After recovering six locations to complete fourth at Jeddah, Lando Norris stated he didn’t assume he might have completed any greater.
However he took the chequered flag simply over a second behind Charles Leclerc’s third-placed Ferrari – tantalisingly near being inside DRS vary. Leclerc ought to have been grateful to his workforce mate Lewis Hamilton, who delayed Norris’s progress for a number of laps earlier within the race.
Did Hamilton – inadvertently or in any other case – assist purchase his workforce mate sufficient time over Norris to make sure his third place could be secure? Or to place it one other method, had Norris not been re-passed twice by Hamilton on consecutive laps, would he have caught Leclerc quickly sufficient to assault him?
Norris was solely four-and-a-half seconds behind Leclerc on lap 11, when he first began attempting to go Hamilton. Norris was really forward in the beginning/end line on the subsequent two laps, however every time Hamilton was within the means of re-passing him. Lastly, on lap 14, Hamilton made it to the ending line first, however Norris got here by as they reached flip one, and the place was his.
It got here at a price, nevertheless, as Leclerc was now 6.2 seconds up the street. Norris by no means fairly obtained inside a second of Leclerc in the beginning/end line, however with an additional 1.7 seconds in his hand he may need completed so with three laps to go.
So it’s extremely seemingly Norris would have caught Leclerc sooner, however because the aphorism goes, ‘catching is one factor, passing one other’. Norris and Leclerc each handed Russell with little problem of their second stints, however each have been comfortably faster than the Mercedes.
Norris, on his more energizing medium rubber, was persistently faster than Leclerc till he started to get inside DRS vary. They almost matched lap instances a number of instances over the ultimate excursions.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
The DRS impact was very highly effective round Jeddah, nevertheless, so had Norris really been in a position to get shut sufficient to make use of it, there’s an honest probability he might have handed the Ferrari. On the very least, he may need completed as he did to Hamilton on laps 12 and 13, and crushed Leclerc to the ending line, which on the final lap would have been enough.
Leclerc subsequently ought to really feel slightly grateful in the direction of Hamilton. And his pit crew, who helped him to the quickest full pit cease time of the race.
None of that’s to underestimate the standard of Leclerc’s drive. As soon as once more he pulled off an excellent lengthy stint, exhibiting the Ferrari can take care of its tyres very properly certainly, which on the best day is definitely going to repay handsomely.
Three drivers tried the acute technique of pitting on the finish of lap one to modify from the medium rubber to hards. Two of them exchanged the final two locations within the working order on the ultimate lap of the race: Gabriel Bortoleto, who toughed it out to the flag misplaced seventeenth to Jack Doohan, the one two-stopper. Esteban Ocon, in the meantime, was the final unlapped driver after a really gradual last tour.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lap chart
The positions of every driver on each lap. Click on identify to spotlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race chart
The gaps between every driver on each lap in comparison with the chief’s common lap time. Very giant gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lap instances
All of the lap instances by the drivers (in seconds, very gradual laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers utilizing the management under:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix quickest laps
Every driver’s quickest lap:
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix tyre methods
The tyre methods for every driver:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pit cease instances
How lengthy every driver’s pit stops took:
| Rank | # | Driver | Group | Full cease time (s) | Hole to greatest (s) | Cease no. | Lap no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 20.131 | 1 | 29 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 20.144 | 0.013 | 1 | 23 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 20.329 | 0.198 | 1 | 20 |
| 4 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 20.399 | 0.268 | 1 | 19 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 20.427 | 0.296 | 1 | 34 |
| 6 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | 20.441 | 0.31 | 1 | 33 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 20.487 | 0.356 | 1 | 39 |
| 8 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 20.534 | 0.403 | 1 | 20 |
| 9 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 20.571 | 0.44 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 20.827 | 0.696 | 1 | 34 |
| 11 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 21.388 | 1.257 | 1 | 19 |
| 12 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 21.512 | 1.381 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine | 21.521 | 1.39 | 2 | 32 |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 21.854 | 1.723 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 21.891 | 1.76 | 1 | 19 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 22.095 | 1.964 | 1 | 18 |
| 17 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 22.135 | 2.004 | 1 | 22 |
| 18 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams | 24.148 | 4.017 | 1 | 21 |
| 19 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Crimson Bull | 26.03 | 5.899 | 1 | 21 |
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a each day e mail with all our newest tales – and nothing else. No advertising, no adverts. Enroll right here:
Go ad-free for just £1 per month
>> Find out more and sign up
