Need to know ahead the third Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Located adjoining to the Red Sea, Jeddah Corniche Circuit is about to host Saudi Arabia’s third Formula 1 race in the present day. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó picks out some key areas to keep watch over at spherical two of the 2023 F1 season.

With the tempo benefit he had proven in apply periods, Max Verstappen seemed on target to safe a straightforward pole place in yesterday’ qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, however a driveshaft situation in Q2 meant that the reigning world champion has now a excessive mountain to climb. However, the reigning champion has proven loads of occasions in the previous that he’s removed from being shy of such a problem, having gained final 12 months’s Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix after ranging from the mid-pack.

Newest observe – Jeddah is the quickest avenue circuit of the 12 months. The observe was designed three years in the past and has been regularly improved since then. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is run at night time, towards the breath-taking backdrop of the Corniche alongside the Red Sea, round 30 kilometres from the metropolis centre.

The highest variety of turns – The Saudi Arabian GP is held on a really excessive velocity observe: the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has 27 corners and is an adrenaline rush for the drivers as they full the observe at a median velocity of about 250 km/h, fairly comparable to that at Monza.

Long observe – The observe not solely options the highest variety of corners, however it’s the second longest circuit after Belgium’s iconic Spa race course with a size of 6.174km. Drivers will full 50 laps in the present day to full the race distance of 308.450km.

Track numbers – There is an offset of 250m between the begin and end line. As for the pitlane velocity limits, drivers want to adhere to a most of 80kph in all periods of the weekend.

DRS zones – There can be three DRS zones. The first one has a detection level positioned on the exit to Turn 17 with the activation zone positioned on the exit to Turn 19. The second zone has its detection level on the entry to Turn 22 with the activation zone mendacity on the exit to Turn 25. The detection level of the third DRS zone is discovered on the exit to Turn 27 with drivers permitted to activate their DRS 170m after this exact same nook.

Lap report – Lewis Hamilton not solely claimed the win in the inaugural Jeddah race, however he additionally set the finest lap in 2021 which continues to be the official lap report round the 6.174km observe. The Mercedes driver posted a 1m30.734 as his finest lap on target to declare victory in the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Last 12 months noticed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the quickest race lap with the Monegasque posting a 1m31.634 on target to take P2 following an intense combat with Max Verstappen for the race victory.

The quickest ever lap – Lewis Hamilton claimed pole place for the 2021 Jeddah race with a time of 1m27.511s which continues to be the finest ever lap round the quickest avenue observe in F1. Last 12 months, Sergio Perez went on to declare his first profession pole after setting the benchmark with a 1m28.200s. With the early exit of his workforce mate in qualifying, the Mexican continued his spectacular kind in Jeddah, securing pole place yesterday with a time of 1m28.265s.

Middle vary – For the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, C2 is the P Zero White laborious, C3 is the P Zero Yellow medium, and C4 is the P Zero Red smooth.

Strategy – The observe floor offers a good degree of grip, however with out being too abrasive. Considering the tyre efficiency proven on the longer runs accomplished throughout the apply periods, a one-stop tyre technique is the almost definitely to be picked by the groups.

Safety automobile – However, pre-race technique calculations might be shortly thrown out of the window when security automobile makes an look in the race. And the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has proved to be a observe the place security automobile and digital security automobile normally make an look.

In truth, there have been loads of Safety Car and VSC durations in Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s two appearances on the Formula 1 calendar thus far. In 2021, the security automobile was deployed two occasions with the VSC additionally deployed thrice.

The Safety Car made a single look in the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as the results of a crash for Williams’ Nicholas Latifi on the seventeenth lap. The digital security automobile was additionally deployed a single time after Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren automobile got here to a halt close to the entry to the pit lane.

Front restricted – The circuit affords a medium degree of grip however the sand blown onto the floor can affect this on the low-abrasion asphalt. The observe, which overlooks the Red Sea, shouldn’t be particularly demanding by way of traction and braking, with lateral forces predominantly affecting the tyres.

Changes – This 12 months, there are some new rumble strips on the escape roads whereas a few of the kerbs have been smoothed. A variety of the partitions have been repositioned, equivalent to these at Turns 8 and 10 (to enhance visibility on entry) and Turn 23 (to sluggish the nook down).