And here’s pole-sitter and defending champ, Max Verstappen: “It’s going to be a battle with McLaren whatever the tyres or temperature … I hope our pace is a bit better today, a bit more consistency.” R&B doyen Usher is one of many celebrities gathered near the start line. Let’s hope nobody asks him to hold a door. Meanwhile, here’s George Russell, who starts third: “Nobody knows if it’s a one or a two stop … I want to get stuck in there, but in P3 on one of the shortest runs to the first corner … we’ll see.” Max Verstappen is seeking a third victory in the last four races on this Jeddah street circuit, having won in 2022 and 2024. His former teammate at Red Bull, Sergio Pérez, prevailed in 2023 and Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Saudi Grand Prix in 2021. McLaren’s Zak Brown: “[Oscar] might get an opportunity at Turn One, but if not, it’s a long race. P2 is a good position to be in, and Lando can catch up, push for a podium finish.” And a word with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso: “We lack a bit of top speed, but we’ll see what we can do today – it’s a tough circuit, fast and the walls are very close.” Lando Norris is making pre-race preparations with his car finally repaired after Saturday’s qualifying crash. “I’m excited to hopefully put on a good race today and have some fun,” he says. “This track can be scary, but fun and rewarding at the same time. I’m looking ahead to today, and let’s see if I can catch up to Oscar.” The race starts at 8pm local time, with the weather in Jeddah a balmy 26 degrees, and so sign of rain in the air. After extreme heat concerns seen in Gulf races – notably Qatar in 2023 – look out for cooling vests, jackets with fitted fans and other paraphernalia on and off the track tonight. Oscar Piastri has had a pit-lane chat with Sky, saying: “Our car is going to be quick and we’re going to have our opportunities. There’s not going to be just one moment to try and win the race. Red Bull found a lot [this weekend] so I’m not expecting them to be slow, but hopefully we’ve still got an edge.” Here’s how qualifying went down: Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) George Russell (Mercedes) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) Carlos Sainz (Williams) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Lando Norris (McLaren) Alex Albon (Williams) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) Ollie Bearman (Haas) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Jack Doohan (Alpine) Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) Esteban Ocon (Alpine) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) Lando Norris may be top of the early standings but the McLaren man is under pressure. After winning the season-opener in Melbourne, Norris has twice been bested by stablemate Oscar Piastri, and also came second to Max Verstappen in Suzuka. Saturday’s qualifying crash means Norris will start 10th on the grid in Jeddah, with Verstappen on pole and Piastri right next to him on the front row. The British driver accepts he has “a big job” to get anywhere near the podium on a track lacking many overtaking opportunities. After Red Bull’s “alarming” performance in Bahrain, a return to pole was an unexpected boost – and Verstappen will be desperate to reassert dominance with a win today. If Piastri can claim a third grand pix win in five, talk will turn to whether the Australian should be leading McLaren’s title bid. Can Lando strike back? We’ll find out. Lights out at 6pm BST.
Author: Niall McVeigh