Saudi Arabia Grand Prix: Presentation and predictions from the editorial team

It’s the final sprint! This weekend, the F1 is heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time for the penultimate round of this 2021 World Championship.

Big first in Jeddah

After Qatar 15 days ago, new unprecedented destination for drivers with the new layout of Jeddah. Designed by the unavoidable Hermann Tilke on the edge of the Red Sea, the urban circuit of Jeddah has 27 corners and is raced counterclockwise.

Long of 6,174 kilometers, the winner of the race will be the first to complete the 50 laps of this new urban track. Overtaking zones should essentially be located at the end of the DRS zones and particularly near the first corner.

It will be interesting to monitor the drivers’ approach throughout the sessions as the circuit is quite narrow, will be very dusty in the free practice sessions, and the average speed is expected to be quite high for an urban circuit.

Pirelli’s choices

The Italian manufacturer has decided to bring its mid-range products this weekend, from C2 to C4, with C2 representing the hard tire and C4 the soft tire. Be careful of excessive degradation that we observed under similar conditions or on similar tracks like Baku, Bahrain, or Losail 15 days ago!

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit hosts the inaugural #SaudiArabiaGP, the 34th country to host a #Formula1 race. Get all the details ahead of the penultimate round of the season. 🇸🇦 #F1 #Fit4F1 #Pirelli https://t.co/l63PUsz5tV pic.twitter.com/oAwBFHkCwM

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) November 29, 2021

New page of the Verstappen / Hamilton duel, the battle of the number 2s, the place of Best of the rest… Another suspenseful round!

First chance at a title for Max Verstappen! The Dutchman must therefore leave with a minimum of 26 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. A complicated task for the Red Bull driver who, even if he wins with the fastest lap, must hope that his rival finishes beyond 6th place, which seems difficult to imagine under normal circumstances.

Let’s also remember that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are in an Olympic form and that in case of a victory and the fastest lap in Jeddah for the British driver combined with a second place for Verstappen, the two men would arrive in Abu Dhabi tied in points, with Verstappen having the advantage in terms of number of wins!

Behind the two stars of this championship, it will also be interesting to observe the battle of their respective teammates, Bottas and Pérez, who will play a crucial role in the allocation of the constructors’ title.

Struggling for several races, McLaren will try to turn the tide against Ferrari, which seems to have secured third place behind the untouchable Red Bull and Mercedes. Unless the best of the rest can still be found on the French side with Pierre Gasly or the Alpine of Ocon and Alonso. Exciting program!

The editorial predictions: Hamilton is the favorite… Surprises too!

On an absolutely impressive momentum in recent weeks, Lewis Hamilton is the clear favorite for this Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. It is worth noting that he has consistently won a Grand Prix that he has discovered since 2020.

Verstappen wins some votes but it is especially the trend towards a crazy Grand Prix that catches the eye of our editors. Indeed, some of us imagine absolutely crazy scenarios based on the narrowness of the circuit that could cause numerous Safety Cars as well as on the tires brought by Pirelli this weekend which are the same as those in Baku… a race that stayed in the memories!

Between Gasly’s pole position, both Mercedes out of the podium, a victory by Leclerc, or even a podium by Räikkönen, you have plenty of options in terms of long odds!

And you?

What are your favorites for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

The start of the Grand Prix will be given this Sunday at 6:30 pm. Find all the schedules to know in the TV schedule.