Which is the race start time of F1 2022 Saudi Arabia GP in Jeddah?

The race will start at 19:00 UTC+1.

Race start time Saudi Arabia GP F1 2022: New track changes

Race start time Saudi Arabia GP F1 2022 | On the Way

race start time Saudi Arabia GP F1 2022 Jeddah

The first race of Max Verstappen’s championship defence ended in the pit lane as late drama took both him and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez out of the running last weekend.

Verstappen was a contender throughout as he sparred with long-time rival Charles Leclerc who eventually came home with a superb victory.

READ: HOW F1 DRS WORKS?

Red Bull’s problems also allowed Mercedes to capitalise and Lewis Hamilton, who spent the whole race outside of the top four, finished on the podium.

And now the seven-time champion will be out to extend his record as the only driver to have won in Saudi Arabia this weekend (with different race start time).

Hamilton triumphed in the inaugural race at the the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in 2021 but events both on and off the track surrounded the weekend in controversy.

Saudi Arabia GP Jeddah F1 2022 track changes for security

F1, Saudi Arabia GP 2022: unveiling changes to the Jeddah circuit to increase safety

Finally, new details emerge regarding the changes that will be made to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit ( not the race start time!) to improve the safety standard of the track compared to the controversial debut which took place last December.

Event promoter Saudi Motorsport Company:

“It has already been confirmed that some small changes will be made to the circuit to help improve the visibility of the drivers from the cockpit, improving visibility at various points on the circuit, including turns 2, 3, 14 and 21, where the barriers will be move back between 1.5 and 2 meters. ”

“Likewise, the barrier on the right hand side of Turn 27 will be moved back about 1.5m to widen the track at this point. In all cases, except at Turn 27, the limit / edge of the track will remain the same. In addition, further changes will also be made to curves 4, 16, 22 and 24 after consultation with the drivers who have requested a smoother barrier on the vertex so that they can potentially graze it as they pass “

READ: F1 BAHRAIN GP| 2022 RACE ANALYSIS

Aston Martin still unsure on Vettel F1 return for Saudi Arabia GP

Four-time F1 world champion Vettel tested positive for COVID-19 last week, prompting Aston Martin to announce on Thursday he would be missing the Bahrain race and that Nico Hulkenberg would be standing in.

Vettel was the second F1 driver to test positive in the space of two weeks. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was forced to miss the Bahrain pre-season test after contracting COVID-19, but returned for the race weekend.

F1 2022 Saudi Arabia GP - Vettel positive to COVID-19

Speaking after the race in Bahrain, Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said that while Vettel seemed to be improving, it remained unclear if he would return in time for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.

READ: DOWNFORCE AND GROUND EFFECT EXPLAINED

COMPOUNDS NOMINATED FOR F1 Saudi Arabia GP 2022

For the race in Jeddah, Pirelli will repeat the same combination used from the 2021 race and the same race start time. Teams will have to work with the C2, C3, and C4 tire compounds at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Saudi Arabian GP F1 2021-tyres-Pirelli-Jeddah

TRACK CHARACTERISTICS

The track has been designed by well-known circuit architect Hermann Tilke and is located in Jeddah’s Corniche area. This is the first proper street circuit since Baku in June.

This 6.174-kilometre track – which runs alongside the coast – is the longest street circuit on the calendar (the second-longest of the entire year, after Spa) and is also set to be one of the fastest too, with an average speed of over 250kph predicted in simulations. That’s only just behind Monza, well-known as the ‘Temple of Speed’ (but with different temperature and race start time).

One of the most demanding of the 27 corners is Turn 13: a left-hander featuring 12-degree banking that should place high g forces on the tyres. Jeddah has more corners than any other track on the calendar, which will keep the tyres working hard.

READ: WHAT IS CASTER ANGLE?

Many parts of the circuit are quite narrow and unforgiving, with the walls close to the side of the track. This could lead to a reasonably high safety car probability, affecting strategy.

Saudi Arabian GP F1 2021- Jeddah GP- track characteristics

Jeddah is a night race, like all the last three races of the season, with the grand prix getting underway at 20:30 local time. This means that the pattern of track temperature is different to a normal race, with temperatures dropping over the course of each session. FP1 and FP3 are held just before sunset, with only FP2 on Friday and qualifying on Saturday (both starting at 20:00) likely to be representative of the race.

Conditions are set to be warm but humid, with the track located right along the northern coast at Jeddah. As it’s never been used before, drivers can expect a slippery and ‘green’ track at the start of the weekend. Formula 2 and a Porsche competition are running as support events, which will help track evolution.

READ: DOWNFORCE AND GROUND EFFECT EXPLAINED