The Jeddah circuit requires the grit to change drivers in turn

Aljohara Zalea

Jeddah — The culture-filled Jeddah Corniche circuit stands out for being a very fast track that requires drivers to be very brave to make turns, says Hisham Atiyyah, the circuit’s project manager.

Atiyah told the Saudi Gazette that Jeddah, the fastest street circuit in Formula 1 history, shows a beautiful run-off change every year. “Jeddah was built by Saudi youth,” he said.

The F1 Saudi Grand Prix 2023, scheduled to take place on March 17, 18 and 19 at Red Sea Bride, has seen many changes this year.

Attiyah said the track has been so fast since the race started in 2021 that many changes had to be made. He said he adjusted some corners of the track and some safety elements.

He said the main reason for the change was to improve visibility and prevent accidents as drivers suggested certain changes to improve visibility. “When the car looks sharper, drivers have the courage to speed,” he said.

The changes made the circuit slightly less dangerous and slightly better visibility for drivers navigating corners.

In terms of curbs, Attiyah said that T11 initially used steel curbs, but adjustments removed most of the steel curbs in Terminals 2 and 3, converting them to concrete chamfered curbs. said.

The reason for the change to concrete is the huge crash Mick Schumacher suffered during the qualifying rounds of last year’s F1 Saudi Grand Prix.

We also added a dashed white line (a rumble line) to warn the driver that they are going away from the race direction, similar to a cat’s eye on the road.

Attiyah said the space removed from the circuit varied, from 6m to 10m, and that they hadn’t played much on the race line. “They remain the same, but the barriers themselves have been adjusted slightly,” he added.

He said the total changes to the track were 7 to 15, including the rumble line and expansion.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of online views in F1 history over the past 15 years, and the number continues to grow.