The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is situated on the Jeddah Corniche; a coastal resort area spread over thirty kilometers along the Red Sea that features large civic sculptures and the King Fahd’s Fountain (World’s highest fountain – the water jets more than 212 meters high at speeds in excess of 97 meters per second) in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The closest international airport, King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) is at a distance of 17km, around 25 minutes of drive time.
Carsten Tilke of Tilke Gmh & Co. in collaboration with Formula 1’s Ross Brawn (Managing Director, Motor Sports & Technical) has designed the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which last year hosted its first Formula 1 event, in the penultimate round of the championship. Using the stark empty reclaimed land north of Jeddah’s center Corniche area on the Red Sea they have pieced together an extremely panoramic, challenging and ultra-fast temporary street circuit that has left a mark on F1 drivers and spectators alike afterlast year’s race.
At 6.174km, it lies second only to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (7.004km) and just ahead of Baku City Circuit (6.003km).
With a total of 27 corners, the circuit also features four more turns than the absent-for-2021 Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, giving it comfortably the highest number of bends in modern-day Formula 1.
Regardless of the number of turns, this remains a high-speed track. Simulations predict average speeds of around 252.8km/h: 1.2km/h faster than those of Silverstone and only marginally slower than those which can be recored at the Monza circuit.
This would also make the Jeddah Corniche Circuit the fastest street circuit on the calendar, comfortably clear of Australia’s Albert Park (237.2km/h).
Adding to the high-speed theme, the street track has been designed to include three DRS zones, a feature only seen at two other venues during the prevous Formula 1 season, at the Bahrain International Circuit and Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
Inaugural GP: 2021
Circuit Certification: Grade 1
Circuit Classification: Temporary Street Circuit
Circuit Direction: Anti – Clockwise
Corners: 27 (16 left & 11 right)
Lap length: 6.175 km
Race laps: 50
Race distance: 308.75 km
600,000 tons of cement, 37,000 tons of asphalt, 1,400 tons of glass and 30,000 square meters of bricks were used in the circuit’s construction
2,000 new trees will be planted on completion
7 stands overlooking the circuit
7 large permanent sculptures installed inside the circuit
200,000 meters of power and fiber cables laid for the night lighting of the circuit
162 tons of sludge and debris dredged from the lagoon
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