An AlphaTauri car leads the way on the Djeddah track

The ultimate guide to the Jeddah circuit

Formula 1 will stop in Saudi Arabia for the second Grand Prix of the 2023 season. Here’s a focus on the Jeddah circuit.

By Red Bull France

4 min readUpdated on 03/12/2023 · 9:00 AM UTC

Constructed: 2021
First F1 race: 2021
Location: Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
Length: 6,174 kilometers
Number of turns: 27
Most wins: Max Verstappen (1) Lewis Hamilton (1)
Fastest race lap: Charles Leclerc (1 min 31 s 634)

Formula 1 is about to arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the second Grand Prix of the 2023 season. The race will once again take place at night, on the banks of the Red Sea, on a circuit designed by Hermann Tilke.

The track in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was designed in 2021 by F1 architect Hermann Tilke. — Bird's eye view of two cars on the Jeddah circuit
© Red Bull Content Pool

The fastest urban circuit

At 6.175 km, almost 800 m shorter than the Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, the Jeddah track is the second longest of the season. Last December, the drivers raced at an average speed of 264.4 km/h (which also makes it one the fastest), Kimi Räikkönen even reached speeds of 336.6 km/h at the end of the 900-meter straight, the longest of the circuit.

“I really enjoyed driving there, it’s a really interesting track, especially the first part”, explained AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda. “I’ve never driven on a track with such turns before, that made it really special.”

On top of its speed, it also the most sinuous track of the F1 calendar having 27 turns - 16 to the left and 11 to the right.aient à 264,4 km/h en moyenne (ce qui en fait également l'un des plus rapide), et Kimi Räikkönen y avait même atteint la vitesse de 336,6 km/h au bout de la ligne droite de 900 mètres, la plus longue du circuit.

The track for the Saudi Arabia GP has 27 corners. — An overhead shot of part of the track that says Jeddah Corniche Circuit
© Red Bull Content Pool

Changes for 2023

Both of these facts also mean it is one of the most dangerous circuits. In December 2021, the safety level of the circuit was strongly criticized after numerous accidents, including an impressive pile-up involving Sergio Pérez who ended up across the track. Just before the race, Checo had some kind of premonition, saying: “I hope we don’t see any serious accidents. I have the feeling that this circuit makes us take too many unjustified risks. With the speeds we’re driving at and the other cars scattered across the tracks at different speeds, it’s a bit unnecessary. But I think we’ll talk about it again after the weekend.”

Following the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Jeddah Formula 1 circuit has been heavily criticized for being dangerous. — The back of an AlphaTauri car on the Jeddah track
© Red Bull Content Pool

In order to not go through this scenario again, the FIA has already put in place some changes in 2022 and some new improvements have been made to the circuit in 2023. One of the major changes is the addition of rumble strips at turns 3, 14, 19, 20 and 21. These lines will be able to make the single-seaters “shake”, which would result in slowing down the machine. Beveled vibrators have also replaced the steel curbs at turn 4, 8, 10, 11, 17 and 23.

To improve visibility, the interior wall of turns 14 and 20 have been pushed back, by 7.5 and 5 meters respectively. The walls of turn 8 and 10 have been adjusted to give drivers a better view of the upcoming turn.

“The evolution of this circuit continues steadily and we’re delighted to add these new modifications to our magnificent track as a result of positive consultation with the FIA, Formula 1 and its drivers. The last two races here in Jeddah have already confirmed it to be the fastest and most exciting in the world and these new developments will only add to the spectacle fans can look forward to this upcoming March when F1 returns to our city.” Explains Martin Whitaker, Director of the Saudi Motorsport Company.

“It is vital for any circuit to listen and learn from those who race there, and to use these comments to develop and improve at all times. We are confident that these changes will lead to even faster, more exciting, and most importantly safer racing.”