Norris Edges Out Piastri in Final Saudi GP Practice as McLaren Sets the Pace
Okay, so here’s the latest buzz from Jeddah and it’s pretty exciting—especially if you're a McLaren fan. Final practice for the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just wrapped up, and Lando Norris came out on top, narrowly edging out his teammate Oscar Piastri by just 0.024 seconds. It’s not every day you see both McLarens topping the charts, and it's making this weekend feel like one of those turning points in the season.
The session kicked off under the setting Saudi sun with air temps still hovering around 30°C. Not everyone rushed out early, but a few drivers did take the chance to get some laps in—Gabriel Bortoleto hit the track right away, trying to make up for lost time due to a fuel leak in FP2. Jack Doohan, Esteban Ocon, and Ollie Bearman also got some early running on soft tyres, while Aston Martin used the time to run mediums with Alonso and Stroll.
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As the session heated up—figuratively and literally—the usual suspects started making moves. George Russell showed some real pace for Mercedes, briefly taking the top spot with a 1:28.214 before being displaced by Piastri, who laid down a 1:27.513. That looked like it might be enough until Norris responded in style, clocking a 1:27.489 to top the session.
What’s really interesting is how the McLaren pair are tackling this track differently. Norris appears to be using a smoother, more flowing style through the tricky Turn 1 and 2 combo, while Piastri is braking later and harder, trying to "V" the corner more aggressively. It’s a subtle difference, but it might end up defining who gets the edge in qualifying. There was even a moment in FP2 when Norris cut across the first corner a bit too boldly, technically invalidating the lap—but it showed just how much he's pushing the boundaries to stay ahead.
Behind the McLarens, Russell took third, Verstappen was fourth with the help of a tow, and Leclerc rounded out the top five. But it wasn’t a good look for Lewis Hamilton, who ended the session down in 12th, still struggling to extract pace from his Ferrari. His comments from Friday—about just trying to reach Q3—are starting to sound less like humility and more like reality.
Elsewhere, Williams are quietly having a strong weekend with Albon and Sainz in sixth and seventh, and Pierre Gasly continues to prove his pace isn’t a fluke. Even Yuki Tsunoda, fresh off his FP2 crash, bounced back to take ninth fastest.
Now, with final practice in the books, all eyes turn to qualifying at 8 PM local time. With McLaren looking sharp, Red Bull not quite at their best, and Mercedes hanging in the fight, this qualifying session is shaping up to be a thriller. Let’s see if Norris can carry this momentum into pole position, or if Piastri or Verstappen have something special saved for tonight.
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