As F1 heads to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, here is a guide to everything that you need to know ahead of 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.
Red Bull enter this round as red-hot favourites but given the twisty nature of Jeddah, victory isn’t certain as Ferrari and Mercedes look to hit back whilst Aston Martin seek to prove that they’re serious contenders for podium finishes this season.
Other teams meanwhile will be looking to make progress in a scrap to uncover their true positions in the pecking order, as F1 tackles its first street circuit of the season.
Now, here is a guide to everything that you need to know about 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Track Guide
Circuit: Jeddah Street Circuit
Laps: 50
Race Distance: 308.450km
Tyre Compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (GMT) |
| Friday 17 March | FP1 | 1:30pm |
| Friday 17 March | FP2 | 5:00pm |
| Saturday 18 March | FP3 | 2:00pm |
| Saturday 18 March | Qualifying | 5:00pm |
| Sunday 19 March | Race | 5:00pm |
Four Key Pointers
- Having dominated Bahrain GP, Red Bull will enter this round as frontrunners but haven’t won the opening two rounds of a season since 2011.
- Amidst serious pace issues, Mercedes will be hoping for a better overall Qualifying performance in Saudi Arabia than last season – in which Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1.
- After proving to be the surprise package in Bahrain, this race weekend will be the first proper test of where Aston Martin genuinely sit in the pecking order.
- McLaren will be hoping for better reliability after encountering electical and hydraulic issues in Bahrain GP, yet will hope for more progress after improvement in single lap pace.
Last Time Out
Just like on F1’s dramatic inaugural visit in 2021, last year’s race produced another tense battle as a badly-timed safety car saw Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz leapfrog pole-sitter, Sergio Perez, but it was eventually Verstappen who triumphed with a race-winning overtake on Lap 47.
Hamilton meanwhile recovered from a shock Q1 exit to finish tenth – having started 15th after Haas’ Mick Schumacher withdrew on medical grounds following a crash in Q2.
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