The Jeddah street circuit is clearly well suited to the DS E-TENSE FE25, but also to the drivers of the Franco-American team. Guenther scored a resounding grand slam there in 2025 - pole position, victory and fastest lap - while Barnard finished on the podium in the first of the two races held there last year. Two weeks after a weather-disrupted event in Miami, the Saudi skies were much kinder. The forecast predicted heat, but this was mitigated by a welcome breeze. In these conditions, Thursday's free practice sessions at the end of the day served mainly as an observation phase... and a warning. By setting the fastest time of the session, Maximilian Guenther immediately set the bar high. The competition had been warned.
Jeddah also marked the first double-header of the season, and therefore the return of Pit Boost – a mandatory quick stop during the first race – combined with a unique six-minute Attack Mode. This unprecedented combination profoundly disrupted the strategic habits of the field. “It's a bit like starting from scratch,” Guenther said before the weekend. Was this extra pressure for the defending champion? “Not really. We don't think about past races. The cars have evolved, everything is prepared on the simulator, you have to take things as they come.”
