Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Preview

Saudi Arabia’s inaugural grand prix will take place on the Jeddah Corniche, adjacent to the shore of the Red Sea, with a lengthy street-based wall-lined course designed to provide a stern challenge for teams and drivers. Saudi Arabia will become the 34th different country, and Jeddah Corniche Circuit the 75th different venue, visited by Formula 1. As a result, everyone will be starting from scratch in Jeddah, with no prior experience, though teams are well-versed in getting to grips with new locations in recent seasons. 

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will feature 27 turns, the most on the current calendar, and stretch out across 6.175km. That includes the 180-degree banked turn 13, at the far end of the circuit, as well as a section of track that takes drivers between the sea and a lagoon. That makes it the second-longest track on the 2021 schedule, behind only Belgium’s Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. 

Jeddah is also set to be the fastest street-based course on the calendar, with several lengthy full-throttle sections and high-speed curves leading to projections of an average lap speed, in qualifying trim, of 250km/h. The length of the full-throttle segments means there will be three DRS zones, aiding the prospect of overtaking, with the circuit having been specially designed for Formula 1. 

That makes Jeddah an unconventional street circuit while the decision to hold the event at night means it joins Bahrain, Qatar and upcoming finale Abu Dhabi in taking place beneath floodlights in 2021.  

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Uralkali Haas F1 Team

The penultimate race of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship brings us to the coastal resort of Jeddah, for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It’s a track that boasts speeds of 252km/h – making it the fastest street circuit ever seen in the sport – as well as featuring a record-breaking 27 corners. What’s your assessment of the track and what are your expectations going into the race? 
 
“I think it’s one of those things where a few years ago when you thought we would go to Jeddah with such an exciting race track it would be something you wouldn’t believe. I’ve seen the track on paper and in my opinion, it looks amazing and something completely new. If you always think more or better cannot be done, we are proven wrong once again. Our expectations – I don’t really know as I haven’t seen enough of it – so we’ll get to them once we’ve done a few laps.”

 

It’s the second consecutive new addition to the calendar, and the first-ever event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As Formula 1 visits new territories, what would you like spectators to take away from the sport, especially younger fans?
 
“I would like that they take away the fact it is a global sport, there are no limits – we are open to working with people who want to showcase their country that wants to open up to the world. I think the sport brings a lot to the country and the sport takes a lot from the country. We are always finding new territories where there is still a big demand for the sport, especially with young people.”