#F1 STC #SaudiArabianGP 2023 Preview. #Formula1 #SaudiArabiaGP

2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – After reigning world champion Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant victory at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, round two of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship heads to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on the streets of Jeddah, Hejaz, Saudi Arabia this weekend for the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023.

 

 

2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – A Look At The Jeddah Corniche Circuit

 

 

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a temporary street circuit (albeit with some permanent sections) located on the Corniche, a 30-kilometre coastal resort area of the ancient Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. The circuit is being built adjoined to the Red Sea and the track was designed by Carsten Tilke, son of circuit designer Hermann Tilke.

 

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is described as “The fastest street track” on the Formula One calendar with the cars simulated hit average speeds in excess of 250kph (160mph), with the track being the second longest circuit on the F1 schedule, with the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps being the longest.

 

The circuit runs in an anti-clockwise direction and is 6.174km (3.836 miles) in length with 27 corners.

 

The race distance is 308.450 kilometres (191.662 miles) with 50 laps in total.

 

The fastest lap of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is currently held by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the Briton posted a 1:30.734 at the 2021 inaugural event in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team F1 W12 EQ Performance entry.

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2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – Onboard Pole Lap of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit

 

 

Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit last year’s event, set by Sergio Perez in his Oracle Red Bull Racing-RBPT RB18 racer. The Mexican posted a 1:28.200. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuEVPpqL4CY

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2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to Jeddah, the C2 white side-walled Hard compounds, the C3 yellow-marked Medium tyres and the C4 red-branded Soft rubber. F1’s sole tyre supplier will also take along the green-branded Intermediates and the blue-branded Wet tyres in case of rain.

 

All drivers will have eight sets of the C4 softs, three sets of the C3 mediums and two of the C2 hards.

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2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – DRS Zones

 

There will be three DRS zones at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with the first DRS detection point just after turn 17 before with the initial activation zone between turns 20-22. The second detection point is positioned right where the first activation zone ends with the second DRS zone just before the turn 25 left-hander to the final corner. The final detection zone is just before the last corner turn 27 with the final DRS activation point on the main-straight into turn one.

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2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits

 

Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

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ICYMI – Verstappen cruises to dominant Bahrain GP victory

 

 

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen cruised to a comfortable Bahrain GP victory ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completed the top three after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc lost a podium due to an engine problem.

 

When the 57-lap Bahrain GP began, pole-sitter Verstappen got a solid getaway, whilst team-mate Perez lost second place to Leclerc after suffering a slow run off the line and fell behind the Ferrari driver.

 

Any hope of a battle for the lead were dashed when Verstappen pulled clear from Leclerc by over half-a-second per tour, with Perez following Leclerc across the initial stint before they made their first of two pit-stops.

 

Leclerc was the first of the leaders to stop and swap the softs for hards on the 13^th lap, with Verstappen pitting almost 10 seconds clear to take a second set of softs after both Red Bull RB19 entries came into the Grand Prix with only one set of the C1 white-side walled harder compound.

 

Perez remained out a few laps longer before he stopped to put on the softer rubber too, which he then used to reel in Leclerc’s SF-23 racer and snatched seconds place with DRS assistance on the inside into turn one on lap 26.

 

From there, Verstappen only dealt with a minor downshift issue causing the occasional rear-locking and ran clear of team-mate Perez for a comfortable 11.987 second Bahrain GP victory after they both had completed one more stop to finally put on the set of harder tyres in what was a sensational performance from the Milton Keynes based-outfit.

 

This was made even better when Leclerc, who had fallen almost ten seconds behind Perez before making his second pit-stop for fresh harder compounds on the 33^rd tour, retired from the Grand Prix after suddenly losing drive on lap 40, with Ferrari later confirming that he had “lost the engine” on his SF-23 racer.

 

This deployed a brief virtual safety car as the Ferrari was recovered, after which Alonso pushed on and overtook fellow Spanish-compatriot Carlos Sainz to clinch his first podium for Aston Martin.

 

Alonso had earlier lost another place to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, then lost another to the other Silver Arrow of George Russell when team-mate Lance Stroll clipped his new Aston Martin team-mate out-braking himself whilst battling Russell into turn four on lap one.

 

Alonso followed Hamilton through the early proceeding’s early tyre management phases and two stoppers for both Aston and Mercedes entries, the double world champion running long before making his second pit-stop after Mercedes had called Hamilton in early for his second stop to fend off an undercut threat from his former McLaren team-mate.

 

The two world champions engaged in an entertaining battle over what was at the time fifth place, with Alonso needing two attempts to pass Hamilton after his initial overtake at turn four when wrong after his AMR23 stepped out before he put in an impressive dive down the inside into the turns nine/ten complex to clear the Mercedes.

 

After the virtual safety car, Alonso rapidly caught Sainz, who had been running a long way off Ferrari team-mate Leclerc and was concerned about his second set of harder tyres falling off the cliff and being unable to make the finish, and also had a close-call with the SF-23 when he attempted to overtake for the first time at turn four on the 45^th tour, lightly touching the Ferrari’s right-rear with his front-left.

 

But a few moments later, Alonso’s solid pace meant he benefitted from DRS assistance down the back straight and flew by to grab third place, which he would not lose.

 

Hamilton followed close behind Sainz to the flag in fourth and fifth respectively, with Stroll beating Russell to sixth place on the classification after Aston Martin pulled off the undercut to perfection at his second pit-stop.

 

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas came home in eighth place and ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who rose from the rear of the grid to ninth, with Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon completing the top 10.

 

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda finished in 11^th place and in-front of Williams rookie Logan Sargeant who takes 12^th and Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen who was 13^th.

 

The other AlphaTauri AT04 entry of Nyck de Vries ended the Grand Prix 14^th and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg who settled for 15^th and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who placed 16^th in the classification.

 

McLaren’s Lando Norris pitted five times due to a pneumatic engine issue on his MCL60 racer before he retired later on, as did Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, after he was hit with three penalties – for being out of position on his starting grid slot, Alpine working on his A523 racer on his car before he finished serving his five-second-time penalty and also for speeding in the pit-lane.

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2023 Saudi Arabian GP Preview – The Situation

 

 

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen heads to Jeddah on top of World Driver’s Championship with 25 points and a seven-point lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who is second on 18 points whilst Fernando Alonso is a further 10 behind the Dutchman in third on 15 points.

 

After Verstappen made a strong start to his title defence in Bahrain, the rest of the pack are looking to strike back in Saudi Arabia.

 

Ferrari are confident that their setup changes will help unlock more performance out of their SF-23 racer at a circuit, which should suit them, whilst all eyes will be on Aston Martin and double world champion Fernando Alonso to see if their dramatic rise to the front of the grid can continue.

 

Verstappen is chasing his second victory at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, having come out victories after an intense battle with Ferrari’s Leclerc last year, which showcased the thrilling potential for wheel-to-wheel racing in Saudi Arabia.

 

Mercedes will also be looking to hit back following a disappointing season-opening Grand Prix with all eyes on Sir Lewis Hamilton after his criticism of the Brackley/Brixworth based-outfit’s struggles in Bahrain.

 

Also there is plenty of interest surrounding the battle of the midfield, with the change of track characteristics potentially shaking up the pack from Bahrain.

 

Defending Constructor’s Champions Oracle Red Bull Racing comes to Saudi Arabia sitting on top of the World Constructors Championship with 43 points and a 20-point advantage over nearest rivals Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team who are second on 23 points whilst Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team are third and a further 27 points behind the Milton Keynes based-outfit on 16 points.

 

Who will come out on top?

 

Click here for the 2023 Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors Championship Standings

 

The Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 weekend begins Friday March 17 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and the Qualifying Saturday March 18 and the 50-lap Race Sunday March 19.