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The Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia – Information, schedule, stream

The second round of this year’s Formula 1 season is slowly but surely around the corner. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second race of the twenty-three scheduled this year, is scheduled for the weekend of 17-19 March. So what’s the schedule and where can you follow the entire race weekend?

Published

2 years ago

14. 3. 2023

Tomáš Myšák

Zdroj: Lars Baron, Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Formula 1 has 23 grand prix events scheduled for 2023, the second of which is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the full official name of the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

However, this race has no great history so far. In fact, the first race was only held here two years ago, joining its Middle Eastern counterparts in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. And as with those two races, the Saudi Grand Prix will be held under the spotlight.

Lewis Hamilton dominated the race at Jeddah in the 2021 season, but last year Max Verstappen won here ahead of both Ferrari cars.

The race will be contested over fifty laps, during which the drivers will cover over 308 kilometres. The fastest lap on this circuit is held by Hamilton just back in 2021, who set a time of 1:30.734.

Jeddah Corniche Circuit

The circuit itself has undergone a great number of changes, but it is still the fastest on the Formula One calendar. The average speed on the Jeddah circuit is around 250 km/h, with the top speed here exceeding 320 km/h.

The circuit is currently 6.174 kilometres long and consists of 27 corners. It also offers three DRS zones for easier overtaking. The first detection point is located after turn 17, the second at the entrance to turn 22 and the third at the exit of the last corner.

In addition to the detection points, you can also see the average speeds that the drivers reach in each corner, as well as which gear they usually shift into in that corner.

Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – programme

The race programme at the Jeddah circuit kicks off on Friday 17 March at 14:30, when drivers and teams will take part in the first free practice session (officially called Free Practice 1 – ed.). On the same day, at 18:00, the second practice will start.

Both will last the standard one hour. The same applies to FP3, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 18, again from 14:30 to 15:30. Qualifying will then follow in the early evening on Saturday (18::00) to determine the order for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

All five lights on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit will go out on Sunday, March 19, at exactly 18::00.

Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – stream

Live coverage of the F1 race can be watched on Sport 1 and Sport 2 TV stations, where you can switch between Czech or Slovak audio tracks. However, F1 TV is also available, where you can switch between the onboard cameras of individual drivers.

But F1 TV also offers other features, such as livetiming and detailed telemetry. In addition to the full F1 programme, you can also watch press conferences or practice sessions and F2 or F3 qualifying.

Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – odds, predictions

The opening round of the season in Bahrain offered a pretty clear double for Red Bull. Ferrari suffered from a major tyre degradation, while Mercedes, as far as the technological concept is concerned, is not looking very dazzling again so far. The circuit in Sakhir is very demanding on the rear tyres and their frequent overheating.

But the race circuit in Jeddah is completely different. Teams here, on the other hand, have difficulty getting their tyres up to the ideal temperature window, and the Saudi venue will also be demanding on the engine and reliability. But Ferrari’s agility will also be important here, as the Jeddah Corniche Circuit also offers some really fast corners.

So it’s safe to say that Max Verstappen and his Red Bull could once again be the main favourite for victory. However, given the configuration of the circuit, Ferrari should be breathing down their necks, while the superb Aston Martin will also be looking to join the battle for the podium.