Formula 1 Saudi Arabia Track

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit boasts that it is the fastest street circuit on the F1 calendar, with average speeds already over 155mph in FP2. The track features a number of sweeping turns and blind corners due to the walls that line it, and Hamilton says it's a fun challenge for the drivers until they come across another car going slowly. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will feature no less than 27 corners and will stretch to 6.175km in length, making it the second longest circuit on the current F1 calendar behind the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the longest street circuit in the sport. Furthermore, with average speeds expected to reach at least 250 km/h, the newest addition to the pinnacle of motorsport is due to establish itself as the fastest street circuit on the planet and in the top 5 fastest F1 circuits altogether. Indeed, F1's superstars are projected to reach top speeds of up to 322km/h as they race towards Turn 27. To be honest, I am not at all impressed with the running of the Saudi Arabian GP this weekend.

Obviously the first reason for this is the human rights problems that Hamilton and others have spoken up against. It is very disappointing to hear Domenicali claiming that F1 going there will improve the situation, when not going would be far better as the leaders of the country would see that they have to improve human rights if they want large events like a Grand Prix. And the second reason to be concerned about the race is that I am just not very confident about the safety of the track. Having seen computer simulated laps of it, it looks extremely fast, but with walls so close the likelihood of a high-speed crash, and another car colliding with the crashed car, seems too high. And the fact that it has only been approved the day before practice is considerably more worrying. Obviously, the counter to this is that they didn't try to race in Spa, but that was very clearly too dangerous.

Hopefully I will be wrong and the track will be fine, but I would prefer for this race not to be taking place. Judging from what I saw on the simulator, Saudi will be extremely quick, with a large number of very high-speed corners, some of them blind. I think it's going to be very complicated from a driving point of view and there will be the extra challenge of the track surface being completely new. No cars have ever raced on it, there will be no rubber down and probably some oil will still be coming out of the tarmac, which is what normally happens at a new circuit. So, we are looking at a street circuit with quite low grip, which is a new challenge as no one has any data from the track.

But for our part, we showed in Qatar that we can adapt fairly quickly to a new situation, running near the front immediately from the Friday. However, we will have to work hard to be quick over a single lap and also a long distance, to find the right compromise for both Saturday and Sunday. Another thing that is clear from the simulator is that the speeds are very high, but the walls are very close, so it should be impressive from the cockpit and a nice challenge, which we must prepare as well as possible for. The Jeddah Corniche layout has been billed as the world's fastest street circuit, with drivers expected to reach average speeds of 155mph and top speeds of 200mph.

Average speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are set to be 252km/h – quicker than those at Silverstone, and second on the 2021 calendar only to Monza – aka 'The Temple of Speed'. It will, quite simply, be the fastest street circuit ever seen in Formula 1 – while the track will also feature the most corners on the 2021 calendar with 27, many of them quick, sinuous bends as the drivers wend their way along the Jeddah waterfront. Saudi Arabia is hosting a round of the Formula 1 World Championship for the very first time this year and it's aiming for bragging rights at what is expected to be the fastest street circuit on the calendar, with top speeds in excess of 250 km/h. Named as the 'fastest street track' on the Formula One calendar, with Formula One cars simulated to have an average speeds in excess of 250 km/h , the track is the second longest on the Formula One calendar. The circuit is located on the Jeddah Corniche, adjoining the Red Sea. It was designed by Carsten Tilke, son of the famed circuit designer, Hermann Tilke.

The Grand Prix has received criticism from Amnesty International on the grounds of human rights in Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch also condemned the decision arguing that "it is part of a cynical strategy to distract from Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses". According to Human Rights Watch, the Grand Prix and other sports events are being used by Saudi Arabia to distract people from serious human rights abuses. The Global Initiative Director at Human Rights Watch, Minky Worden, called upon Formula One to assess situation in Saudi Arabia and insist on releasing women's rights defenders who spoke in favour of women's right to drive.

In February 2021, 45 human rights organizations called on Lewis Hamilton to boycott the Grand Prix citing Saudi Arabia's role in the Yemeni Civil War, its detention of women's rights activists, and the murder of The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia has denied the Grand Prix was being used for sportswashing, arguing that the race is part of a process to open up Saudi Arabia to the outside world. F1 itself reckons the previous fastest street circuit was Spa's old layout before it was made into the year-round facility it is today, which Chris Amon allegedly lapped at an average pace of roughly 151 miles per hour in 1970.

From what's been simulated for the Jeddah track, it's expected to have an average speed of around 157 mph (252.3 kph) on a flat-out lap. Joining other street circuits like Monaco and Singapore, the race in Jeddah will run on a street track that is situated on the Corniche. This is a coastal resort area of the city, and with the track hugging the seafront, you can expect a spectacular backdrop in the midst of exhilarating track action. The track layout features a good flow of speedy straights and tight corners, so you are guaranteed an impressive display of skills as the drivers navigate varying techniques to edge ahead of their competition. No matter the area you´re seated at, you can be sure of gripping track action. Without any equivalent track on the calendar, being a part of this race will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat as you witness a race that is like no other.

The average speeds of the track are expect to be 155mph (250 km/h), making it the fastest street circuit in F1. Alongside being a fast circuit, the track will have three DRS zones. Billed as the fastest street circuit in the world, organisers have been racing against time to get the track built in time for this weekend's race. With an expected average speed of 252km/h, the track is on course to be the fastest street circuit on the calendar. It's always good to do something different, driving something that's not a Formula 1 car. You can learn from it and get interesting feedback that can be useful to help you improve in some areas.

Alex was also there, so we had a good fun karting session together. It's also physically demanding, using different muscles to those you need in an F1 car, making it also useful from the training point of view. Apart from that, I spent some time in the simulator learning the new Saudi track.

It's really fast and that means confidence in the car will be an important factor, because the run-off areas are not so big. It will be important for me to do a good job of building up speed during the free practice sessions. At least I am in the same situation as the other drivers, as this circuit will be completely new to everyone, just like Qatar.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit runs alongside the Red Sea using normal roads and is described as a street track, but it has nothing in common with places like Monaco or Singapore. At 6.174 kilometres it is the second longest circuit of the year and instead of 90 degree corners, typical of a street venue, it has 27 mainly high speed flowing turns with a predicted very high average speed. The weekend was dominated by stewards' room chat once again, continuing the theme of recent races. While F1's newest and fastest street track proved thrilling in qualifying, the incident-packed race led to questions about the suitability of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit from a number of drivers. In August 2019, plans for a permanent motorsports complex to be built in the city of Qiddiya were made public.

The project was conceived by Test and Training International, a motorsports consultancy headed by former Formula One driver Alexander Wurz, with the objective of creating a world-class circuit capable of hosting all FIA categories through to Formula One. In January 2020, plans for a race track in Qiddiya were officially confirmed at an event, where track designer Wurz appeared alongside current and former Formula One drivers who were given the opportunity to drive on the layout in a racing simulator. During the event, it was confirmed that the track was designed to FIA and FIM Grade 1 standards. At the time, Formula One declined to comment on the possibility of a race.

The race was initially planned to be held in a motorsports complex in the city of Qiddiya, which was conceived by a consultancy headed by former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz. This circuit was meant to have the capacity of hosting all FIA categories through to Formula 1. However, it was later announced in November 2020 that the inaugural race would take place in Jeddah, in collaboration with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. This picturesque city is situated on the Red Sea coast and this is one of the few races in the calendar that is set to take place at night. The title battle in F2 could be sealed in Saudi Arabia, with Australian Oscar Piastri leading Guanya Zhou – who has just signed a deal for Alfa Romeo's remaining F1 seat next season – by 36 points.

With a possible 65 available throughout the weekend, he needs to outscore his rival by 30 points across the races. Taking pole position and a sprint race victory could be worth 29 points, so the sprint races will be all-important. But it's a brand-new track for all the drivers, so anything could happen. Narrow blind corners at 200mph at night, passing under 7 heavy bridge/building structures.

I don't think I will be able to bear to watch qualifying, with open wheel cars frequently circulating at speeds 140mph faster than those around them on warm up and cool down laps necessary for those cursed cheese tyres. In keeping with the ultramodern circuit being developed to host the first ever F1 race weekend in the Kingdom, the 2021 FORMULA 1 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX also revealed its inspirational OVERTAKE THE FUTURE race identity today to accompany its ticket launch. Saudi Arabia has played host to a variety of motorsport events, including Formula E and Dakar Rally.

Today motorsport is the second most popular sport in Saudi Arabia and that makes its debut in the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 all the more exciting. The inaugural edition of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix sees the race being held in the nation's second biggest city - Jeddah. A street circuit was the favoured option for the country's second-largest city, with Formula 1's in-house Motorsports team asked to investigate the feasibility of various locations around the city. After several days spent pouring over Google Earth, several potential layouts were mocked up to create simulation models ahead of a site visit. The 6.1 km (3.8 mile) Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia will be a quasi-street circuit, featuring a season-most 27 corners, and is expected to be among the fastest on the calendar. It was designed and constructed by Tilke Engineering , with sizeable input from Formula 1's technical team.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is brand new and billed as the fastest street circuit in the world. Sitting right on the coast of the Red Sea, it's a picturesque location in a controversial country and part of Formula 1's larger plan to add more street circuits in glamorous locations. The entry is very fast, and it will be difficult as the profile requires the car to begin braking and turning at the same time. Having a camber on the corner will allow drivers to keep the speed up all the way through what is a very, very long fourth-gear corner as the track loops back upon itself. The speeds, the proximity of the walls and the fact there isn't much run-off make the whole track daunting – but it's especially apparent at the exit of Turn 13 where you need to run close to the wall.

Verstappen and Hamilton, who have been closely-matched all season long, are split by just eight points ahead of the inaugural race at Jeddah's newly-built Corniche Circuit - officially the fastest street track in F1 history. Street circuits typically employ many 90-degree or similarly tight corners, because they're traced on public roads in grid-like cities. This track flows smoother than some purpose-built ones on the schedule, with more gentle curves and high-speed esses.

It more closely resembles old-school road courses than modern street circuits, and that could make it a blast to drive. Turns 13 through 24 look like heaven, and yeah — that's about half the track right there. Jeddah's Street Circuit is host of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has been designed to showcase Formula One's spectacular speed to the maximum.

The second-longest circuit on the calendar, it is also set to be one one of the fastest too, with an average speed of over 250km/h predicted in simulations. Saudi Arabia will host its first-ever F1 Grand Prix from 3rd to 5th December this year. The circuit is being constructed in Jeddah on the banks of the Red Sea and is being labelled as the fastest street circuit on the calendar. There is clearly a lot of politics around the design of the track, not least the desire to have it attain the label of "fastest street circuit " which is quite worrying.

Four laps after Mercedes and other teams pitted, Formula 1 decided a red flag was needed for repairs to the barrier that Schumacher hit. Had the race restarted without a red flag, Verstappen would have needed to stop at some point and lost track position to Hamilton and Bottas. The battle to win this year F1 World Championship is getting hotter with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton separated by just eight points at the top of the standings. As the season enters into the final two races,the fight for the constructors' title is also close, with Mercedes just five points clear of its nearest rival Red Bull.

Looking at the entire track Lewis Hamilton holds a slight edge over Max Verstappen with the track much suited for Mercedes. There is no room for errors for both drivers as One place lost or gained will potentially make the difference in championship standings. It is that second prospect that has drawn fire from human rights groups in recent weeks, in the run-up to the Grand Prix. They accuse the titular Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, or MBS as he is universally known, of "sportswashing," using Saudi Arabia's vast oil wealth to buy its way into the biggest sporting events, and so gloss over mounting human-rights violations.

"The design brings out the best of a modern street circuit but also has fast-paced free-flowing areas that will create fast speeds and overtaking opportunities," said F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn. Using the links above you can find the full weekend schedule, including details of practice and qualifying sessions, support races, press conferences and special events, plus the latest news headlines, circuit information and F1 race results. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix promises to be a sun-soaked festival of Formula 1, located on an idyllic stretch of the Kingdom's coastline. The on-track action should be stunning, as the drivers get to grips with this rapid street track, while Jeddah itself will come alive as the city prepares to host F1 for the very first time. "Designed by the world-renowned Hermann Tilke, the Jeddah Street Circuit features several Fl firsts, guaranteed to Inspire the drivers to greater speeds and produce thrilling race action.

With a record-breaking 27 corners and 3 Drag Reduction System zones for more chances to overtake, Jeddah is set to rewrite the rules of racing," the Grand Prix website said. While F1 has expanded its orbit to now include races in 33 countries, human rights organisations have alleged that the event has little to do with the promotion of sport in the region – and is actually part of the kingdom's sweeping 'sportswashing' plan. The fact the race will take place at night under the lights will only add to the amazing atmosphere F1 fans can expect to experience next December. It'll be physically and mentally grueling for the drivers at those speeds, especially since Jeddah is notoriously humid, even in November when the race is set to happen. Although it's cooler than much-shorter, much-slower Singapore, it's not actually by very much; the average temperature in Jeddah in November is 91 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is usually around 70 percent, providing brutal conditions for laps at that pace.

By comparison, Singapore's lap record average speed is 111 mph . The track is long—it's only beaten by Spa on the 2021 calendar, and it's over half a mile longer than its closest street circuit competitor, Baku. Clocking in at nearly four miles is substantial enough but the long straights and flowing sections necessitated by being, basically, a squishy up-and-down, mean it's also set to be really, really fast. All parties were keen to avoid the mistakes of some street circuit designs of the past, replete with a proliferation of slow-speed, 90-degree corners (we're looking at you here, Phoenix!).

Instead, the team came up with a fast and flowing design which packs in 27 turns around its 6.175km length. The action resumes for the first time since Qatar two weeks ago with the second part of the season-ending Middle East triple header. This time it's the debut of another new track, in Saudi Arabia at the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit. It is a fast-flowing circuit that looks exceedingly narrow at certain points, especially for the speed the cars will be travelling at.

F course, these things can often be hyped up only for the race itself to prove uneventful. But Friday's first glimpse of the cars in action suggested we are unlikely to get through the weekend without a few red flags at least. The simulator facilities used by teams are highly sophisticated.

Circuit data and information is made available and scanning tools mean the track can effectively be replicated. That goes way beyond pure layout, including elements such as surface characteristics, whether any turn is cambered, curb configuration and if there are any bumps. Teams can then utilize this, as well as feedback from race drivers or development drivers, to gain an understanding of a set-up direction, the level of wing required, as well as the probable impact on components such as the brakes and tires. It seems incredible to me that the drivers are reprimanded for celebrating victories or for untying their belts a bit with the race over, and then they are allowed to go at 40 Km/h in the middle of a qualifying session, with other cars passing by at 300 Km/h. But they will wait and wait for the big one to happen before thinking of making this change, which has no downside, apart from possibly necessitating a hybrid battery charge in the pits, which doesn't sound difficult. The building of the circuit, pit and paddock facilities was undertaken by the Saudi Motorsport Company, which "has successfully completed most of the necessary preparatory work for the first ever F1 race to take place" but not all.

Having gone from breaking ground to being F1-ready in eight months, the project became the fastest world championship grand prix circuit ever to be constructed from scratch. Mick Schumacher crashed 10 laps into the race and brought out a safety car. Mercedes pitted both its drivers and Red Bull and Verstappen decided to stay out on track. Mercedes put the hard compound tires on Hamilton's car with the hope of keeping him on track until the end of the race. No one has driven this track before, so neither the teams nor the drivers will know what the cars need to go fast there.