The 2025 Saudi Arabian GP weekend kicked off in thrilling style at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with both Free Practice sessions throwing up surprises, pace swings, and valuable insight as teams like Ferrari and their drivers Leclerc and Hamilton continued to develop their cars into the heart of the season.
Leclerc content, but seeking more
Charles Leclerc showed flashes of competitiveness for Ferrari throughout both sessions, particularly in FP1, where he slotted into P3 behind Gasly and Norris. In FP2, a tricky stint on soft tyres left him fighting for rhythm before he finally delivered a strong lap to go P4 with a 1:28.749.
Speaking after the session, Leclerc reflected on the day’s progress:
“It was okay. I mean, it was a tricky day.
“Obviously, it’s a very challenging track where confidence needs to be very high in order to perform at best.
“I think we changed the car a lot. But it was a very positive day because I’ve learned a lot from it. And I think once we put everything in the right window, there should be a bit more performance coming out of the car,” the Ferrari driver said.
“But McLaren seems to be very strong once again, and a lot stronger than us. But again, never say never. If we put everything together, I think everything is possible.”
Leclerc’s comments echoed Ferrari’s broader strategy across Friday’s running, with both drivers trialling different setup directions. The Monegasque driver appeared to be getting more comfortable in the car as the session progressed, especially once the team made minor adjustments following the initial soft tyre struggles.
Hamilton admits struggles with tyres
Lewis Hamilton endured a more challenging day at the office. After finishing P8 in FP1, he ended FP2 down in P13, behind the likes of Kimi Antonelli, Nico HĂŒlkenberg, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.
Hamilton candidly addressed his difficulties with tyre performance and car setup:
“Not the greatest, but I think getting the tyres working today was the issue for myself.”
When asked whether this was a Ferrari team-related issue or track-specific challenge, he clarified:
“It’s nothing to do with the team, it’s just we were struggling to get the tyres working.”
The seven-time world champion has been honest about the learning curve this season as he adjusts to Ferrari machinery. When asked about how much progress he tends to make from Friday into Saturday, Hamilton replied:
“Normally, Saturday goes backwards, but there’s not a lot of backwards for me to go from where I am. So hopefully tomorrow, overnight, we’ll make some improvements to the car. There were a few bits through the session that felt good, and just hopefully get to the soft tyre, it’s not there.
“So we’ll make some changes overnight and hope tomorrow we can come back a bit stronger.”
As for potential setup convergence with his teammate, Hamilton confirmed that the two Ferrari drivers are working closely to optimise performance:
“Possibly, possibly. We’ll work together tonight to see, because through both sessions we were trying different things across both cars to then converge. So wing settings and all sorts.
“So I’m hoping tomorrow we’ll have a better understanding after we analyse tonight, and hoping for a better day tomorrow.”
When asked what he thought the car was capable of, Hamilton was blunt:
“I don’t know, mate. For me, I’m just trying to see if I’m getting the top ten at the moment.”
Looking ahead to Qualifying
With both Ferrari drivers experimenting with different configurations throughout Friday’s sessions, Saturday’s Qualifying session will offer the first true indicator of how well their package and new floor upgrade work on the streets of Jeddah. For now, McLaren look to be the benchmark, with Red Bull and Ferrari chasing close behind.
