One of the newest events on the Formula 1 calendar gets underway in Jeddah, as the Saudi Arabia GP is the second stop on the F1 circuit in 2023.
First raced in 2021, the Saudi Arabi Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is one of the fastest street tracks in the world.
Defending World Champion Max Verstappen won the race for the first time in 2022 and he will be the man to beat once again in 2023 at the Jeddah GP, having won in Bahrain last time out.
News
The opening race of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain was very much as you were, with Red Bull dominating the podium once more.
Aforementioned two-time World Champion Max Verstappen had too much for the field, with his Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez also looking to have pace to burn in second place.
Perhaps the story of the weekend in Bahrain was the return to the podium for Fernando Alonso, who impressed in his Aston Martin car and there is genuine excitement around the Spaniardβs prospects in 2023.
Elsewhere on the grid, the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari will be desperate to get going again at the F1 Saudi Arabia, following poor starts to the season in Bahrain and the pressure is already ramping up on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Jeddah Corniche Circuit
The βfastest street circuitβ in Formula 1 always provides an impressive spectacle at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and with both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen having won there so far, it would suggest that speed is the name of the game.
Completing 50 laps of the 6.17km circuit is the challenge facing the drivers, with 3 DRS zones in operation.
Fans attending the Saudi Arabia GP will enjoy the gladiatorial splendour of the Grandstand surrounding the banked Turn 13 corner.
Lewis Hamilton secured the fastest lap time at the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, whizzing around in 1.30.734 on his way to victory.
F1 Saudi Arabia GP Schedule
The 2023 F1 Saudi Arabia Schedule gets underway on Friday 17th March, with practice and qualifying across both Friday and Saturday before the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix gets going under the lights at 20:00 local time in Jeddah (22:30 IST).
You can find the full Jeddah GP schedule below. All times are in IST.
Friday March 17th
- 19.00 – 20.00: Free practice 1
- 22.30 – 23.30: Free practice 2
Saturday March 18th
- 19.00 – 20.00 : Free practice 3
- 22.30 – 23.30 : Qualifying
Sunday March 19th
- 22.30 – 00.30 : Race
Previous winners Saudi Arabia GP
As the race only began back in 2021, the history of the Saudi Arabia GP is relatively short but the names on the winners list are rather illustrious.
Lewis Hamilton triumphed at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in 2021, with Max Verstappen clinching the race win at the Jeddah Corniche circuit in 2022.
With the emphasis on speed sure to be key, the fastest cars on the grid should do well here in Jeddah, in notoriously pacy conditions.
Jeddah GP 2023 prediction
While Max Verstappen is still the man to beat in Jeddah, our team of experts came up with plenty of interesting betting tips for the Saudi Arabia GP.
Race Winner
The 2023 F1 season is intensifying ahead of race two here in Saudi Arabia but there is no questioning the man to beat.
Max Verstappen has been far too good over the past 12 months, and he is the hot favourite to prevail once more here:
Tip: Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabia GP β @1.50 with Bet365.
Fastest lap
Despite the fact it has been a tough start to the season for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, the man from Monaco does enjoy the track here in Jeddah.
He was embroiled in a thrilling battle with Max Verstappen last year and he should be able to demonstrate his pace once more.
Tip: Charles Leclerc to have the Fastest Lap at the 2023 Saudi Arabia GP β @4.33 with 1xbet.
Podium Finish
Red Bull enjoyed a superb start to the campaign in Bahrain and Sergio Perez was a huge part of that.
The Mexican looked in superb form and he returns to Jeddah, where he finished 4th last season, in excellent form, with a quick car in hand.
Tip: Sergio Perez to finish on the podium at the 2023 Saudi Arabia GP β @1.44 with 1xbet.
