2025 F1 Jeddah GP: softer Pirelli compounds and the threat of graining. F1 Saudi GP: new tyre strategy with graining risks in Jeddah.

After the Asian trip to Suzuka and last week’s return to the Middle East in Sakhir, the first “triple-header” of the season concludes in Jeddah, one of Saudi Arabia’s most important cities.

Located on the Red Sea, Jeddah is a cultural and religious crossroads, but in sporting terms, it’s mainly relevant due to the Grand Prix introduced in 2021, held along the coast, which often results in wind stirring up sand from surrounding areas.

This year, for the first time, the Grand Prix is being held in April, after always being scheduled between December and March. Until last year, it was the second round of the championship, but for this season, it was moved to avoid overlapping with Ramadan. Higher temperatures, wind, and humidity typical of the warmer season could affect on-track performance.

The major new element, however, lies in the tyres selected for this year’s Grand Prix, which are one step softer than last season. For this round, Pirelli has chosen the three softest compounds in the range: C3 (hard), C4 (medium), and C5 (soft), which also results in an increase in pressures to withstand the high lateral loads this track presents.

This decision is aimed at increasing the strategic possibilities in the race and making the event less predictable, especially considering that, in previous editions, the race has often played out on a one-stop strategy due to the extremely low degradation caused by the excellent asphalt—among the best in the championship in terms of grip.

However, despite the quality of the Saudi asphalt, there is an unknown: graining may emerge especially at the start of the weekend, when the track is still dirty and not rubbered in. This could have an even greater impact this year with softer compounds, which are generally more prone to graining—particularly given how much the tyres are pushed in the first sector.

Nevertheless, with the passage of cars and support series, the situation should improve, as has already been seen, for example, in Shanghai. The track, over 6 km long, is among the fastest in the championship, with 80% of the lap taken at full throttle.

In particular, the first sector is extremely complex, not only because it features a long sequence of medium-to-high-speed corners where aerodynamic downforce is required, but also because it follows two long straights where it’s difficult to warm up the tyres. Not surprisingly, in the past, we’ve seen two warm-up laps used to bring the tyres up to temperature.

Despite being very fast and featuring several DRS zones, overtaking remains challenging, especially given how difficult it is to stay close to another car in the first sector, where the dirty air effect is strongly felt.