Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is home to the Saudia Arabia Grand Prix. The track is the second longest on the race calendar and uses existing roads as much as possible.
It is stationed on the Corniche, a 30km coastal resort area found at the water’s edge of Saudi Arabia’s second-largest and ancient city of Jeddah.
It was designed by the Tilke company together with Formula 1’s Motorsports team who used Google Earth to find a suitable spot. Although in an ancient location, the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix only made its debut in 2021 to join its Middle Eastern counterparts in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
“You need to get comfortable driving because the track layout is very quick and not a lot of room for error. It’s a special track.
Max Verstappen – F1 World Champion
The track is a temporary street circuit (with some permanent sections as well) and is very fast. Top speeds here come in at around 250km/h, second only to the Italian track of Monza also known as ‘The Temple of Speed’. Some have even argued that the track is too quick, with not enough visibility in the first sector.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit also has the highest number of corners at 27, with many of them quick bends that wind along Jeddah’s waterfront. There is no clear best place to watch the race in Jeddah, as the fast speeds mean that every grandstand should offer plenty of action.
The track is around 28km north of the city centre and 15km south of King Abdulaziz International Airport. The most convenient way to get there from the airport is to take a taxi, which should be plentiful from Jeddah’s busy international airport. Cheap public buses are also run by a transport company called SAPTCO from the airport.
Spectators at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix can enjoy long, sun-filled days in an idyllic part of the country. And while the on-track action is sure to be exhilarating, the city will also come alive as it celebrates hosting this year’s instalment of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
Main Grandstands
The main grandstands at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are situated at the start/finish line opposite a lagoon with Gates 5 and 6 on the left and right behind them.
To the West of the grandstands, between Gates 4 and 5, lies the Golden Tower, an iconic Jeddah skyscraper. There are two grandstands here, A and B.
Main Grandstand A is covered sits and opposite the pits and start/finish line. Fans here can get clear views of the pre-race grid and watch the drivers getting “into the zone” before they start the race.
A seat here should offer plenty of action from the pits, the race build-up, the start, the finish and the post-race celebration
Main Grandstand B, newly built in 2022, provides a good mix of on and off-track action. It finds itself nestled between the start/finish line and Turn 1, offering a view of the drivers as they try to overtake each other while navigating the first few turns. It’s also the cheaper option out of the two and has better views of the podium.
The Central Fan Zone can be found behind these grandstands. To access the Paddock Club across the track and get closer views of the lagoon, spectators can walk east from the grandstands to a bridge near Gate 6.
Central Grandstands
The Central Grandstands lie further North near Turns 4-10 in front of Gate 3. To the west of the grandstands stands the Diamond Tower, an iconic Jeddah skyscraper twisting upward into the sky.
A seat here will offer spectators a central view of the action as the drivers battle for a position at key sections of the race. It was previously 2 grandstands, but there are now four different grandstands, including grandstands A, B, C and D.
The area near the Central Grandstands has provided some fantastic action in previous races and will likely do so again in the future. A series of winding corners will leave the drivers slowing down to manoeuvre the hard bend – but not so much you lose your sense of excitement.
This is the spot where Mick Schumacher had his crash (at Turn 12) during Q2 in the qualifying round in 2022. Thankfully he was ok, but the sight of high-speed crash left many spectators gasping in horror.
Spectators here should be able to get double their value for money, as they will likely see the cars race past twice in a single lap after the drivers come back for Turns 17, 18 and 19. The cars will also probably be going much faster on this part of the track, as the slighter nature of the curves will allow drivers reach in excess of 200km per hour.
For those who wish to cross over to the other side of the track to see the action from the standing areas, access the promenade or simply get a closer view of the Red Sea waterfront, a bridge can be found between the two grandstands at Turn 6
General Admission
General Admission is the cheapest option for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and gives you access to the fanzones and post-race concerts. It does not include a reserved grandstand seat though and ticket holders will be left on their feet. Perhaps you will be able to find a good spot, but you should generally expect poorer views of the action from here.
Although fans with general admission will most likely have less spectacular views than those in the grandstands, one of the benefits of this ticket will be that you get to see the race from multiple vantage points. You can find a spot, watch the race from there for a while and then simply move to another part of the track.
A good location should be on the outside of the track near Turn 2. From here, fans will be able to see the cars racing from the start/finish line towards the first corner before then slowing down to navigate the first two corners and speeding back up again for the less slow Turn 3 and fast straight afterwards.
Another good place to watch the race from should be Turn 14. This location will give fans a view of the track as the cars race away from Turn 11 through to Turn 12 before slowing down for Turn 13 and approaching the relatively quick Turn 14.
A final good place to watch the race from should be Turn 27. The corner here is quite slow, so the cars will probably not be going that fast. But because it is the very last turn of the race and a startegically important corner, it will probably offer lots of action and maybe some overtaking. Spectators here will also be able to see the lagoon and possibly some great views of the Red Sea waterfront.
As a section of the circuit that ends the lap, there’ll probably be plenty of action in these strategic corners. The drivers here will try to out-brake each other at Turn 18 as they come off the second fastest straight on the track. They’ll then maneuver through Turns 17, 18 and 19 in an attempt to get the fastest exit speed possible as they approach the lap’s final straight.
Hospitality and Paddock Club
The Premium Hospitality suite can be found at two sections of the track between Turns 3 and 22, including both indoor and outdoor viewing spaces. The nearest gate is Gate 4, which can be accessed by walking along a path along the northern side of the suite. Fans here will get access to all-inclusive food and drinks over the afternoon and evening.
To the East of the Hospitality Suite lies Gate 4 and to the South of Gate 4 stands the Golden Tower, a landmark fans should be able to get a good view of as they enter and exit from this location.
The Formula 1 Paddock Club is situated above the team garages and pit lane on the other side of the track from the Main Grandstands and is just in front of the lagoon. It is arranged over two levels and provides potentially the most luxurious VIP hospitality in Jeddah, with all-inclusive food and drink, daily pit lane walks and F1 driver appearances.
To the North of the Paddock Club lies the podium where the drivers who come first, second and third will line up after the race and claim their prize. For fans who wish to access the nearest gate, a bridge to the South of the club will lead you across the track. From here, the closest gate is Gate 6 to the West of the circuit.
Conclusion
The Saudia Arabia Grand Prix is sure to be an exciting race full of speed, energy and excitement, with this fast track meaning the action will probably be as hot as the weather. Although there should be plenty of post-race celebrations afterwards though, don’t expect the after-parties in Jeddah to be quite the same as those in Miami.
Jeddah may be Saudi Arabia’s more liberal city, but this is still a pretty conservative society. Certain things that might be considered normal back home could be frowned upon here.
That said, there should still be a lot of fun to be had at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix this year. Drivers and fans alike should look forward to gathering at this stunning location to do what they love best. Racing in and watching the most famous race on earth.
Is it safe to go to the Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix?
Some might also have reservations about the attack on an oil facility that took place close to the track in 2022. Yemen’s Houthis rebels have also carried out strikes on the neighbouring United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recent years, raising regional security fears among the public.
Despite these concerns, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz has said there will be greater security measures in place in the future. “We are working with F1 to make sure that any concerns that any of the drivers, teams or individuals, even the fans, have, that we make sure that we fulfil these concerns,” he has assured.
There has since been a ceasefire agreed and security has also been stepped up for forthcoming Formula One races in Jeddah so you will feel safe and welcome for future Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
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