Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022: Time, TV, schedule, live stream, grid

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Saudi Arabian Grand Prix start. Jeddah December 2021.

Start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Jeddah December 2021.

Less than four months after its debut on the Formula 1 calendar, Saudi Arabia stages its second grand prix as round two of the 2022 season.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit in a spectacular setting by the Red Sea was every bit as exciting and dramatic as it had promised to be, with two red-flag stoppages and a protracted duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in which the Mercedes man came out on top.

That result set up an ultimately controversial title decider in Abu Dhabi, but now it is Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who top the respective standings after a one-two finish for the Scuderia in this season’s opening race in Bahrain.

Red Bull will be eager to atone for their late reliability issues in the curtain-raiser which saw them leave with zero points, while Mercedes hope to make some headway with a W13 car that is proving a handful for Hamilton and George Russell to drive.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

When is the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Practice 1: Friday March 25, 1700 local time (1400 UK time)
Practice 2: Friday March 25, 2000 local time (1700 UK time)
Practice 3: Saturday March 26, 1700 local time (1400 UK time)
Qualifying: Saturday March 26, 2000 local time (1700 UK time)
Race: Sunday March 26, 2000 local time (1800 UK time)

Where does the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix take place?

Overhead view of the Saudi Arabian GP circuit. Jeddah December 2021.
General overhead view of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix circuit. Jeddah December 2021.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit was labelled by its designer Carsten Tilke as one of Formula 1’s “most ambitious projects”, given the short timescale in which the track was constructed.

It was also laid out with the intention of becoming the world’s fastest street circuit, with a whopping 27 corners and tight walls creating a tricky environment for the drivers to negotiate.

The majority of the long, snaking 6.174km track takes place around high-speed kinks and curves, with most of the straights carrying some kind of arc to them – as also exemplified in Sochi, which has now been removed from the calendar.

Following the success of the revamped Zandvoort layout, the hairpin Turn 13 had banking introduced to it, aiding drivers on their way through the middle sector.

Safety modifications have been made since the inaugural race in December, with sightlines improved, although officials say the track could even be “a little bit quicker” as a result.

Where can I watch the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports will show the entire race weekend on its dedicated Sky Sports F1 channel. You can also access a live stream of the coverage via Now TV.

Free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4 will show extended highlights from qualifying and the race.

F1 TV Pro viewers can watch all the live action from Bahrain. Please check to see if F1 TV Pro is available in your country.

Subscribers to F1’s own app can hear radio commentary on the race proper from the BBC and access live data throughout every session.

PlanetF1 will carry live timing and expert commentary on every session of the race weekend, from FP1 on Friday morning to the race on Sunday afternoon.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be shown live on TV on the following outlets in other key markets:

United States: ESPN
Canada: RDS (French), TSN (English)
Australia: Fox Sports
France: Canal+
Italy: Sky Sport F1
Germany: Sky Sport F1
Spain: DAZN
Netherlands: Viaplay
Brazil: Band
Japan: DAZN

What is the grid for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

1 Sergio Perez Red Bull
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull
5 Esteban Ocon Alpine
6 George Russell Mercedes
7 Fernando Alonso Alpine
8 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo Racing
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas
11 Lando Norris McLaren
12 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo Racing
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
14 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren*
15 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
16 Alex Albon Williams
17 Nico Hulkenberg Aston Martin
18 Nicholas Latifi Williams
19 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri

* Ricciardo three-place drop applied for blocking
**Mick Schumacher not taking part after heavy Q2 crash

What are the odds for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen racing Charles Leclerc. Bahrain March 2022
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen racing Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari slightly ahead. Bahrain March 2022

Latest bookmaker information shows Leclerc and Verstappen vying for favouritism after they proved to be the class of the field in Bahrain, while the pre-weekend odds for Hamilton are bigger than for any race in a long time – reflecting the current pace of the Mercedes car.

Here are the latest selected prices from Planet Sport Bet:

6/4 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2/1 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
11/4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
8/1 Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
66/1 George Russell (Mercedes)
80/1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

(last updated Monday March 21)

What is the weather forecast for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

Friday March 25: 26C, sunny with a fresh breeze
Saturday March 26: 29C, sunny with a fresh breeze
Sunday March 27: 33C, sunny with a moderate breeze

Source: BBC Weather

Directions to the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

King Abdulaziz International Airport, the main Saudi Arabian airport, is located in Jeddah and therefore is the closest one to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Buses run frequently in and around Jeddah, while taxis are the most commonly used form of transport. Car hire is also widely available, so the track should be widely accessible for fans.

Tyre choices for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Last year, Pirelli trod the middle ground with their selection of the C2, C3 and C4 compounds for Saudi Arabia’s inaugural grand prix – and they have gone exactly the same way again.

Don’t forget the rule change this year whereby no longer do cars qualifying for the top-10 shootout on a Saturday have to start the race on the tyres they used to set their fastest Q2 time. Instead, they get a free choice like the remainder of the field.

At the opening race in Bahrain, every team except McLaren started both of their cars on soft tyres, while the likelihood of red flags in Saudi Arabia means that will need to be factored into strategy calculations.

 

What are the latest F1 Championship standings?

Drivers’ Championship

Charles Leclerc – 26 points
Carlos Sainz – 18 points
Lewis Hamilton – 15 points
George Russell – 12 points
Kevin Magnussen – 10 points

Constructors’ Championship

Ferrari – 44 points
Mercedes – 27 points
Haas – 10 points
Alfa Romeo – 9 points
Alpine – 8 points