Street circuits do not have the greatest reputation for fantastic racing. Sure, they’re cool. Who wouldn’t want to hang out of the back of a yacht in Monaco, Valencia, or Singapore. But in terms of racing, they tend to be leave the drivers wanting. Remember the “Trulli-train” at Singapore, Alonso flailing around at the back in Monaco, or Charles Leclerc crashing into a castle in Baku? Spa and Suzuka they are not.
Saudi Arabia is the latest country to throw its hat into the street-circuit ring. While its taken a bit of time to get the layout agreed, the recent simulation does make the Jeddah Street Circuit look very cool indeed. Full details here: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
So what do we know so far? Well, if the videos are to be believed it will be a shade over 6km long, with 27 turns and, wait for it, an average speed of 250kph. To put that into context, Monaco has an average lap speed of 160kph, and Spa 230kph. So it looks like Jeddah will be fast, very fast indeed.
Once ticket prices are released, the team at Grand Prix Grand Tours will be releasing details of our Grand Prix Package. For those unfamiliar with Saudi Arabia, the country is undergoing rapid cultural changes. It may still be ‘dry’ but Jeddah now has an InterContinental, Park Hyatt, and Ritz-Carlton hotel. For those that will need a drink by Sunday evening, remember that the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is scheduled to be the week before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and it’s less than a 3 hour flight between the two countries. In theory you could get to Abu Dhabi in time for last orders, and sit by the beach until the F1 circus rolls into town.
