Saudi Arabian Grand Prix introduces modifications to Jeddah Corniche Circuit, shifts race start time forward

With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix just a few weeks away, final preparations are being made as the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is set to undergo modification and the race’s start time will be adjusted. 

The venue, which made its début last December, will have Turns 2, 3, 14 and 21 altered by bringing the barriers back between one to two metres. These changes are expected to improve visibility for drivers, as blind corners proved to be a flaw of the circuit in 2021. The track limits of these turns will remain as they were. 

The track limits of turn 27 will be widened, with the right-side barrier being pushed back by 1.5 metres. On Turns 4, 16, 22 and 24 steel plates will be installed to give drivers a smoother barrier to skim past, a change made as a result of driver feedback. 

Aside from physical changes to the track, the race’s start time has been shifted from last year’s local time of 8:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The purpose of this switch is to further increase the worldwide viewership potential of the Grand Prix– aiming to top the almost 80 million viewers the event received in 2021.