Formula 1 is back in Saudi Arabia for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a spectacular season opener in Bahrain.
Average speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are set to be 252km/h – quicker than those at Silverstone, and second on the 2021 calendar only to Monza – aka ‘The Temple of Speed’.
The fastest street circuit on the F1 calendar has changed a bit since making its debut on the calendar last year, as the result of modifications requested by the governing body following a few on-track incidents last time.
These largely consist of opening up sightlines through corners by moving barriers further back, while the final turn (Turn 27) has been widened by the removal of a grandstand, which could make the lap slightly faster. Turn 13 (of 27) still features 12 degrees of banking, helping the rapid flow of the circuit that makes it the second-quickest lap of the year overall, after Monza.
The 50-lap Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the second consecutive night race on the calendar, which means that track temperatures can differ between the sessions – as was the case in Bahrain – with FP2 and qualifying more representative of race conditions.
Lewis Hamilton won crazy inaugural 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last season to tie championship points with rival Verstappen. Contact between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was one of the highlights of the incident-packed race.
2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix session timings in different time zones
| Session | GMT | Track time | CEST | ET | PT | AEST | JST | IST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP1 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 07:00 | 00:001 | 23:00 | 19:30 |
| FP2 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 18:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 03:001 | 02:001 | 22:30 |
| FP3 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 07:00 | 00:001 | 23:00 | 19:30 |
| Qualifying | 17:00 | 20:00 | 18:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 03:001 | 02:001 | 22:30 |
| Race | 17:00 | 20:00 | 18:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 | 03:001 | 02:001 | 22:30 |
The 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix TV Channel availability
In the UK, pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports will show the entire race weekend, from FP1 to the race, on its dedicated Sky Sports F1 channel. While ESPN network will show the entire race weekend in the United States.
F1 TV Pro viewers can watch all the live action from Jeedah Please check to see if F1 TV Pro is available in your country.
