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F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 preview: fastest city street circuit raced under lights

The F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix circuit has 27 turns, the most of any circuit this year.

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Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
F1

F1 is racing for the third weekend in a row, this time at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia. The Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025 is from April 18 to 20. This is the fifth race of the F1 2025 season, which has so far seen McLaren outscoring Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull in points for the Driver and Constructors Championships.

Race Event Schedule

Recommended Videos
Free Practice 1 April 18 6:30 A.M. PT
Free Practice 1 April 18 10:00 A.M. PT
Free Practice 1 April 19 6:30 A.M. PT
Qualifying April 19 10:00 A.M. PT
Grand Prix April 20 10:00 A.M. PT

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix racing circuit and past winners

Jeddah Corniche Circuit race track for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Jeddah Corniche Circuit race track for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. F1

Similar to the race tracks in Monaco and Las Vegas, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a city street circuit open to public traffic during the day. The race events are at night under bright lights. The first Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Jeddah circuit was in 2021.

The circuit is 4.2 miles long, and the Grand Prix’s 50 laps will cover 192 miles. There are three Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones with three substantial straightaways and 27 curves or turns (the highest number of all circuits this year).

Max Verstappen won the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
F1

In 2024, Max Verstappen won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Other 2024 top ten finishers in contention for the 2025 Driver’s Championship are Charles Leclerc, who finished third, Oscar Piastri, who came in fourth, George Russell, who was in sixth place in 2024, and eighth-place finisher Lando Norris.

Previous winners of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 

2024 Max Verstappen Red Bull
2023 Sergio Perez Red Bull
2022 Sergio Perez Red Bull
2021 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

What to look for during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
F1

McLaren has the chance to extend their lead over other teams this weekend. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have won three of the four Grand Prix this season. Lando Norris currently leads in the 2025 Driver Championship standings with 77 points. Piastri has 74 points, Verstappen 69, and George Russell 63.

McLaren’s lead in Constructors’ Championship points is even more formidable. McLaren has earned 151 points, Mercedes 93, Red Bull 71, and Ferrari 57. Because Constructors’ points are the sum of a team’s drivers’ points, McLaren and Mercedes are at an advantage because each has two drivers consistently finishing in high positions.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Former Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce… Read Full Bio
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