The first free practice session of the Saudi Arabian GP should still be taken with caution, as track temperatures were very high, over 43°C, and the track was still very dirty, meaning there was generally low grip. In these conditions, the additional downforce that McLaren engineers have equipped their car with clearly makes a significant difference, while for most other teams, the track will start to deliver more representative results from FP2, with the asphalt becoming slightly more rubbered in and, more importantly, much cooler temperatures after sunset. That said, the signs from the first session were interesting, with more than one point of interest already visible.
Gasly Flies, but Pushing the Engine Mapping
Of course, the first headline from the session is Pierre Gasly’s fastest time in the Alpine, which comes in a phase of form that continues to look stellar. The Alpine still shows good ability to tackle the fast corners, similar to what was seen at Sakhir in the sector snake. However, the Alpine also seemed to have an advantage in the straights, indicating less resistance to forward movement and probably a more aggressive engine mapping. It’s also worth noting that Pierre Gasly set his fastest lap much later than Norris, while Leclerc was very close to the Frenchman’s time but failed to beat it due to a poor last corner. While it seems unlikely that Gasly will fight for the actual front row, a strong performance in the top 3 rows may be within reach.
McLaren Solid, Mercedes Attempts to Challenge on Top Speed
In general, the Woking team started the Saudi weekend without showing any particular weaknesses, instead demonstrating good overall performance in both corners and traction, but currently struggling with top speed, also displaying significant clipping in the data, likely due to increased use of electric power during acceleration to compensate for the extra aerodynamic resistance caused by additional downforce. The strong point of the MCL39 seems to be the first sector, where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been much more effective in the slow corners, but without losing out in the fast sections, except for the top speed deficit, which has been seen repeatedly throughout the season. It is on this point that Mercedes seems to be attempting to challenge McLaren by combining effective traction in slow corners and strong performance in high-speed sections with high top speeds, positioning itself as a potential second force with the ability to attack the papaya front-runners.
Ferrari Struggles in Slow Corners, Strong in High-Speed
Finally, for the Maranello team, the first free practice session was somewhat of a mixed bag. Charles Leclerc’s third position in the classification isn’t entirely accurate, as he posted his time after the competition, and the general impression from the session is that the SF25 struggles especially in the slow sections with rapidly changing corners, where it loses a large part of its deficit. In the faster sections, Charles Leclerc’s and Lewis Hamilton’s cars perform well, with Leclerc frequently registering the best minimum speed, but failing to close the gap in the first sector. The downforce seems to be present and efficient, but the mechanical rotation and setup of the SF25 still seem to need improvement.
Long Run Pace: Lando Norris Seemingly Unbeatable, but in an Unrealistic Simulation
During the long run tests at the end of the session, Lando Norris seemed to be on another planet, with average lap times over a second faster than the rest of the field. However, analyzing the data in detail, it becomes clear that McLaren’s car number 4 was conducting a simulation under very different conditions, probably with less fuel (allowing him to gain time under braking) and a much more aggressive engine mapping, with power delivery differences that were too pronounced to be considered realistic. The weekend looks interesting, with some clear technical indications that will need to be evaluated session by session, starting with the second free practice.
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