Spectacular track made for Max – Preview of the GP of Saudi Arabia

The circuit: megalomaniac high-speed stamp

Just as there are regular discussions about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, you can also question an F1 race in Saudi Arabia, a country where people are not always very strict with human rights. Nevertheless, the Grand Prix circus has settled in Jeddah for the second time without batting an eyelid. Well, money rules in the fast-paced world of Formula 1, that’s nothing new. Saudi oil giant Aramco – reportedly recently the target of a missile attack – is a key financial partner of Formula One Management. And the organization of the race in Jeddah – read: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – adds a big bag of dollars on top of that. It fits in with the country’s public relations offensive, which uses sporting events to polish its shaky image.

You can also take the latter literally when it comes to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a semi-street course on the shores of the Red Sea. It was built in no time last year and when the 627 lights come on for the evening race, the complex looks slick. The lightning-fast track meanders around an artificial lake, in the background the residential and office towers twinkle and three mosques watch. Of course there is an ultra-luxurious royal lodge. The pinnacle of decadence are the sharks swimming in the pond near the paddock.

The corner: crash risk in Turn 22

Fast, faster, fastest; that was the assignment to circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Bin Salman and his friends wanted to show off the poster of the world’s fastest street circuit, and they succeeded. During last year’s qualifying, Lewis Hamilton rushed down the 6.174 kilometer asphalt ribbon at 1.27.511, an average of almost 254 km/h. Only in Monza is it harder.

The insane speeds are the result of most of the 27 turns flowing smoothly and a significant portion of them at full throttle. Challenging for the drivers, but quite dangerous with the nearby walls, was the criticism last year. For the 2022 edition, the demarcation has therefore been adjusted on some points. Nevertheless, it remains exciting. Especially in turn 22, a lightning-fast left-right combination in which the car needs just a little more steering input than at other points. The abrupt change of direction that follows can cause the necessary imbalance, as proved by the hard hits of Charles Leclerc (free practice) and Mick Schumacher (race). By the way, 13 and 27 are also essential for a good lap time, the 180-degree turns at both ends of the circuit. With a good exit you can save a lot of time on the long parts that follow.

Cockpit view: blind faith

Blind, blinder, blindest; with fast-paced corners and walls right along the track, visibility from the cockpit is very limited. Especially with the fins that have been around the (larger) front wheels since this season. Imagine a winding, narrow country road with thick rows of trees left and right; the average motorist will naturally take it easy on that type of terrain – after all, you can’t see what’s happening around the corner. In Jeddah, on the other hand, the Formula 1 men keep the right foot down as much as possible. As a rider you have to blindly rely on the yellow flag/light signals that warn you of a dangerous situation, plus the additional information that you receive from your race engineer over the radio. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to estimate whether a car is standing still around the bend in a relatively safe place, or whether a few have crashed and are in the middle of the track. It becomes even more dangerous if you are in a fight with a few others and one notices a plight earlier than the other. In 2021, after the first restart, this led to a chain reaction in which Leclerc, Pérez, Mazepin and Russell collided.

The Max factor: down to the millimetre

Max Verstappen’s ability to drive the ideal line to the millimeter will serve him well in Jeddah. Just watch out: while some people still have due respect for the walls in the first free practice, you see Max sending straight past them. There are people who see that as taking an unnecessary risk, but for Verstappen it is simply second nature. The advantage is that this allows him to get into the flow of the circuit faster than someone who only starts maximizing his lines in qualifying.

In addition, Verstappen’s overtaking reflexes play into his hands in Saudi Arabia, because outside the DRS zones you have to be in good hands on the Corniche Circuit to outwit someone. It led to a titanic battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, to a penny exchange with actions that were sometimes not on the edge, but over the edge. The reputation that Verstappen now has ensures that his colleagues are extra vigilant when they see the Red Bull with starting number 1 in the mirrors. They realize that if he initiates a pass, you’d better give him a little space.

Facts & figures

Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Length: 6.174 km

Number of laps: 50 (308.45 km)

Lap record: 1.30.734 (2021, Lewis Hamilton)

Timetable (Dutch times)

Friday 25 March

Free training 1: 15.00 – 16.00
Free practice 2: 18.00 – 19.00

Saturday March 26

Free practice 3: 15.00 – 16.00
Qualification: 6pm – 7pm

Sunday March 27

Race: 6pm – 10pm