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“It’s just like Suzuka but with walls!”: Red Bull boss Christian Horner shares his concerns over the ‘insanely’ high speed layout of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"It's just like Suzuka but with walls!": Red Bull boss Christian Horner shares his concerns over the 'insanely' high speed layout of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Christian Horner thinks that racing in the Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend is going to be challenging due to it’s high speed layout.

F1 makes it’s debut in Saudi Arabia this weekend. None of the drivers have any experience in the newly constructed circuit in Jeddah and they will need time to find their feet. The 27 corner street circuit is expected to be the fastest in the world.

Some people have raised concerns over the high-speed layout of the track. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is one of them. Horner has labeled the track as ‘insane’ and compared it to a more dangerous version of the Suzuka circuit in Japan.

“We head to Saudi Arabia for their first race where the track looks insane from what I’ve seen.” Horner wrote on the Red Bull website.

“It’s hugely fast and the first sector is like Suzuka, but with walls! It is going to be a massive challenge and I’m sure there will be plenty of excitement and drama.”

Also read: Valtteri Bottas opens up about the time when staying in shape for F1 races nearly left him burnt out

Red Bull feel that Mercedes have the advantage in Saudi Arabia

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is narrow, fast paced and lined with concrete walls on either end. Taking Mercedes’ recent pace advantage into account, Horner feels that the Brackley based team will have the upper hand.

“We will be watching the Formula 2 race very carefully.” he commented.

“On paper, it looks like a power-sensitive circuit, so you’d say that tends to favour Mercedes, and it looks as though they feel that way too, but you just don’t know.”

Also read: Lewis Hamilton says he does not want a crash with Max Verstappen to decide the outcome of the Championship battle

The Abu Dhabi GP is going to very uncertain, says Horner

The Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi went through massive changes over the summer. The organizers think that the alterations will lead to better racing and more overtaking opportunities.

Horner feels that these changes will not favor Red Bull.

“In 2020, we were the first team to beat Mercedes in Abu Dhabi since 2013, but they’ve changed the circuit considerably,” he said.

“We will be preparing as best as we can to go there and perform and see where we end up. Whatever happens at the end of this championship, we will know that we have given it everything we have got.”

“The racing this year has been incredible. The rivalry is intense. It polarizes opinions, but it also draws in a huge audience, which has been wonderful to be a part of.”  Horner concluded.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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