It was for a reason Max Verstappen labeled Jeddah Corniche Circuit the most dangerous among current tracks. F1 drivers face a real challenge at Jeddah, which is risky, fast and has issues related to visibility. Therefore, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 is available to bring a few surprises. Let’s find out who make pretend successful.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix or the risky Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix debuted in Formula 1 in 2021, but its glory came after Jeddah’s layout changes. With improving the racing experiences, Max Verstappen as well as Lewis Hamilton pointed in 2022 Jeddah is a very dangerous.
First it’s very fast, as the average speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are around 250km/h. This is quicker than those at Silverstone, and second on the 2021 calendar only to Monza.
Secondly, and thirdly, the track has the most turns on the calendar, with 27 and many of them are very fast. Add visibility to that and you will get an unpredictable challenge that called Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Jeddah’s layout has changed again ahead of Saudi Arabian GP 2023, based on drivers’ feedback. In order to improve visibility, the Turn 8, Turn 10, Turn 14 and Turn 20 were changed. Moreover, the chicane at Turn 22 and Turn 23 has been tightened, with speeds expected to be some 30-50km/h lower than in the past. The organizers also made a number of tweaks to the kerbs around the track to allow for better stability for the F1 cars.
What To Expect From Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2023?
Aston Martin would finish in the top five.
Sounds quite brave. However, after Aston Martin’s driver Fernando Alonso and ongoing recovery, Lance Stroll finished the Bahrain Grand Prix third and sixth respectively, it is more than possible.
Compared to Ferrari and Mercedes, Aston Martin cars are fast enough to race in the top five. Furthermore, Fernando Alonso is the most experienced driver on the grid, which is also a significant advantage at a track like Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Red Bull drivers have the upper hand in Jeddah.
Among the current F1 cars in 2023, that are RB19, the most improved in terms of pacing, stability and average speed. Jeddah’s roadbed does not require the cars to have the fastest speed. Instead, it needs to racers have the most acceleration, stability and deceleration to be successful at the Saudi Arabian GP.
In these terms, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are in favour. In Sunday’s race, we expect them to finish one-two or one-three. That is what we can predict on Saturday’s qualifying. You may wonder who can claim a second place on the podium, as we have a few assumptions.
Ferrari vs Mercedes.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 may also see more battles between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. And most likely that will be Lewis Hamilton, who we expect to finish second or third in the race. That is for a reason.
Hamilton is more experienced at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. From 2021 onward, he holds the fastest lap time record – 1:30,734.
Secondly is that, according to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari drivers are continuing struggling with reliability their cars. Therefore, keeping the competitive pace at 50 laps in about +25C weather in Saudi Arabia will be challenging for both Ferrari drivers.
But even if it is possible to maintain the top three, that is most likely to be Charles Leclerc. This is because, as the new team principal, Frederic Vasseur seems to be very strict and clear in terms of team tactics.
Third-tier battles.
The speed difference between F1 cars will divide the grid into three – four tiers. Unless plans change, the situation between fast Red Bulls and battling Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin will remain predictable. We are expecting to see Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri, and unexpectedly charged Haas and Williams cars at Saudi Arabian GP 2023.
High hopes we rising on both Haas drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen due to their racing experiences. It is most likely that Magnussen will finish in the top ten on Sunday. Alfa Romeo drivers’ line-up will be their major rivals, as we assume.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 schedule
The risky Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Unlikely Jeddah Corniche Circuit became slowed down with the latest updates, instead it is still being dangerous racetrack. Therefore, another key point that probably we will see are red flags.
First, we have three rookies on the drivers’ grid: Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Logan Sargeant (Williams) and Nyck de Vries (Alpha Tauri), and Jeddah is serving as their racing test. Therefore, we cannot exclude the possibility of red flags in Saturday’s qualifying sessions, especially in Q2 and Q3.
In 2022, Mick Schumacher struggled with an enormous g-force load for 78G during the Saudi Arabian GP qualifying session.
While the start and laps 30-50 will be the most challenging in terms of endurance for drivers and the cars. But those are just predictions. Everything may happen due to the race, which could change the game. For example, crashes due to debris at the track as well as the wind speed, will also have significant sense.
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