Did Hamilton stop Norris from beating Leclerc? Jeddah race data analysed · RaceFans

After recovering six locations to complete fourth at Jeddah, Lando Norris mentioned he didn’t suppose he may have completed any larger.

However he took the chequered flag simply over a second behind Charles Leclerc’s third-placed Ferrari – tantalisingly near being inside DRS vary. Leclerc ought to have been grateful to his group mate Lewis Hamilton, who delayed Norris’s progress for a number of laps earlier within the race.

Did Hamilton – inadvertently or in any other case – assist purchase his group mate sufficient time over Norris to make sure his third place could be protected? Or to place it one other manner, had Norris not been re-passed twice by Hamilton on consecutive laps, would he have caught Leclerc quickly sufficient to assault him?

Norris was solely four-and-a-half seconds behind Leclerc on lap 11, when he first began attempting to cross Hamilton. Norris was really forward firstly/end line on the following two laps, however every time Hamilton was within the means of re-passing him. Lastly, on lap 14, Hamilton made it to the ending line first, however Norris got here by as they reached flip one, and the place was his.

It got here at a price, nevertheless, as Leclerc was now 6.2 seconds up the highway. Norris by no means fairly bought inside a second of Leclerc firstly/end line, however with an additional 1.7 seconds in his hand he might need executed so with three laps to go.

So it’s extremely probably Norris would have caught Leclerc sooner, however because the aphorism goes, ‘catching is one factor, passing one other’. Norris and Leclerc each handed Russell with little problem of their second stints, however each had been comfortably faster than the Mercedes.

Norris, on his more energizing medium rubber, was constantly faster than Leclerc till he started to get inside DRS vary. They almost matched lap instances a number of instances over the ultimate excursions.

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The DRS impact was very highly effective round Jeddah, nevertheless, so had Norris really been in a position to get shut sufficient to make use of it, there’s an honest probability he may have handed the Ferrari. On the very least, he might need executed as he did to Hamilton on laps 12 and 13, and crushed Leclerc to the ending line, which on the final lap would have been adequate.

Leclerc produced one other lengthy opening stint

Leclerc due to this fact ought to really feel a bit grateful in direction of Hamilton. And his pit crew, who helped him to the quickest full pit cease time of the race.

None of that’s to underestimate the standard of Leclerc’s drive. As soon as once more he pulled off an outstanding lengthy stint, displaying the Ferrari can take care of its tyres very properly certainly, which on the proper day is definitely going to repay handsomely.

Three drivers tried the acute technique of pitting on the finish of lap one to modify from the medium rubber to hards. Two of them exchanged the final two locations within the operating order on the ultimate lap of the race: Gabriel Bortoleto, who toughed it out to the flag misplaced seventeenth to Jack Doohan, the one two-stopper. Esteban Ocon, in the meantime, was the final unlapped driver after a really gradual last tour.

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2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lap chart

The positions of every driver on each lap. Click on identify to focus on, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls beneath:

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2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race chart

The gaps between every driver on each lap in comparison with the chief’s common lap time. Very giant gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls beneath:

2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lap instances

All of the lap instances by the drivers (in seconds, very gradual laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers utilizing the management beneath:

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