— In exactly two months the Jeddah Corniche Circuit will once again roar into life as the world’s most exciting sport descends on the Red Sea coastline for the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022. After the huge success of the country’s debut F1 race last season, the port city of Jeddah will play host to the second round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship on March 25-27, 2022. Following on from the dramatic event last December, the sport’s longest and fastest street circuit will again test the world’s best drivers to the limit, as they take to the 27-turn floodlit course at speeds averaging over 252km/h. Arch-rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will recommence their battle for supremacy on track, but will they still be at the front of the field? This year every team will arrive in Jeddah with new cars, built to revised technical regulations designed to make the racing more spectacular. As Saudi Arabia gears up to host its second Formula 1 race, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Motorsport Company — the race promoter — Martin Whitaker spoke about the success of the inaugural round and the changes in store for this year. “The Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021 was a tremendous success and both the scale of the event and its impact was far larger than we dared to expect,” said Whitaker. “It was a phenomenal race and a terrific showcase for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” In total, just under 140,000 spectators visited the Jeddah Corniche Circuit across the three-day event and with the excitement of the FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship on the line, it was one of the most-watched races on TV in the history of the sport. Despite its success, small revisions will be made to the circuit to enrich both the spectator experience for visiting fans and to amend the quality of the track for the drivers. Sightlines will be improved from the perspective of the cockpit, while revisions will be made to grandstand angles, Fanzones and traffic management. “Every single person who attended the race thought it was amazing,” said Whitaker. “Yes, it was our first F1 event so there were always going to be teething troubles, but don’t forget the whole facility had been constructed in less than eight months, so it was a phenomenal achievement by the team and all the contractors. “But with a little bit of time before our second race, we are working flat-out behind the scenes to ensure the experience for all our fans will be even bigger and better than before. — SG