Lando Norris leads the way as Formula 1 roars into life in Jeddah
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: The FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX burst into action on Friday, with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lighting up the Jeddah Corniche Circuit during an eventful first day of track running.
Throughout the afternoon and under the floodlights, fans packed into the grandstands were treated to an exciting day of practice at the fifth edition of what is regarded as the 'World's Fastest Street Race.' It was Norris who topped the timesheets in the evening session, setting the benchmark with a 1m28.340s lap on the soft compound tyre. The McLarens were the quickest runners in the cooler conditions, with team-mate Piastri just 0.163s behind.
But not everyone had a smooth ride. Lance Stroll locked up into Turn 1 at the start of FP2 and spun his Aston Martin harmlessly through the run-off, while Yuki Tsunoda wasn't so lucky. The Japanese driver clipped the inside wall at the final corner, sending his Red Bull machine sliding across the track and into the barriers. The incident brought out a red flag with less than ten minutes of the session remaining.
Earlier in the day, Pierre Gasly gave Alpine fans something to cheer about by going quickest in FP1 — just 0.007s ahead of Norris, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third, splitting the two McLarens. A number of drivers tapped the wall across the two sessions, proving just how fine the margins are at the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
It wasn't just Formula 1 making headlines on Friday. There was plenty of action in the support categories, with American star Jak Crawford leaving it late to snatch the fastest time in Formula 2 Qualifying. He claimed the top spot on his final lap by just 0.022s from Victor Martins. So delighted was he with his time that he called it 'the greatest lap I've ever driven in my life' over team radio. It was a nail-biting finish after the session was briefly interrupted when John Bennett spun at Turn 17, triggering a red flag.
There was also action in the all-female F1 ACADEMY series, as Chloe Chambers stormed to her maiden pole position in Qualifying. The Red Bull Ford driver put in a sensational effort late in the session, with a time that couldn't be matched. Doriane Pin and Maya Weug completed the top three, while Saudi wildcard entry Farah AlYousef – crowned champion at the Saudi Women's Karting Championship in 2022 – finished 17th on the timesheets.
Away from the on-track drama, fans were kept entertained throughout the day with a packed schedule of activities around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The Fan Zone was buzzing with excitement as a number of F1 drivers made appearances, while in the evening, the Main Stage came alive with a high-energy performance from TUL8TE. With more racing to come — including F1 Qualifying and the first F1 ACADEMY and Formula 2 races — Saturday promises to deliver even more action both on and off the track.
Today's line up of events will be sure to entertain Saudi Arabian fans with another full day of activities. On-track, the final Free Practice Session will be held ahead of Qualifying, where drivers will race to secure the best possible grid position ahead of Sunday's race.
But it's not just F1 cars taking to the world's fastest street circuit today. F1 Academy hosts its first race of the weekend, Formula 2's Sprint Race will shortly follow, then the Porsche Sprint Cup Challenge Middle East will race on the world's fastest street circuit.
Local fans will also be able to enjoy the unforgettable concert on the Main Stage where international headliner Jennifer Lopez will be performing after F1 Qualifying ends.
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