2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Friday

Jeddah, 18 April 2025 – Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber got the Saudi Arabian GP weekend underway at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The team completed its run plan in FP1, focusing on initial setup work and data collection as part of its on-track programme.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s running was cut short after a fuel leak was discovered following the first session: with limited time before FP2, the Brazilian was forced to sit out the rest of the day. Further investigation by the team revealed the leak to be located in the tank area: due to the complexity of the integration of the fuel cell, the team will use the spare monocoque for car 5 for the remainder of the weekend.

With Nico Hulkenberg carrying out the team’s programme in FP2 and delivering much-needed data, the focus now turns to the overnight work, as the team looks to review the data gathered so far and fine-tune the setup to maximise performance ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying.

Nico Hulkenberg (car number 27):
FP1: 12th / 1:29.916 (25 laps)
FP2: 9th / 1:29.193 (21 laps)

"Jeddah is a really impressive track to drive, with its high-speed sections, rapid changes of direction and overall dynamic layout. It's a demanding circuit. I am pleased we managed to get the car into a good window in FP1 and were able to complete our standard Friday programme in FP2. We gathered valuable information on the tyres and made some structural adjustments to the setup between the sessions. There is still work to do overnight to refine the details, but it’s encouraging to see that we are firmly in the mix.“

 

Gabriel Bortoleto (car number 5):
FP1: 20th / 1:31.038 (23 laps)
FP2: Did not participate

“It definitely wasn’t the day I had hoped for here in Jeddah – it’s my first time driving this circuit in a Formula One car, so missing out on valuable track time was frustrating. Unfortunately, a fuel leak discovered after FP1 meant we couldn’t run in the second session. These things can happen, and the team did everything they could to fix the issue – I’m grateful for their effort – but it just wasn’t possible in the time available. I still managed to complete a few laps in FP1, which gave me an initial feel for the circuit. It’s encouraging to see Nico finishing the day in the top ten; that gives us a strong reference. Now it’s all about learning as much as I can from the data and from Nico to be fully prepared for tomorrow and to make the most of the final practice session ahead of qualifying.”