Jeddah F1: All you need to know about the street circuit for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Jeddah F1: Here’s the lowdown on the street circuit which will make its debut in F1 this season with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Saudi Arabia is set to become the 33rd country to host F1 in their shore. The grand prix will take place in the streets of Jeddah, the second-biggest city by population. Jeddah has a population of around 3.5 million people, situated alongside the stunning Red Sea.

The Jeddah F1 circuit has set tongues wagging by setting a few records even before the iconic red lights go out. Not only it is one of the fastest circuits in the calendar, it also has the most number of corners.

Fastest circuits (*Jeddah F1 based on simulation)

1. Monza, Italy – 264.4km/h
2.  Jeddah Street Circuit, Saudi Arabia – 252.8km/h*
3. Silverstone, Great Britain – 251.6km/h
4.  Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – 249km/h
5.  Red Bull Ring, Austria – 247km/h

Most number of corners

1.  Jeddah Street Circuit, Saudi Arabia – 27
2.  Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore – 23
3. Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi – 21
4. Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan – 20
5.  Circuit of The Americas, USA – 20

Saudi Arabia and its tryst with F1

Saudi Arabia’s association with F1 started in 1978, with the airline Saudia sponsoring Williams. The now-iconic British team won its first world championship during Saudia’s tenure in 1980 with Alan Jones.

Currently, Aramco, the oil energy major, has a long-term partnership with the sport with a strong presence across the calendar. Saudi Arabia has also hosted Formula E successfully, and will now host the first stage of Extreme E in 2021, where Lewis Hamilton is involved as a team owner.

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