The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been apart of the F1 calender since 2021, and is set to be up until 2030. The high speed circuit is 6.174km long, and comprises 27 Turns and 3 DRS zones.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is another circuit based in the Middle East and just like Bahrain, it’s a thriller. Turns 4 to 12 is the most challenging part of the circuit due to the relentless high speed corners. This is where we’re most likely to see accidents occur – Mick Schumacher crashed at Turn 10 in qualifying in 2022. Turns 23 to 27 are also a sore spot for incidents – Max Verstappen’s mega lap during the 2021 Qualifying was ruined with the incident at Turn 27, or Lance Stroll’s crash during 2024’s Race at turn 23.

Overtaking probability is reasonably high due to the 3 DRS zones, yet it’s made more difficult due to the circuit being narrow. Most overtakes will happen on the main straight, or the second DRS zone between Turns 24 and 27. However, drivers may decide to not overtake on the second DRS zone as their opponent shall receive DRS during the third zone.

On race day, the likelihood of there being a Safety Car is 100%, with the Virtual Safety Car at 66%. Therefore, it’s important to plan strategies around that. Some teams may decide to extend their stints with the hope of a possible safety car, allowing them overcut the opposition. Yet, teams must be careful not to extend for too long as the opposition could execute an undercut.

Regarding strategy, expect to see a 1 stop strategy with every dry tyre to be available. The pit window is relatively big due to teams wanting to bank on a cheap pitstop due to a Safety Car. The most sucessful strategy is a change from Medium compound to Hard compound, with a pitstop arouund lap 20. Regarding qualifying, track evolution is relatively high. Therefore, it’s important for teams to correctly choose when to send the drivers out to do their outlap. That said, due to the track being challenging, the likelihood of the session being Red Flagged is increased, so strategists must factor that in too.

Where a driver has performed poorly during qualifying, teams may start them on a soft compound tyre (or another offset strategy) to gain a couple of places. After all, overtaking at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is relatively difficult, so making overtakes on the opening lap is crucial. Pirelli estimate that using a soft tyre is worth an extra 3.5 metres into Turn 1 compared to the other tyres.

Getting the car’s setup is also important here. Having high downforce is essential due to the plethora of high speed corners. During the 2024 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton had a low downforce setup, resulting in him losing time during Sector 1 compared to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri

TRIVIA:

• – 50 laps
• Pit loss time of 20.1 seconds – 11 seconds under a Safety Car
• Lap Record: Lewis Hamilton 1:30/734

2024’S TYRE STRATEGY