Motorsports

Strategy guide for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

By Balazs Szabo on

With the F1 discipline having made the quick journey from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, drivers have been met with a really totally different set of problem due on the format of the difficult Jeddah Corniche Circuit. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó delivers his technique guide for the Jeddah F1 race.

While Pirelli introduced the more durable compounds to the season-opener in Bahrain, the second race of the season will see drivers use the three compounds from the center of Pirelli’s vary. It implies that the C2 will function Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The Milan-based producer has elected for comparatively excessive minimal beginning pressures, with 24.0 psi for the fronts and 21.0 psi for the rears. The camber limits are -3.25° for the entrance tyres and -1.75° for the rear tyres.

However, given the incontrovertible fact that the Jeddah circuit is a avenue circuit and there are usually not many run-off areas, the threat of accidents is kind of excessive, as is due to this fact the likelihood of seeing the Safety Car on monitor and even having the race red-flagged.

Strategy choices

Despite the softer compounds, Pirelli expects drivers to carry out a one-stop technique, with drivers swapping between Medium and Hard relying on their grid positions. It is as a result of degradation is low and overtaking is fairly difficult, with the finest alternative approaching the entry to show 1.

Sergio Pérez gained the Saudi Grand Prix final 12 months, with Max Verstappen and George Russell becoming a member of him on the podium. As was the case in each earlier editions, the 2023 occasion was a one-stop race, with these leaders, plus Fernando Alonso (P4), beginning on a medium tyre and swapping for a tough.

Pirelli expects drivers to strategy the 50-lap Jeddah F1 spherical with a one-stop technique with two totally different variations thought of doable. One possibility would see drivers begin the race on the medium tyres and carry out a tyre change between Laps 19 and 25. This second stint would see drivers full the remainder of the race distance on the hards.

According to the Milan-based tyre provider, it’s also doable to begin on the red-walled softs and perform a tyre swap for hards between Laps 15 and 21.

However, on paper, the quickest option to the flag is the medium-hard one-stop technique based mostly on the earlier three races. With the run from the begin line to the first flip is barely 168m, the tender tyre doesn’t give a big benefit in comparison with the medium tyre with Pirelli estimating a bonus of three.5m.

The two-stop technique doesn’t look significantly enticing as Pirelli thinks that it’s round 15 seconds slower than the one-stop technique.
If somebody elects to finish the race distance with a two-stop technique, he might begin the race on the softs to make the most of the extra grip stage at the begin. Following a comparatively quick first stint, drivers would change to the medium rubber between Laps 10 and 15 to finish a protracted second stint earlier than reverting to the red-walled tyres for the finish of the race.

In actuality, drivers would solely change to a two-stop technique if there’s a security automobile or digital security automobile interruption. It would shorten that pit cease from 20s to simply 11s which. Going by the earlier three races, there’s a actual likelihood for an interruption as the security automobile made an look in every of the three Jeddah races.


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