson took P11 and P13 respectively, sandwiching Hamilton’s Ferrari in P12. Fernando Alonso could only manage P14 for Aston Martin, with Alpine reserve Jack Doohan just behind in P15.
Doohan also found himself in the spotlight post-session, but for disciplinary reasons. He was summoned to appear before the FIA stewards after being found to have entered the painted area between the pit entry and the track—a move explicitly prohibited in the race notes issued by the stewards. Despite the clear instructions, the Australian was only issued a warning. The FIA stewards later stated that since the infraction occurred during practice and did not affect any other driver or result, a harsher penalty wasn’t necessary. It remains a reminder, however, of the fine margins and strict regulations that govern Formula One.
Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon ended the session in P16 and P18, respectively, with Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg in P17. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, also driving for Kick Sauber, came in 19th. Lance Stroll brought up the rear in 20th for Aston Martin, capping off what has been a difficult practice session for the Silverstone-based team.
As teams now turn their attention to qualifying, questions remain about Red Bull’s ability to recover and put Verstappen back at the front of the grid. McLaren’s commanding presence at the top signals they could be genuine contenders not just for pole, but perhaps even the race win if their pace holds.
With the field looking more competitive than ever and midfield teams closing the gap to the front-runners, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is shaping up to be an exciting chapter in the 20
25 Formula One season.
