F1 on Jeddah s streets talking points ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP

JEDDAH – This weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the final leg of the first “triple header” of the season.

From Suzuka in Japan, to the desert of Bahrain, Formula One now pitches up on the shores of the Red Sea in Jeddah.

Here is a look at five talking points ahead of the fifth round of the 24-race season.

Advantage McLaren

Oscar Piastri put in a faultless display from pole last weekend in Sakhir to make it three wins out of four for McLaren.

That moved the Australian to within three points of championship leader and teammate Lando Norris, who took third in Bahrain.

With Max Verstappen, only sixth, and Red Bull struggling to keep tabs on the world constructors’ champions, the 2025 title could well develop into a battle between the two McLaren men.

The team have always been insistent on “papaya rules”, theoretically meaning no favouritism between the pair, but that policy will be put under intense pressure if the season develops into a battle between the two gifted drivers.

Red Bull to bounce back?

Red Bull’s problems in Bahrain were well documented, and they will be desperate to bounce back on one of their favourite hunting grounds, with Verstappen winning in Jeddah in 2022 and 2024.

“Bahrain was quite a difficult weekend for us and didn’t really go our way at all. We had some issues that set us back and we still have a lot of work to do on the car to get us where we need to be,” said the four-time champion.

He slipped to third in the standings, eight points behind Norris, after trailing in over half a minute behind Piastri in Sakhir. It is