Jeddah is fast. Like, terrifyingly fast. When the sun goes down over the Red Sea and those floodlights kick in, the Corniche Circuit turns into a high-stakes video game where the walls are very real and very unforgiving.
Honestly, if you missed the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying results, you missed one of those sessions that defines a season. It wasn't just about who was the quickest; it was about who survived the chaos. Max Verstappen somehow pulled a rabbit out of the hat for Red Bull, but the real story was the literal and figurative crash of the McLaren hype train.
Max Verstappen's Narrow Escape
Look, everyone expected McLaren to run away with it. They’ve been the "it" team of 2025, and during the practice sessions, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri looked like they were driving on rails. But Max has this annoying habit—if you're a rival fan—of finding grip where there shouldn't be any.
The Dutchman clocked a 1:27.294.
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That is blisteringly quick. To put it in perspective, he beat Oscar Piastri by exactly 0.010s. A hundredth of a second. That's basically the blink of an eye. Verstappen admitted after the session that the car "came alive" in the cool night air, especially after a messy FP3 where he looked genuinely uncomfortable.
The Top 10 Grid for Sunday
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:27.294
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:27.304
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:27.407
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:27.670
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:27.866
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:28.164
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:28.201
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 1:28.204
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:28.367
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – No time (Crashed in Q3)
Why Lando Norris is Starting P10
The biggest shocker? Lando Norris. He was arguably the favorite for pole. Then, Q3 happened.
Norris took a bit too much curb at Turn 5, the car got unsettled, and he went "thwack" right into the barriers. Red flag. Session paused. Lando's day was over before he could even register a flying lap in the final segment. Because he didn't set a time in Q3, he’s stuck in P10. It’s a huge blow for the championship leader, especially on a track where track position is king.
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You’ve gotta feel for the guy, but in Jeddah, the margin for error is zero. He called it a "silly risk" himself.
The Midfield and the New Blood
Can we talk about Kimi Antonelli for a second? The kid is in his rookie season at Mercedes, under the most intense pressure imaginable, and he bags P5. He actually out-qualified Lewis Hamilton, who is still clearly finding his feet in that Ferrari seat. Hamilton struggled all through Q1 and Q2, barely scraping through at times, before eventually settling for P7.
Then there’s Carlos Sainz. Seeing a Williams in P6 feels like a throwback to the 90s. Sainz is driving the wheels off that car, out-qualifying the works Ferrari of Hamilton. It makes you wonder if Ferrari are questioning their driver choices, though Leclerc managing P4 shows the car has some legs.
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The Q1 and Q2 Heartbreaks
- Lance Stroll: He made history, but not the good kind. Stroll now holds the record for the most Q1 exits in F1 history (75). P16 for him.
- Liam Lawson: Just missed the cut for Q3, ending up P12. He sounded gutted on the radio.
- Fernando Alonso: A disappointing P13 for the veteran. The Aston Martin just doesn't seem to have the "oomph" it had last year.
- The Rookies: Jack Doohan (P17) and Gabriel Bortoleto (P20) learned the hard way that Jeddah bites. Bortoleto actually had a massive spin in Q1 that effectively ended his chances.
What This Means for Race Day
The 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying results set up a fascinating dynamic. You have Verstappen on pole with a McLaren (Piastri) breathing down his neck. But the real entertainment will be Lando Norris.
He’s in P10 with a car that is arguably the fastest on the grid. He’s going to have to pull off some brave moves into Turn 1 and Turn 27 if he wants to salvage his weekend. Plus, keep an eye on Yuki Tsunoda in P8. He’s been aggressive all weekend and won’t make life easy for the cars behind him.
Strategy-wise, it’s usually a one-stopper here, but with the high probability of a Safety Car (thanks to those close walls), everything could change in a heartbeat.
If you're looking for actionable insights on how to watch the race:
- Watch the start: Turn 1 is a bottleneck. Verstappen and Piastri will be inches apart.
- Tire management: Look for who starts on the Hard tire further down—like Norris might—to go long and pray for a late Safety Car.
- DRS Trains: Jeddah is notorious for them. If Norris gets stuck in one behind Gasly or Tsunoda, his race is basically over.
The stage is set. Max has the advantage, but in this 2025 season, nothing is ever settled on Saturday.