F1 Saudi GP: Jeddah weekend shows Ferrari where to focus amid SF-25 development. Oscar Piastri takes his first championship lead with a bold win in Jeddah.

Oscar Piastri is, for the first time, leading the championship standings, on the same day Charles Leclerc gives Ferrari its first podium of the year. A demonstration of strong nerves by the Australian, who does not let himself be intimidated by wheel-to-wheel combat at the start with Max Verstappen, who in turn finds good reasons in Red Bull to continue believing in a fifth crown. Ferrari, on the other hand, identifies qualifying as a key area for improvement, now focusing on tire management to aim for better results than third place.

Piastri, victory at the lights
A race won at the start for Oscar Piastri, who doesn’t back down from physical racing against Max Verstappen. The Australian pushes the Dutchman off track, showing no less aggression than the world champion has often displayed, with the latter cutting the chicane and receiving a five-second penalty that costs him the win. The real headline, however, is Verstappen’s hesitation during the standing start — a rare moment from one of the best starters on the grid.

With Verstappen ahead but penalized with an extra five seconds at the pit stop, Oscar Piastri has to choose between attempting a pass or waiting for the stops. Oscar chooses to go for it, but after around ten laps, tire wear in dirty air forces him to drop back by tenths each lap. The MCL39 is among the most sensitive cars to front tire graining. But in Jeddah, the phenomenon is far less severe thanks to the new 2025 Pirellis, whose reinforcement against this type of wear happens to suit McLaren’s needs. Dropping to two seconds behind, Oscar Piastri pits to prevent Verstappen from compensating for the penalty by undercutting. A risky choice that puts the Australian back into traffic, but it pays off and earns him the championship lead.

McLaren ahead, but not by much
Despite the win, McLaren’s pace wasn’t overwhelming. Even in clean air during the second stint, Oscar Piastri’s small pace advantage decreases lap by lap. The MCL39 is best when managing rear tire degradation, but on front-limited tracks like Jeddah, its dominance is reduced. It was not an easy victory, especially for Oscar Piastri, whose driving style is less suited to the sharp front-end setup needed in Jeddah. Norris, faster than his teammate until Q2, had more potential but wasted it with a crucial mistake. Still, his recovery to fourth is not to be underestimated, validating McLaren’s strategy to start on hards for a (mostly) clean-air race.

Verstappen’s slow start brings some regret. Even without the pace to catch Oscar Piastri, Max showed competitiveness that could’ve allowed him to defend. “I didn’t expect the car to have this pace,” said the surprised Dutchman. Jeddah’s fast corners suit Verstappen’s style and the RB21’s traits. But the improved performance is also thanks to a new setup direction, which could unlock more potential from the updated concept.

In less than two months the Barcelona GP will see the new directive on stiffer front wings come into effect, which won’t only impact top speeds. The less flexible wings will retain higher angles in corners, shifting the balance forward and making cars pointier in high-speed sections. Verstappen grins, knowing that no one manages instability like he does, often turning it into an advantage.

Charles Leclerc, first podium of the year
Ferrari executed a strong weekend, especially in the race. Several key moments led to Leclerc’s podium, starting with Hamilton’s defense against Norris in the first stint, holding him off for two crucial laps. Then it was up to Charles Leclerc to keep the Brit in dirty air until he came within undercut range, which Ferrari countered by calling Charles into the pits. After a lightning-fast two-second stop, Charles Leclerc rejoined and wasted no time passing Russell, later preventing Norris from closing in.

Comparing Leclerc’s late-race pace to the leaders is futile — his tires were ten laps fresher than Piastri’s. But it is telling that near the end of the first stint, Charles was already half a second faster than Russell, cutting another half-second once the Mercedes boxed. On a favorable track like Jeddah, Ferrari showed it can stick close to the front, but the gap in qualifying still costs them.

Ferrari studies the tires
What the Safety Car had disrupted in Bahrain, Ferrari finally managed to execute in Jeddah. They showed the ability to extend the first stint and create a tire advantage for the second. The real issue lies in single-lap pace. “If we’re not in front, it’s because of qualifying. The race pace is very good,” Fred Vasseur analyzed at the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

In the race, the SF-25 was among the fastest in the first sector, despite being the second-slowest in the first corners of qualifying. So Saturday’s struggle wasn’t just about slow corner performance, but also trouble getting the most out of new tires. Better warm-up could be achieved by pushing harder in prep laps, but the difficulty in stabilizing temperatures forces caution in early corners. Ferrari now relies on the expertise of Loic Serra, the new technical director, whose tire experience could prove vital for improving qualifying.

Ferrari, however, remains calm. The Jeddah podium was aided by the circuit’s characteristics — fast corners that highlighted the SF-25’s strengths and a smooth surface that masked its ride height weaknesses. But a performance gap remains that needs closing, even with upgrades. Fortunately, the calendar offers a break, with only one race in the next four weeks — a window that could also help Hamilton, who is still trying to sync with a car he hasn’t yet understood.

Williams, what a start
Mercedes finds itself as the fourth force, unable to manage front tires as well as it did the rears in Bahrain. One wonders if the W16 has flipped the Silver Arrows’ traditional strengths and weaknesses — until last year, most effective on high-speed tracks. But there are big smiles at Williams, who claimed fifth in the standings thanks to double points finishes for Sainz and Albon. The gamble to focus on the 2024 chassis in preparation for this season is paying off. Time will tell if stopping development on the FW47 to focus on 2026 will also be a winning move.