With the F1 discipline having made the quick journey from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, drivers had been met with a really totally different set of problem due on the format of the difficult Jeddah Corniche Circuit. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó delivers his technique information for the Jeddah F1 race.
Whereas Pirelli introduced the more durable compounds to the season-opener in Bahrain, the second race of the season will see drivers use the three compounds from the center of Pirelli’s vary. It signifies that the C2 will function Laborious, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Tender on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The Milan-based producer has elected for comparatively excessive minimal beginning pressures, with 24.0 psi for the fronts and 21.0 psi for the rears. The camber limits are -3.25° for the entrance tyres and -1.75° for the rear tyres.
Nonetheless, given the truth that the Jeddah circuit is a road circuit and there should not many run-off areas, the danger of accidents is kind of excessive, as is subsequently the prospect of seeing the Security Automobile on monitor and even having the race red-flagged.
Technique choices
Regardless of the softer compounds, Pirelli expects drivers to carry out a one-stop technique, with drivers swapping between Medium and Laborious relying on their grid positions. It’s as a result of degradation is low and overtaking is fairly tough, with the very best alternative approaching the entry to show 1.
Sergio Pérez gained the Saudi Grand Prix final yr, with Max Verstappen and George Russell becoming a member of him on the rostrum. As was the case in each earlier editions, the 2023 occasion was a one-stop race, with these leaders, plus Fernando Alonso (P4), beginning on a medium tyre and swapping for a tough.
Pirelli expects drivers to strategy the 50-lap Jeddah F1 spherical with a one-stop technique with two totally different variations thought-about doable. One choice would see drivers begin the race on the medium tyres and carry out a tyre change between Laps 19 and 25. This second stint would see drivers full the remainder of the race distance on the hards.
Based on the Milan-based tyre provider, additionally it is doable to start out on the red-walled softs and perform a tyre swap for hards between Laps 15 and 21.
Nonetheless, on paper, the quickest approach to the flag is the medium-hard one-stop technique based mostly on the earlier three races. With the run from the beginning line to the primary flip is simply 168m, the comfortable tyre doesn’t give a big benefit in comparison with the medium tyre with Pirelli estimating a bonus of three.5m.
The 2-stop technique doesn’t look notably enticing as Pirelli thinks that it’s round 15 seconds slower than the one-stop technique.
If somebody elects to finish the race distance with a two-stop technique, he might begin the race on the softs to reap the benefits of the extra grip stage at first. Following a comparatively quick first stint, drivers would swap to the medium rubber between Laps 10 and 15 to finish a protracted second stint earlier than reverting to the red-walled tyres for the tip of the race.
In actuality, drivers would solely swap to a two-stop technique if there’s a security automobile or digital security automobile interruption. It could shorten that pit cease from 20s to simply 11s which. Going by the earlier three races, there’s a actual probability for an interruption as the protection automobile made an look in every of the three Jeddah races.
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