Despite fears the venue won’t be ready in time, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is almost complete, with the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just two weeks away and could even see a new world champion crowned.
The circuit which like some on the calendar is a temporary facility, only began to be constructed back in April this year, with the circuit set to be completed in the coming days. No Formula One circuit has ever been built this fast before, demonstrating the excellent job that has been done by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix workforce.
The circuit has been built under the strictest health protocols with all workers forced to complete the ATLAS safety induction programme, the course was compulsory for all Saudi Arabian Grand Prix workers. Anyone who either failed or didn’t take the induction, was denied entry to the venue on the spot.
The event promoter and organisers have utilised vital support from across the globe, working with three-thousand on-site contractors and fifty companies. The circuit has been developed with the help of Tilke Engineers and Formula One’s Motorsport Division, to design a circuit using the long sweeping roads of the Corniche area alongside the coast. It will be one of the most challenging and unique circuits on the calendar.
The circuit consists of a record-equalling twenty-seven corners, sixteen left and eleven right in addition to three DRS activation zones, and a twelve-degree banked corner at Turn 13. The race will take place at night under the floodlights in Saudi Arabia’s second biggest city by population, alongside the kingdoms west coast by the Red Sea. It will be a spectacle for all to see.
The track is 6.175km long making it the second longest circuit on the calendar behind Spa-Francorchamps, so is therefore the longest street circuit in the season. It is also set to be the fastest street circuit in Formula One with predicted average speeds of 252km/h. It looks set to be an incredible grand prix and a fitting venue for the penultimate round of this extraordinary season. Will Max Verstappen be crowned world champion in Saudi Arabia?
