Convincing results
The first free practice session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix ended with the surprising performance of Pierre Gasly, who set the fastest time in the Alpine. However, looking at the top ten lap times, Carlos Sainz also stood out. The Spaniard from Williams not only shared positive feedback over the radio regarding the car’s setup, but also finished FP1 in seventh place.
The former Ferrari driver, who had not raced at the Saudi circuit since 2023, then improved his performance in FP2, finishing 5th: “A positive first day for us here in Jeddah,” he said with satisfaction. “We made good progress from FP1 to FP2, trying different setup solutions and adapting my driving style to extract more from the car. The lap on the soft tyre proved it, and although it’s only Friday, the overall feeling on this tricky track was positive. Let’s see if we can maintain this pace on Saturday as well!”
Not just Carlos Sainz
At Williams, Carlos Sainz was not the only standout in Saudi free practice: in FP1, Alex Albon actually claimed fifth place, dropping to tenth in the following session. Regardless of the results, the Anglo-Thai driver highlighted the characteristics of the Jeddah track, including the challenge of choosing the right tyres for qualifying when track temperatures drop: “It’s a lot of fun to drive on this track, with so many high-speed sections. Qualifying will be very tight, so we’ll need to make some small changes before the session. Tyres are always a topic of discussion here, especially when the track cools during the session. We’re usually good at getting the tyres into the right window, so let’s see how tomorrow’s session goes.”
Interestingly, both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon complained over the radio about being blocked by Lewis Hamilton during their fast laps in FP1 and FP2. In the second case, Race Control even investigated the seven-time world champion’s move against Alex Albon, though the Ferrari driver did not receive a penalty for potential impeding.
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