F1 returns to Jeddah this weekend for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and round five of the 2025 F1 season.
Oscar Piastri claimed his second win of the season last time out with a commanding victory in Bahrain, cutting the gap to championship leader and McLaren teammate Lando Norris to three points in the drivers’ standings.
George Russell finished an impressive second for Mercedes while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth - his best result on a Sunday since joining Ferrari.
Max Verstappen was short of pace for Red Bull, in the end coming home sixth, with speculation mounting that the Dutchman could leave at the end of the season. Verstappen won last year’s race in Jeddah, memorable for Ollie Bearman making his F1 debut.
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F1 SAUDI ARABIAN GP - LATEST UPDATES
- Round five of the 2025 F1 season takes place in Jeddah
- Qualifying starts at 6pm (BST) on Saturday; FF3 started at 2:30pm
- Lando Norris quickest in third practice; Piastri 2nd; Russell 3rd
- NEW: Aston Martin ‘set to offer £226m for reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen’
Start times for the Saudi Arabian GP:
15:35
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Kieran Jackson
All times BST
Saturday 19 April
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 20 April
- Race: 6pm
FP3 DONE!
15:33
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Kieran Jackson
That’s it for practice in Jeddah - and McLaren lead the away, much like last night!
Lando Norris keeps P1 with a 0.024 lead to Oscar Piastri, with George Russell in third.
4-10: Verstappen, Leclerc, Albon, Sainz, Gasly, Tsunoda, Antonelli
Hamilton P12 in the end.
Lando Norris goes P1!
15:27
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Kieran Jackson
A statement from Lando!
Norris usurps his teammate at the top by 0.024 secs.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, saying he has “no grip.” Hamilton struggling down in P12 so far for the Ferrari driver...
Oscar Piastri goes even quicker!
15:16
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Kieran Jackson
After a lull in proceedings, a lot of cars are now out on track with 15 minutes to go!
Oscar Piastri goes quicker still with a 1:27:513, 0.158 secs ahead of Lando Norris in second.
George Russell is third, seven-tenths off Piastri, with Alex Albon in fourth for Williams.
5-10: Verstappen, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Leclerc, Sainz, Hamilton
Yuki Tsunoda P6!
15:06
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Kieran Jackson
Tsunoda puts in a sold lap time, just three-tenths short of his teammate Max Verstappen to go sixth-fastest.
Just under half the session to go now!
Oscar Piastri now top of the table!
14:57
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Kieran Jackson
Normal order resumed at the top, with Oscar Piastri top of the timesheet, 0.158 seconds ahead of teammate Lando Norris.
3-10: Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Bearman, Doohan, Gasly, Ocon
35:00 to go...
Charles Leclerc P1!
14:53
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Kieran Jackson
A lot of laps being set on the softs now... with Charles Leclerc currently top despite almost colliding with the wall at the final corner!
Verstappen 2nd, with Piastri 3rd, Hamilton 4th and Norris 5th.
38:00 to go...
Ollie Bearman on team radio:
14:45
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Kieran Jackson
“The front axle is way quicker than yesterday - that’s a good thing.”
Now over half the grid are out on track, with 45 minutes left...
Only 5 cars out on track
14:39
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Kieran Jackson
Doohan, Bortoleto, Alonso, Stroll and Ocon are the only cars out on track at the moment, 10 minutes in.
It seems like most of the grid are just waiting for the temperatures to drop further, for more representative running ahead of qualifying later.
RED BULL STATEMENT:
14:35
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Kieran Jackson
“As you can see there will be a slight delay to starting the session for Car 22.
“They are just about to finish the rebuild from Yuki’s crash in FP2.”
FP3 underway!
14:32
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Kieran Jackson
Third practice underway, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto (who missed the whole of FP2) the first and only car out on track from the start!
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull car, after that crash in FP2, is definitely not ready for the start of this session, with mechanics working frantically in the tight pit-side garages in Jeddah!
FP3 coming up!
14:27
So, who will impress in the third and final hour of practice?
Lando Norris topped the timesheet in FP2 in a McLaren one-two - can any team usurp the papaya at the top?
Lewis Hamilton downbeat after Friday's practice sessions:
14:20
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Kieran Jackson
"I'm just trying to see if I'm getting the top 10 at the moment," he sighed. "Not the greatest, we were struggling to get the tyres working.
"Normally, Saturday goes backwards, but there's not a lot backwards for me to go from where I am, so hopefully overnight we'll make some improvements to the car.”
Can Hamilton find that improvement in FP3?
Mercedes's George Russell, ahead of Saudi:
14:14
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Kieran Jackson
“We don’t have a car to fight McLaren, but they’ve given the rest of us a few opportunities. Me and Max have jumped on the podium, we’ll take it but I don’t think those chances will last 20 more races.”
WATCH: Christian Horner on Max Verstappen's future
14:08
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Kieran Jackson
Christian Horner says Max Verstappen WILL be a Red Bull driver next season ️ pic.twitter.com/SfqWtOXDY4
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 18, 2025
Lewis Hamilton in F1 fashion rebuke: ‘Black men have always had to be more excellent’
13:46
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Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton has spoken in depth about his deep-rooted connection with fashion within Formula 1, commenting: “Black men have always had to be more excellent than our white counterparts.”
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton, 40, will co-host next month’s Met Gala in New York, having first attended the fashion event in 2015. The Briton also hosted a table for young black designers at the 2021 Met Gala.
Hamilton has, in recent years, attracted attention upon arriving in the F1 paddock with his own choice of bold attire, bucking the trend of drivers arriving in team-branded gear. Now, the sport’s only black driver has described how the stale world of mid-2000s F1 reacted to his initial clothing choices.
Full story below:
Aston Martin ‘set to offer £226m for reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen’
12:59
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Kieran Jackson
Aston Martin are reportedly set to offer Max Verstappen £226m over three years in an attempt to persuade the Red Bull driver to switch teams next year.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen, who has a contract worth £50m-a-year at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, is being heavily linked with Aston and Mercedes given Red Bull’s recent downturn in form and new regulations being enforced in 2026.
Aston have also recently recruited former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, who is fully focused on next year’s car. Newey designed all four of Verstappen’s championship-winning cars at Red Bull.
Full story below:
F1 driver standings after four races
12:39
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Kieran Jackson
4. George Russell – 63 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 35 points
6. Kimi Antonelli – 30 points
8. Alex Albon – 18 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 14 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Pierre Gasly – 6 points
12. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 6 points
14. Isack Hadjar – 4 points
16. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
A lovely moment between the Bearmans in Bahrain!
11:55
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Kieran Jackson
A wholesome radio message from Ollie Bearman’s father and brother ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IpcKrvc17a
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 14, 2025
FP2 REPORT: Lando Norris sets practice pace after Yuki Tsunoda crashes at Saudi Arabian GP
09:59
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Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris set the pace in practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Christian Horner dismissed “noise” surrounding Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future.
Verstappen continued to battle balance issues with his car during Friday’s running in Jeddah, where he finished the day third fastest and almost three tenths adrift of Norris’ time.
Championship leader Norris had the edge on McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Charles Leclerc fourth for Ferrari.
Alonso's reaction to prospect of Verstappen at Aston Martin:
06:05
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Kieran Jackson
Would Fernando Alonso welcome Max Verstappen as his Aston Martin team-mate next season? pic.twitter.com/4WGX1ijBCp
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 17, 2025
F1 constructor standings after four races:
02:02
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Kieran Jackson
1. McLaren - 151 points
2. Mercedes - 93 points
3. Red Bull - 71 points
4. Ferrari - 57 points
5. Haas - 20 points
6. Williams - 19 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Racing Bulls - 7 points
9. Alpine - 6 points
10. Sauber - 6 points
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, speaking to Sky Sports F1:
Friday 18 April 2025 20:30
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Kieran Jackson
On Verstappen’s future: “Noise is exactly the word to describe it, a lot of noise outside the team.
“Max reaffimed his commitment yesterday. The rest is all speculation and hearsay.”
Yuki Tsunoda after his FP2 crash:
Friday 18 April 2025 19:45
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Kieran Jackson
“Turned into much, clipped the wall, after that no control. Apologies to the team, pace was looking good - shame.
“The confidence level was pretty good, so far pretty OK.”
FULL FP2 RESULTS
Friday 18 April 2025 19:22
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Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris leads a McLaren 1-2 in FP2
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 18, 2025
Williams' Carlos Sainz impresses up in P5 #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/PAliMa88JW
WATCH: Tsunoda's crash!
Friday 18 April 2025 19:20
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Kieran Jackson
RED FLAG
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 18, 2025
Yuki Tsunoda has put his Red Bull in the wall at the final corner ️ pic.twitter.com/Ghgdt2SO0q