New circuit in Saudi Arabia ready at the last minute: "It's unforgiving"
Red Bull Content Pool
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has been finished at the last minute. This week Formula 1 will settle down for the first time on the brand new circuit for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Martin Whitaker, CEO of the event, gives a sneak preview of what we can expect.
Whitaker confirmed that the track is now completely finished. "It's one hundred percent finished. I can't remember a circuit ever being built so quickly," he said on the F1 Nation-podcast.
That it's a fast track should be obvious, but according to Whitaker, there are more factors that make the circuit stand out. "It's extremely fast, but it's also very narrow," he continued.
"At its narrowest point there's no more than ten metres between two parts of the track. The average speed will likely be around 250 kilometres per hour."
Jeddah Corniche Circuit is relentless
He added: "It is extremely unforgiving. One small mistake and you're in the wall. Top speed will be somewhere in the regions of 320 to 330 kilometres per hour going into the final corner, Turn 27."
"It is extremely fast and very demanding, with a few challenging corners. And, of course, the race takes place under the lights. The track looks very impressive in the dark," said Whitaker.