The 2023 F1 Season continues on the streets of Jeddah as the world’s best drivers fight it out for glory, and here to predict the winners and losers in advance is our 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Preview.
The Gurgler’s 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Preview brings some thoughts on the race itself, a few bold predictions here and there, a few barely interesting stats and best bets.
Essentially a quick summary of what a casual F1 fan needs in the shortest possible time.
The Jeddah track looks like a bent spoon or melted plastic disposable knife, both are probably dangerous, much like this track. It is probably too fast to be a street track, but that makes a difference from other street track in the past and on the calendar this season. It usually brings a bit of action too.
2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Preview – Race Rating
The Gurgler does like to use some obscure drivers in our Race previews and report, so who better to use than Teo Fabi to determine a race rating system.
So before each race we give a rating out of ten for four key category that are loosely based on each letter of Teo Fabi’s surname. Don’t know who Teo Fabi is, you should.
FAST? 10/10 – They call it the fastest street track in the world, and they are not lying. The average lap speed at this circuit is a frightening 250km/h. Under the lights makes it an even bigger spectacle.
ACTION? 9/10 – Fast street circuit, with it’s close walls and early in the season. Yeah, stuff is going to happen. The first race saw Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the height of the title battle tension. Last saw Verstappen behave himself racing Charles Leclerc, plus a few scattered incidents.
BIG HISTORY? – 3/10 Only a short history, but some memorable races already.
INCLEMENT WEATHER? – 1/10 It’s in a desert nation but near the coast, so pretty safe to say little chance of rain. It bumps up to 1/10 because of a chance of raining bullets/missiles after one trip to this Grand Prix.
RACE RATING 58% – Fast and action packed, so is ticking two of the best boxes. And if it continues down this track, the rating will go up every year. Well, except for the weather, but who needs that then.
Want to know if your favourite driver for this weekend is a master of the track or the track is a master of them? Here then are some barely interesting facts and stats.
With only two seasons of history in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, we’ve dug up some general street track results from the past seasons as well.
Charles Leclerc has been king of the street tracks in qualifying over the past two seasons.
Coincidentally, Bottas and Russell average the same grid position on street tracks over two seasons, despite changing over the Mercedes drive.
Red Bull have a perfect Q3 record on street tracks for the past two seasons.
McLaren’s results aren’t as bad as one thinks they probably were.
SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX STATS
Sergio Perez to “Bin it” during the race.
There will be at least three Safety Cars. One for first lap shenanigans, and at least one other will be caused by a Haas or Alpha Tauri.
Points for Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries.
Top Six finish for Pierre Gasly.
A Mercedes and Carlos Sainz to miss Q3.
Alonso tops two Free PRactice sessions and Q1.
