Who Will Win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix This Year?

By Dr. AK Rana

Hello, guys! Enjoyed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying? Some of you must be overjoyed, others disheartened—well, that’s how this entire season is shaping up. Nothing seems predictable. But now comes the more exciting part.

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After Saturday comes Sunday.
After qualifying comes the race.

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Will the race positions remain the same as qualifying? Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Now, that’s tricky.

Because we’ve got one prime overtaking zone—Turn 1—right at the start of the race.

Following a high-speed straight comes a fast, left-handed corner at Turn 1, and DRS is often activated here to aid overtaking.

So,

For those hoping to shake off a poor qualifying, Turn 1 might just be their best—and last—resort.

Ensuring a perfect launch to gain positions early will be crucial for both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.

Oscar Piastri will also be eyeing a move on Max Verstappen to snatch the lead, and Max will need to defend hard—as he usually does, and quite well, we must admit.

At the same time, with Max and Oscar battling it out, George Russell could pounce on the opportunity.

Mercedes can’t be ignored anymore, and if there’s a shuffle up front—thanks to oversteer, understeer, or someone slipping off—Charles Leclerc will be right there, waiting to strike.

Two drivers who were predicted to be up top are down near the bottom.

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Lando Norris crashed in qualifying!

His car understeered, leading to contact with the wall. This street circuit is so narrow, there’s just no room for error.

One slip onto the grass, and you’re out.

No second chances- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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Zak Brown surely wasn’t pleased.

And rightly so—because the error margin for an F1 driver is razor-thin. Had Lando been on a timed lap before the crash, there might’ve been some cushion.

But it wasn’t to be.

It’s a bit like Practice 3—make a mistake there, and you risk missing qualifying. Same in Q3—you need to complete a solid banker lap before going all-out.

That’s the kind of high-stakes environment we’re in.

Whatever happened, the good news is Lando is safe and ready to race Sunday. He’ll get over this—especially with a break of more than 10 days before the next Grand Prix. For now, it’s all about how he performs at Turn 1 at race start. He did well in Bahrain, recovering from a poor qualifying finish P6.

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He starts P10 in Jeddah, which is tougher—but with McLaren’s pace, he can still deliver.

Now, Lewis Hamilton. He was around P13-P14 in practice all weekend, so just making it into Q3 is a mini win. And he’s still adjusting to the complicated machinery of Ferrari. It’s going to be a long road for them—they’re still behind the top teams and need development.

He’ll need to attack and defend at Turn 1.

We saw in Bahrain that Ferrari had solid race pace

(let’s forget their last-minute hard tyre gamble… Ha ha ha).

And what about pit stop strategies?

As the race is at night, track temperatures drop, helping tyre longevity. The soft tyres have been lasting longer than expected, making a one-stop strategy likely—starting on softs for early overtaking opportunities, then switching to mediums. Some teams may reverse that order, but hards seem unlikely.

So… who will win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

That’s something we’ll all find out in just a few hours. The pressure is cooking, the speed is slaying, and this season is downright thrilling!

Stay tuned at Halleysclinic.com

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also read How to Understand Lock-Ups in Formula 1 Racing? Saudi Arabian Grand Prix