5 Curiosities About the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix

A week after the Bahrain Grand Prix, Formula 1 remains in the Middle East but moves to the largest country in the region, Saudi Arabia, characterized by over 2.1 million square kilometers, although the population does not reach 37 million. The race takes place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, located about thirty kilometers from the historic city of Jeddah, situated on the shores of the Red Sea.

Race data

According to Brembo technicians, the Jeddah International Circuit, with a length of 6,174 meters and 27 turns, falls into the category of highly demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it has earned a difficulty index of 4, despite having only 7 braking points. Six of these are categorized as "Hard" since they require a G force exceeding 4 and need a brake pedal load of over 125 kg.

Carbon discs

After Venezuela, Saudi Arabia is the world's second-largest country in terms of oil reserves, ahead of Iran and Canada. Unlike the South American nation, which limits extractions, Saudi Arabia is the third-largest globally, after the USA and the Russian Federation, in terms of the quantity extracted. However, to reduce dependence on oil and diversify the economy, in 2016, the ruling house announced the strategic program Saudi Vision 2030. One of the by-products of oil distillation is pitch, one of the three materials used to make Formula 1 carbon brake discs. Pure carbon is found in nature as diamond and graphite, but for cost reasons, these materials are not used for brake discs. Instead, rings weighing 75-80 grams, consisting of rayon filaments, PAN (polymer obtained from the polymerization of acrylonitrile), or pitch are used.

Queen missing

The three editions of the Saudi Arabian GP have seen three different drivers atop the podium: in 2021, Lewis Hamilton won, in 2022, Max Verstappen, and in 2023, Sergio Perez. Ferrari is still missing from the list, despite Charles Leclerc leading for 30 laps two years ago, more than the winner. Last year, Fernando Alonso led for 3 laps, his only laps in command so far with Aston Martin but not with Brembo brakes, which he used to win two editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.