SAUDI ARABIAN GP: THE NEW HUB OF F1

Photos: Supplied By: MORGAN BOLTON

No one knows what to expect from the latest track to join the F1 circuit

SAUDI Arabia has traditionally been known as the focus point for the entire Muslim world. The birth land of Islam, which is home to the two holy cities Mecca and Medina, to which pilgrims descend upon on an annual basis.

But with the oil-rich country placing an emphasis on extending their tourism base, there is a new form of pilgrim that will make their way to the desert kingdom this year with petrol heads set to arrive in their masses for the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP on December, 5.

The race will be held in the port-side city of Jeddah, whose motto, Jeddah Ghair – Jeddah is different – is also true of the track.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit seems to be a contradiction: It has been described as not looking like a street track, but very much being a street track. Unlike other circuits of its type, such as Monaco and Baku this season, the layout is being purposefully built as both a commercial road and track, but has been used as neither.

As drivers race through its 6.174km Tilke Company-designed layout, they will tackle the longest and fastest street circuit on the calendar and only Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium will be longer. There will be no tight corners, or narrow stretches where only one car can run, yet in stretches it will be flanked by either side by frightening and domineering barriers in the vein of Singapore.

There will be an incredible 27 corners to navigate – the most of any track – including the banked Turn 10 with its 12° gradient, but will only have a limited number of hairpins and acute angled turns. Average speeds have been simulated at 250km/h-plus; quicker than Silverstone and only second to the Temple of Speed in Monza. A 900m main straight will be the first DRS zone, one of three, on a sprawling track squeezed between the Red Sea and a lagoon.

Overtaking is expected here, but also at the sweeping Turn 22.

And it is also going to be scorching hot, even though December is the start of the Saudi Arabian winter. Average temperatures during the month in the city are around 30.7°C, and this is the reason that the GP will be a night race held under floodlights at a more manageable heat.

No one knows what to expect from the track and who will go into the race weekend – the penultimate one of the calendar – as favourites.

On paper, Jeddah seems to be a power-track, and if that is the case then Mercedes should have the upper hand. Unlike Red Bull, who prefer high downforce set-ups, the circuit should be the opposite, and use a smaller rear wing that generates less force on the back end of the cars.

As with all new tracks, grip will no doubt be a concern and how the surface rubbers in during the weekend will inform what race tactic is required, what compound will be preferred and, coupled with the heat, how much tyre wear will occur. It could be that a twopit stop strategy will be the norm.

We won't know for sure until race day on Sunday, December 5. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, at the launch of the clock countdown to the Kingdom’s first Grand Prix.