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Just a few days
on from the curtain raiser in Bahrain, Formula 1 has decamped from the
Persian Gulf to the Red Sea for round 2, which runs from Thursday 7 to
Saturday 9 March. While the distance, as the crow flies, from the Sakhir
permanent track to the Jeddah street circuit is only around 1260 kilometres,
the characteristics of the two tracks could not be more different. From a
track with a very abrasive asphalt, where thermal degradation is
particularly high and where stability under braking and for traction are key
factors, one now moves to a track with quite a smooth surface and very high
speeds (an average per lap of 250 km/h) second only to Monza in this regard.
At 6.174 kilometres in length, it is the second longest track on the
calendar, particularly twisty with 27 corners, the most of any circuit and
on Saturday the drivers will tackle it 50 times. The fact that many of the
turns are medium to high speed means the tyres are subjected to high lateral
forces. As in Bahrain, qualifying and the race take place in the evening,
starting at 20.00 local time, with temperatures that are therefore lower
than during the first free practice sessions on Thursday and Friday.
Based on the experience of the previous three editions of this race, Pirelli
has chosen its three mid-range compounds: the C2 as Hard, the C3 as Medium
and the C4 as Soft. Another difference when compared to Bahrain is race
strategy. Last Saturday, the overwhelming majority of drivers made two
stops, with a three-stopper the only other likely choice. However, in
Jeddah, it is quite possible to envisage a one-stop race, with drivers
swapping between Medium and Hard depending on their grid positions. As this
is a street circuit, there are not many run-off areas and so the risk of
accidents is quite high, as is therefore the chance of seeing the Safety Car
on track or even having the race red-flagged. Overtaking is pretty tricky,
with the best opportunity coming on the entry to turn 1.
As is usually the case at street circuits, track evolution will be very high
and in qualifying, it will be crucial to choose exactly the right moment to
go out on track to set a good lap time and also important will be getting
the preparation lap just right. In past events here, we have even seen
drivers doing two preparation laps to get the Softs to the right temperature
and that can cause traffic related problems.
Apart from the usual support race in the shape of the second round of the
Formula 2 championship, the Jeddah circuit also hosts the F1 Academy for the
first of its seven rounds this season, all run alongside a Grand Prix event.
For the second consecutive year, Pirelli is the Official Tyre Supplier for
the all-female championship. The company thus strengthens its support for
young drivers on their career ladders by broadening the scope of
opportunities available to them so that, as has already been the case in the
past, some drivers could make the way to the top of their specialist field
having always and exclusively raced on Pirelli tyres.
All the F1 Academy cars are shod with 13 inch Pirelli P Zero DM, the same as
last season and in all Formula 4 series where Pirelli is the supplier. The P
Zero DM is designed to maintain a constant performance level even over
longer distances so that racing drivers can develop their skills without
having to deal with variables usually found in major championships relating
to tyre wear. Each driver will have 14 dry tyres (three and a half sets) and
8 rain tyres (two sets) per race weekend.
There are a couple of interesting points relating to this year’s series. The
fastest driver in qualifying will be presented with the Pirelli Pole
Position Award, a miniature version of a P Zero tyre, just like the one
presented to the Formula 1 pole sitter. The drivers celebrating on the
podium will wear the classic Pirelli podium cap, but in a special for this
series purple coloured limited edition.
Furthermore, as from this year, the F1 Academy is ranked as a genuine junior
category, as the top five drivers in the championship will be awarded points
towards an FIA Superlicense. At each round, a different local driver will
get the chance to race, through a Wild Card scheme. |
