F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025: What are the tire strategies available for the drivers?

Max Verstappen surprised the field to take the pole position for Formula 1 Saudi Arabic Grand Prix.

But the job was not done for the Red Bull Driver.

He, together with everyone, spent on Saturday evening in Jeddah by flowing the data to appear the best tire tire strategy options for the Saudi -Arab Grand Prix on Sunday.

Let’s go through the options.

What happened on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from 2024?

Last season’s race in the Jeddah Corniche circuit was a rather boring affair.

Not only was it the second race of the 2024 F1 season – when Red Bull and Max Verstappen were on their most dominant – but Lance Stroll’s Crash in round 7 bought an early safety car and bolt the schedule in the Putten. With the majority of the field that starts on the medium -sized C3 connection, the majority of the grid switched to the C2 -hard connection, with the rest of the road on that tire.

Subinrive went with a different strategy, the most striking Lando Norris, Nico Hülkenberg and Lewis Hamilton. The three started on the medium -sized compund, but stayed outside when Stroll’s Crashboute started the Safety Car, picked up the track position and bet on extra chaos.

But when that intervention never arrived, all three in the pits in the final phase to change their mandatory ties. Hülkenberg stopped at round 33 and switched to a set of hard tires, which finally finished tenth.

Next to Pit stood Hamilton, who stopped in round 36. He stopped Late Sub Oliver Bearman, who made his debut for Ferrari instead of Carlos Sainz Jr. And ran on the hard tires that the team sustained during his stop and the safety car.

What are the recommended strategies this year?

Again, Pirelli expects this race to be a one-stop affair. Last year the medium-hard strategy was the preferred format, and that is probably the majority approach this year.

Note, Pirelli, you have become a step softer this year with the tires and opt for the C3, C4 and C5 connections. So while last year the teams that went medium-hard used the C3 and the C2, this season would use that approach the C4 and the C3.

However, the tires kept well on the Jeddah Corniche circuit this week, and although Pirelli thought it would be a step softer with the connections, she would bring a two-stop strategy into play, they have given that the robust nature of the tires this year means that one-stop is still on the table.

“From what we have seen so far, bringing a step softer trio of connections has not changed the general image significantly,” says Mario Isola, director of Pirelli of Motorsport, after the training on Friday. “We didn’t see much grainy from the few meaningful long ruins in the second session, and that only on Somoers. Moreover, it was clear today that this phenomenon remained largely the same from one session to the next, which means that it could be a factor breakdown during the race.

“In Round Times Therms, the level of relegation was essentially comparable to Let Years, or perhaps just a little higher. That is why it is difficult to see that there is a major change in strategy, with one bit more competitive than before, but not insufficient to be a valid alternative.”

As you can see in the table below of the office F1 Website, on a medium -sized strategy, sees the well window open around round 16 to round 22, so that the rest of the road is pushed on the hard tire:

But you will also notice the potential strategies that we will discuss in short order.

What can Lando Norris try from P10?

Let’s start with the current leader in the rankings of the drivers.

Lando Norris dedicated the qualification session of Saturday as a favorite for pole position, given his performance on three practice sessions and the relative strength of the MCL39.

But a wobble in turn 4 in the first quarter, Norris saw in the wall, which ended all the dreams of the pole position.

The McLaren director starts the tenth and may have to roll the strategy, says that if he is going to keep an eye on a stage, considering how to catch up in recent seasons you will be difficult in Jeddah.

Norris Court chooses to start on the softs, place the softer compound to use an early push stint, and the stop around round 10 to round 16, the rest of the road on the hard tire. That is strategy 4, above, and with one set of new soft tires available, this is perhaps its best gamble.

I also have Couls to turn the script on the medium-hard option, start on a set of the hards and walk as long as possible. Then pit round 28 to 34 and use the softer medium compund, while the rest of the grid around him is probably on the fading of hard tires.

What about divers further back in the field?

In Pirelli’s post-qualifying report, Isola, note that it is submitted rather interesting. Several drivers still have two sets of new hard tires left. Why would this be?

The chaos factor.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is one of the fastest street crafts in the world, and the combination of 27 corners, high skewers and threatening walls punish errors. Since the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, at least one Safety Car has been there every year.

Isola believes that the teams that come in on Sunday with two new sets of hards betting on more than one security car that makes an appearance.

“When it comes to strategies, we don’t feel the situation you changed yesterday and it is no coincidence that, although it has not yet been confirmed, the vast majority of the Drive report.” The C3 [hard] SEMS To offer the best performance and, without much relegation, a one-stop strategy on paper is quick, with the order medium-hard favorite, well between rounds 14 and 20.

“There is a link of reasons why many have chosen to save two sets of this [C3] Compiled: Firstly, to be ready for any situations of the security cars that have been seen on this track and second, to have a backup in case there is an important step in demolition in demolition. “

As you can see in an instant, nine of the drivers in the top has two new sets hards. Only Carlos Sainz Jr., who starts sixth, you only have one new set of the C3 compound available.

At the back of the grid, two drivers – Jack Doohan in P17 and Hülkenberg in P18 – two new sets of hard tires have available.

Just as Isola is framing, if you have to switch to a two -stop race Softy automotive situations, it is good to have two sets of hard hard tires available.

“It is interesting that teams decided to keep both sets of hard,” Isola told the official F1 channel. “They should not be used in a normal situation, but we know the safety ca.

“I am not saying that the soft is completely out of the game – but if you have to be set with 15 expired deleted, it is better than soft.”

You could see drivers such as Doohan and Hülkenberg at the back of the grid on the softs, and possibly the says in a two-top strategy, since they each have two sets of the fresh hard tires available.

Which tires does every driver have available?

This image of F1.com Illustrates the tire connections that are available for every driver, where SN stands for “Soft New”, his stands for “soft used”, and so on: