The weekend was dominated by events far outside the circuit. On 25 March, a drone and missile strike on an Aramco oil depot approximately 16 km from the Jeddah circuit — claimed by Yemen's Houthi movement — started a large fire whose black smoke was visible during the first practice session. The second practice session was delayed by 15 minutes to allow an emergency meeting between drivers, team principals, and Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Late that evening, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association convened a separate meeting lasting four and a half hours before all drivers agreed to continue for the remainder of the weekend. According to the BBC, drivers were warned of consequences including potential denial of exit visas if they boycotted. The race also drew sustained criticism because it took place just days after the 2022 Saudi Arabia mass execution, in which 81 men were executed in a single day. Amnesty International and Reprieve both called the event an instrument of sportswashing.
Lewis Hamilton publicly called on Saudi authorities to enact change, while stating that drivers should not personally bear responsibility for the host country's record.
Going into the race, Charles Leclerc led the Drivers' Championship following his victory in Bahrain, with Carlos Sainz Jr. eight points behind and Lewis Hamilton eleven behind. Ferrari led the Constructors' Championship, 17 points ahead of Mercedes.
Sebastian Vettel missed the race for a second consecutive weekend while recovering from COVID-19 and was replaced by Nico Hülkenberg at Aston Martin.
Sergio Pérez claimed his maiden Formula One pole position — his 215th Grand Prix start, setting a record for the most races contested before a first pole. Leclerc and Sainz qualified second and third for Ferrari, with Verstappen fourth. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for the first time since the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix and the first time he had been knocked out at that stage due to pace alone since the 2009 British Grand Prix. Mick Schumacher crashed heavily in Q2 and was sent to hospital for precautionary scans. Haas chose not to repair his car before the Australian Grand Prix owing to limited parts supply during the opening fly-away swing, leaving Kevin Magnussen as the team's sole starter. Daniel Ricciardo received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Esteban Ocon in Q2.
Pérez led from pole for the first 14 laps before the safety car was deployed after Nicholas Latifi hit the wall. Leclerc and Verstappen used the opportunity to pit and rejoin ahead of Pérez; Pérez briefly passed Sainz illegally and was required to return the position. Once racing resumed, the leading battle became a tactical duel.
On laps 42 and 43 Leclerc and Verstappen engaged in a widely noted DRS exchange through Turn 27 in which neither driver was willing to take the lead and expose themselves to a straight-line attack. Verstappen forced the issue, moved ahead on lap 46, and was not challenged again. Leclerc's tyres had cooled during an earlier virtual safety car period, costing him grip at a critical moment. Sainz finished third, completing an all-Red Bull-Ferrari podium.
In the midfield, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon fought over several laps before team orders settled their positions. Alonso, Ricciardo, and Valtteri Bottas all retired within consecutive laps due to separate mechanical failures. Alexander Albon and Lance Stroll collided on lap 47, ending Albon's race, though he was classified having completed over 90 percent of the distance.
A virtual safety car on lap 37 closed the pit lane at a moment that cost Lewis Hamilton track position, dropping him from sixth to twelfth.
Verstappen's win was his first of the 2022 season and his 21st in Formula One. Leclerc extended his Drivers' Championship lead to 12 points over Sainz, while Verstappen was 20 points behind Leclerc. Ferrari led the Constructors' Championship by 40 points over Mercedes, with Red Bull just one point behind Mercedes in third. Hamilton's race start was his 180th with Mercedes, surpassing Michael Schumacher's record for the most championship starts with a single constructor.
Following the weekend, the FIA announced it would enforce stricter conduct standards during safety car restarts from the Australian Grand Prix onward, citing the aggressive braking and positioning tactics Verstappen had used — a continuation of similar rulings prompted by incidents at the 2021 Abu Dhabi and 2022 Bahrain Grands Prix.