The layout of the Jeddah Grand Prix has been modified

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place for the first time in 2021. And it made noise. With no less than three starts and five retirements at the finish, the Saudi Motorsport Company chose to slightly modify the layout to avoid blind corners.

First and foremost, let us remember that this Grand Prix, won by Lewis Hamilton in 2021, takes place exclusively at night, and the drivers race counterclockwise. The Jeddah circuit consists of twenty-seven turns and three extended DRS zones over a distance of 6.174 kilometers. The organizers have thus addressed the lack of visibility at turns 2, 3, 14, and 21 by moving back the walls by just under two meters. Furthermore, the track will be widened by one and a half meters at the final turn through the relocation of the right-side wall. And that’s not all.

« Additionally, other modifications will also be made to turns 4, 16, 22, and 24 after consultation with the drivers who have requested a smoother barrier at the tip in order to potentially brush against it while passing. To accomplish this, SMC is installing a steel plate that will wrap around the concrete barriers, providing the smooth surface they require to enhance the drivers’ trajectories in this record-breaking race, added the Saudi company.

The average speed on this circuit, hovering around 250 km/h, remains to be seen if the measures taken will benefit the drivers’ performance before the introduction of a new circuit in 2023.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held much earlier this season, as the race will start on Sunday, March 27th at 7:00 PM.