The first weekend of the 2023 season of F1 in Bahrain it's behind us now. The next stop this weekend is always in the desert, this time in Saudi Arabia, on the circuit of Jeddah.
GP Jeddah: only two grands prix, but with breathtaking battles
Il Jeddah Corniche Circuit it was designed by the well-known German engineer Hermann Tilke, known as the creator of many other circuits approved for the highest category of motorsport. For example, that a Istanbul, or Malaysia.
The real Arab circuit, however, should not have been located here. Indeed, this is a circuit temporary which will be used until the end of that of Qiddiya, which will then host all the categories under the control of FIA. The only two editions that should have been held before seeing the permanent circuit should have been that of 2021 and that of 2022. However, the works lasted for a time not calculated by the engineers and, in January of this year, it was announced that the Jeddah circuit will be used at least until 2027.
In both races we witnessed epic battles that will probably go down in the annals of the circuit. In the inaugural grand prix, for example, the battle was raging Verstappen-Hamilton which then led them to an accident on the straight of the last corner.
Very high speeds with very close walls: a practically perfect mix
Unlike the other city tracks built by Tilke himself, this one was not to repeat the mistakes made in previous years. It was therefore decided not to include it 90° bends or areas too slow, but to create something very flowing and spectacular. Here is the final circuit.
Is long 6174 m, the second on the calendar, behind only that of Spa-Francorchamps with its 7004 m. The highest average speed achieved is 252.8 km/h, recorded by Hamilton with his pole in 2021; in this lap, the clock stopped on1'27 "511i.e. the current one track record.
Tire degradation: is there anything to worry about?
One aspect that all teams will have to worry about is certainly the tire degradation. This track, despite being in a desert area, is not subject to phenomena such as sandstorms. So, we shouldn't see any on the road surface. Also for this reason, the Pirelli decided to bring one mix softer for each type: the Hard It will be there C2, the Medium la C3 , Soft Drinks la C4.
A softer compound normally means more wear, but with the use of ad high-medium load (Bahrain style) this phenomenon should decrease. Furthermore, this aerodynamic load conformation will be very important because, despite being the top speed the main feature of the circuit, it won't be easy to keep the car stable in corners at those speeds. For this reason, a greater force at the rear is recommended to keep the car firmly on the ground.
But who are the favourites, in the end, for the Jeddah GP?
It's true, we're only in the second race, and this means that it's very complicated to be able to guess who can win.
Obviously, Red Bull has proven itself once again the strongest, both in terms of pure speed and aerodynamic resistance. It would therefore be wrong not to put it as number one favourite for winning the grand prix.
Another car that might surprise you though is the Ferrari: the machine was especially designed to have a super-powerful and reliable engine. If all the problems seen in Bahrain were resolved, we could see a fight once again Bull VS Cavallino, given the maximum speeds recorded by the Reds on the Sakhir circuit.
ARTICLE BY FRANCESCO ORLANDO
