We never lose. We either win, or we learn. That’s the motto we live by at McLaren, and after the sobering start to the season we had in Bahrain, it’s a maxim that’s been driving us back at the McLaren Technology Centre.

Since flying back from the Sakhir desert, we’ve had our heads down working on solutions, itching to get back out there. Lando and Oscar have been putting in the laps on the simulator whilst the engineers have been crunching the data.

Although we’ll be back in the Middle East, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a very different type of track from the Bahrain International Circuit. To find out why, and what else you can expect from Round 2, we’ve spoken with Team Principal Andrea Stella and drivers Lando and Oscar to get the lowdown on the Saudi Arabian street circuit. We’ve also gathered all of the key stats, track facts and some tips on what to wear.

Critical info

Round	2
Where	Jeddah Corniche Circuit
When	17 - 19 March
Lights out	20:00 local / 17:00 MTC
Follow	TEAMStream and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“It’s nice to be back at the track in Jeddah. The speed here is great, and I love street circuits, so I am looking forward to getting on track. I had a decent result here last year, and Bahrain showed we have some good race pace so a points finish is very much a possibility, we just need to extract as much as we can from the car.

“The team are working tirelessly to learn everything we can from Bahrain and to make changes so that we have a better weekend on track in Saudi. We know there is a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be, but I trust the team and know they are doing everything they can for us to be better. Let’s get out there and give it everything.”

“I’m looking forward to going racing at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. I’ve raced here previously in F2, so I have some experience of the track's speedy nature, and I’m excited to get out there in an F1 car. There are some cool features, like the fast bends, and it will be my first time on a street track in F1 machinery.

“Whilst the result last week was obviously disappointing for my first F1 race, I learned a lot, and it’s important we all keep our heads held high. I know the team are working extremely hard to turn it around from Bahrain and make the best car possible for Lando and myself. We’ll keep pushing forward as a team, and I have full confidence that we’ll get to where we want to be.”

Speeding around the Saudi streets

Expect the unexpected. Racing at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit could be described as organised chaos. It's the fastest street circuit on the planet, and of the 23 circuits on the F1 calendar, only Monza is faster, with cars averaging 250km/h. 

It has the most corners on the calendar, with 27, but only seven of those turns are braking points, the rest are taken flat-out. Crammed within this are three DRS zones, and the slowest of the 27 corners comes at the end of the final one of those three, making it a fantastic overtaking opportunity.

Based along the stunning yacht-lined seafront of the Red Sea coast, the 6.174km high-speed street circuit is a little like Monaco on fast-forward, with 79% of the lap spent at full throttle.

Last time out

It was a tough opening round of the season as Oscar’s debut ended prematurely on Lap 13 due to an electronic issue, while Lando’s race was severely impacted by a pneumatic issue that forced him to pit multiple times.

Despite the frustration, there were some positives to take from Bahrain. Lando showed some decent pace at the start, getting ahead of Esteban Ocon on the opening lap and then past Nico Hulkenberg for ninth before being overtaken by Valtteri Bottas. And as he said himself, albeit slightly tongue in cheek - his many pit-stops did actually serve as good practice for the team in racing conditions.

Before his retirement, Oscar was also getting some joy from the MCL60. Our rookie made up two places on the opening lap to climb up to 16th before taking 13th from Hulkenberg a few laps later.

Setting the scene

Saudi Arabia is home to the world’s largest sandy desert and is also the largest country in the world without a river, so it won’t surprise you to know that it tends to be rather hot, with average temperatures of 35.5°C. It is also home to the world’s tallest skyscraper and the largest airport. It’s a luxurious country, full of history and culture, such as the Al Masjid an Nabawi or the Great Mosque of Mecca. If you’re going, make sure to sample two of their signature dishes: Kabsa, a mixed rice dish, and Tharid, a lamb and vegetable stew. And, of course, their famous Arabian coffee.

“The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a fast and sweeping circuit with some interesting features that provide a good challenge for the drivers. There have been a few tweaks to the circuit since we raced here last year. We are pleased to see adaptations have been made to address some of the safety concerns expressed, with better visibility for the drivers and smoother kerbs.

“The team head to Saudi with renewed mindset and determination to get back into the points, which was possible in Bahrain without reliability issues. There has been a lot of analysis at McLaren and Mercedes HPP over the past week to ensure problems are resolved. We know we’ve got work to do, but the team in Woking and trackside are fully focused on developments and ready to go again in Saudi.”

Set your alarms 

Free Practice 1	06:30 PT / 13:30 GMT / 00:30 AET
Free Practice 2	10:00 PT / 17:00 GMT / 04:00 AET
Free Practice 3	06:30 PT / 13:30 GMT / 00:30 AET
Qualifying	10:00 PT / 17:00 GMT / 04:00 AET
Race	10:00 PT / 17:00 GMT / 04:00 AET

Stat pack 

• This will be the third Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
• Lando has finished in the points in both Saudi Arabian Grands Prix
• Oscar won two Formula 2 races at Jeddah in a single weekend, finishing first in the 2021 Sprint Race 2 and the Feature Race
• Both drivers scored points in the first Saudi Arabian GP
• Our quickest qualifying lap at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to date was set by Lando in 2021, with a 1m28.180s
• The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the second-longest circuit on the calendar
• The circuit is the longest street circuit on the calendar

The fit: Entering a New Era of headwear

Saudi is hot, so we’d strongly suggest a cap. But do you know what else is hot? You in a cap, so even if you’re not going, we’d strongly suggest a cap. Fresh from our recent extension with New Era, we’ve got three absolute corkers for you to cop.  

Starting with the most essential hat of any collection, it’s our replica snapback in our traditional team colours. If you’ve already treated yourself to that, then why not boost your collection with one, or both, of the white Ripstop pre-curve 9FIFTY or the new olive trucker mesh?