F1 | Pirelli: in Jeddah it is essential to prepare the launch lap well

A few days after the seasonal debut in Bahrain, Formula 1 moves from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea for the second race, scheduled from Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 March. The distance as the crow flies that separates the permanent circuit of Sakhir from the city circuit of Jeddah is approximately 1,260 kilometres, but the technical characteristics of the two tracks are very different.

From a track characterized by a very abrasive asphalt, where thermal degradation is particularly significant and where braking stability and traction are determining factors, we move on to a rather smooth asphalt and a very fast track (over 250 km/h on average), second only in Monza.

With its 6.174 kilometers in length, to be repeated 50 times, the circuit has a particularly sinuous shape and is the second longest on the calendar but the first in terms of number of corners (27), many of which are driven at medium and high speed, subjecting thus tires with high lateral forces. As in Bahrain, qualifying and the race will take place in the evening (8pm local time), with temperatures therefore significantly lower than those of the first free practices on Thursday and Friday.

Along the lines of what happened in the three previous editions of this race, Pirelli has selected the three central compounds of the range: C2 as Hard, C3 as Medium and C4 as Soft. Another difference with Bahrain is the race strategy. Last Saturday we saw how the vast majority of drivers made two stops, with three pit stops as the only possible plausible alternative, while in Jeddah it is very predictable to see a race based on a single stop, with drivers alternating Medium and Hard also based on the position on the starting grid.

Since it is a city track, the escape routes are rather limited and the risk of accidents is quite high, with a consequent high possibility of seeing the safety car on the track or even witnessing an interruption. Overtaking is not particularly easy: the easiest point to overtake is the braking section of Turn 1.

As often happens on city tracks, the evolution of the track will be very fast and in qualifying it will be crucial to choose the ideal moment to set the lap time, as will making optimal preparation of the launch lap: in previous editions we have seen often as the pilots would even do two before bringing the Softs to the right temperature, with the consequent traffic problems that could arise.

The F1 Academy also starts

In addition to the second Formula 2 round of the season, the Jeddah circuit will see the debut of the F1 Academy for the first of seven events, all in conjunction with a Grand Prix, of the all-female championship of which Pirelli is Official Tire Partner for the second year consecutive. The company thus reinforces its commitment alongside young drivers to facilitate their professional growth and provide a wider range of opportunities capable of leading them to the top of their specialties, often – as has already happened in the past – having always raced on Pirelli tires .

All the cars competing will be fitted with 13-inch Pirelli P Zero DM tyres, the same ones used last season and in all the Formula 4 series for which Pirelli is a supplier. IP Zero DM are designed to maintain a constant level of performance even with high mileages in order to allow racing drivers to develop their driving sensitivity, before having to face the typical variables of major championships relating to tire wear. Each driver will have 14 dry tires (three and a half sets) and 8 rain tires (two sets) available for each race weekend.

Lots of news for the season that is about to begin. The fastest driver in the qualifying session will receive the Pirelli Pole Position Award represented by the scale reproduction of a P Zero tyre, just as already happens in Formula 1. Those who celebrate a podium will instead wear the classic Pirelli podium cap but in purple, edition limited for the series.

Furthermore, from this year, F1 Academy becomes one of the preparatory championships for the classic cadet categories because the top five drivers classified will obtain points towards the FIA ​​Superlicence. The series can also be considered a platform by local female riders who will now have the opportunity to participate as a Wild Card even in just one stage.