Jeddah Corniche Circuit: The Ultimate Track Guide

Perez won the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from pole position while Verstappen recovered from 15^th on the grid to give Red Bull another 1-2 finish.

Drivers accustomed themselves to a number of track changes at Jeddah Corniche Circuit ahead of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix through the practice sessions as traffic proved to be one of the major talking points.

Lando Norris recorded a rare Q1 exit after bumping the wall early in the session, while spinners Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant were also eliminated early. Max Verstappen was a shock exit in Q2 due to engine issues, leaving a clear route to pole for team-mate Sergio Perez. The Mexican set the fastest lap time in Q3 by 0.155 seconds from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who dropped 10 positions on the grid due to a power unit problem.

Leclerc’s penalty left Fernando Alonso alongside Perez on the front row of the grid on Sunday. The Spaniard capitalised on the opportunity, taking the lead at the opening corner. Oscar Piastri, who had reached Q3 for the first time on Saturday, suffered damage on the opening lap. That debris was then hit by Norris, in an incident that compromised both McLaren driver’s races.

Alonso’s charge at the front soon came to an end. After being handed a 5-second time penalty for being in the incorrect position in his grid slot, Perez flew by the Aston Martin – despite a lock-up – at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 4. Meanwhile, Leclerc was making up positions from his low starting spot with a series of impressive overtakes. Verstappen was following suit, making his way through the order.

The Safety Car was called out when Lance Stroll was told to stop trackside with engine issues. That prompted the leaders to pit for their first stops and put Verstappen very much in the fight for victory. At the restart, Verstappen sat in fourth place, behind leader Perez, Alonso and George Russell. By Lap 25, Verstappen had made his way into second, with a six second gap to his team-mate ahead.

While Verstappen complained about strange noises from his engine, Alex Albon became the second driver to retire from the race; the Williams driver suffering a brake failure. Perez was unchallenged for victory and won by five seconds, leading home the second Red Bull 1-2 in the second race of the 2023 season.

Alonso finished third to secure the 100^th podium finish of his career. After the podium celebrations, stewards handed the Spaniard a 10 second penalty for failing to serve his previous penalty correctly. The latter penalty was later rescinded, meaning Alonso finished on the podium after all.

Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the 2022 season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, on a race weekend which was overshadowed by a nearby missile strike.

F1 returned to Jeddah Corniche Circuit just over 100 days after the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Friday’s opening practice sessions were overshadowed by a missile strike on a nearby oil depot during Free Practice 1. The second practice session was delayed as a result and the drivers and other F1 representatives met on Friday night to discuss the continuation of the race weekend. After four and a half hours, at almost 3am, the drivers agreed to continue with the remainder of the weekend after being reassured over safety measures. 

Plenty of drivers missed apexes and cut corners through the practice sessions but it wasn’t until qualifying that drivers pushed to the limits. Nicholas Latifi was first to fall victim to Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s close walls, crashing out in Q1. Mercedes’ nightmare start to the season continued with Lewis Hamilton eliminated in the first stage of qualifying. 

Mick Schumacher then suffered a heavy crash in Q2. He was sent to hospital as a precaution and did not take part in the race. Qualifying resumed after a lengthy delay and Sergio Perez took his first pole position in Formula 1.  

On Sunday, Yuki Tsunoda failed to start the race following an engine issue on his way to the grid. That left just 18 starters. Perez maintained his lead at the start of the race. The opening laps passed largely without incident, though the two Alpines came close to making contact on the pit straight. The Safety Car was called out on Lap 16 following a crash for Nicholas Latifi. 

Perez had just pitted when the Safety Car was called. The other frontrunners pitted under Safety Car conditions, meaning Charles Leclerc was able to inherit the lead while the Mexican fell to fourth place. 

A number of cars broke down in a short period of time: Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas all came to a halt. After a short VSC period, an enticing duel followed between Leclerc and Max Verstappen, each trying to outwit one another, tactically slowing down before the DRS detection point. Verstappen ultimately emerged victorious, taking his first win of 2022. Carlos Sainz completed the podium positions.

Tensions ran high at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. As the red flags were called out three times, championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton made contact on track.

F1 visited Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2021 on the all-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit – the fastest street track the sport has ever visited. Teams ran tributes to the late Frank Williams on their cars for the race weekend, who had passed away one week earlier. The perils of the new track became clear in Free Practice 2, as Charles Leclerc wrecked his Ferrari with a heavy crash.

On Saturday, Valtteri Bottas encountered misfiring issues in Q1 and made contact with Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo in Q2, but was still able to reach Q3. Max Verstappen was on a blisteringly fast lap which looked set to secure him pole position in the closing moments of qualifying. However, the Dutchman made a mistake at the final corner and crashed into the wall.

Lewis Hamilton started from pole position and led the opening lap ahead of his team-mate. After a quiet opening ten laps at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Mick Schumacher made heavy contact with the barriers on Lap 10, reminiscent of Leclerc’s Friday crash. The Mercedes drivers pitted under the Safety Car, while Verstappen opted to stay out. It looked to be a strategic mistake from Red Bull – that was until the Red Flag was called, giving Verstappen the upper hand.

At the restart, Verstappen and Hamilton were side-by-side at Turn 1. Hamilton took the lead but Verstappen re-passed, albeit off the circuit. Esteban Ocon overtook Hamilton for second place before an incident behind the leaders brought out the Red Flag once more. Sergio Perez was tagged and hit the wall, with George Russell and Nikita Mazepin eliminated from the race in the resulting melee.

Controversy reigned in the stoppage, as Michael Masi presented Red Bull with the opportunity to decide the grid order at the restart. Ocon subsequently started from pole position, with Hamilton alongside him on the front row. Verstappen passed both of them on the inside at Turn 1. As the race passed its halfway point, Hamilton was back on Verstappen’s tail and attempted to overtake once again at Turn 1. But the Mercedes driver was run wide, while Verstappen also missed the corner.

Verstappen was instructed to give the position back to his title rival. In doing so, Hamilton ended up hitting the rear of the Red Bull. Verstappen then let Hamilton by once more a few laps later, before immediately re-passing him. Almost straight after this, Verstappen collected a 5-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Hamilton ultimately passed Verstappen on track and went on to claim victory.

Bottas was charging in the closing stages and passed Ocon on the line for the final podium position. Hamilton’s win tied him and Verstappen on points heading into the final round of the season.