Leaving Bahrain behind, the Circus moves just a few kilometers to prepare for the fifth race of the 2025 season. The city of Jeddah is getting ready to welcome the F1 teams for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a race chosen by Pirelli to introduce a significant change for strategic purposes. The Italian tire supplier, the exclusive tire provider for Formula 1, announced the change along with expectations for the upcoming weekend.
From Manama to Jeddah, Formula 1 prepares for the fifth race of the 2025 championship. In Saudi Arabia, McLaren will try to extend its lead at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ready to fight for the lead in the Drivers’ Standings. The two papaya drivers, separated by just three points, will have to deal with Ferrari’s desire for redemption and the ambitions of a dazzling George Russell.
Pirelli’s “soft” move for Jeddah
In the first four weekends of the new season, teams used the same dry-weather compounds as in the 2024 editions. Jeddah will represent a change of direction: “After four GPs where the dry compound selection remained unchanged compared to last year, for the fifth race, Pirelli has decided to make a ‘softer’ move.”
Thus, Pirelli announced the “soft” shift in its preview statement. The tire selection for Jeddah “will consist of C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft.”
The strategic reason behind Pirelli’s choice
This decision “was inspired by a shared desire with the FIA, F1, and the teams,” as stated. The clear intent is to “do everything possible to create more strategic options for the race, and therefore more spectacle and uncertainty.”
Pirelli and F1 are trying to mix things up, attempting to induce teams to employ multi-stop strategies, unlike in previous editions. In fact, “in the previous four editions of this Grand Prix, the single-stop strategy has always been dominant.”
The characteristics of Jeddah
At 6.174 km, the Jeddah street circuit is “one of the fastest tracks of the season.” According to Pirelli’s statistics, about 80% of the lap time is spent with the foot on the accelerator.
Regarding the track surface, the Saudi Arabian circuit is “not very abrasive” and has “a medium level of roughness. The lateral forces exerted are significant.”
Pirelli also highlights the potential for graining to occur. “It can be a factor, especially in the early practice sessions. However, during the weekend, the phenomenon progressively reduces as the track conditions improve.”
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