Saudi Arabian GP 2022: Find out the Number of Laps, Expected Strategy, Weather Forecast, and DRS Zones
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Saudi Arabian GP podium 2021
The 2022 F1 season is off to a great start. The Bahrain GP has started the momentum of the season, and now Saudi Arabia is ready with its street circuit for the second race of the year and second on the track within five months.
The last Saudi Arabian GP was fiery and was crucial in the 2021 drivers’ championship. The race saw two red flags and thus two restarts in a quick span. The track is 6.174 km long.
The street circuit also faced some criticism for its high-speed corners and blind spots, where the drivers weren’t able to see beyond the turn, making it a high risk for crashes. The decision to host a race in the middle-eastern country faced flak from human rights activists given Saudi Arabia’s actions in international affairs.
Weather Forecast
The temperature of Jeddah, the host city, will vary anywhere from 21° on the low end and 31° on the higher. However, the race, which will be held under the night’s sky, will take place around 22°C temperature, which could prove challenging for the teams as it would mean more time for the tire covers. And since the second practice and qualifying too will start late in the evening, track conditions shall remain similar on the race day, giving the teams more data to formulate strategies on a pretty unknown track.
DRS Zones
The 27 turn street circuit is one of the fastest on the calendar, some calling it as fast as Monza. The Saudi Arabian GP features 3 DRS zones, which will remain the same as last year’s. The first will be at the exit of turn 19, the second starts at the entry to turn 25, and the third begins at 170 meters after the final corner.
Expected Strategy
For the Saudi Arabian GP, Pirelli is bringing in C2, C3, and C4 compounds of tires. Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola, said, “Jeddah marks a completely different challenge compared to the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain due to the diverse track characteristics, both in terms of layout and asphalt. Drivers will also use a softer range of compounds this weekend to cope with the specific demands of the track, which is nearly as quick as Monza.”
The pit spot strategy is expected to be entirely different than last year’s. Given the composition of tires has changed entirely, the strategy of the 2021 race might not be copied by many, but soft tires will be the tires that teams will prefer adapting to the pace and intensity of the second-fastest track of 2021.
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Manan Goel
(400 Articles Published)