Jeddah Corniche street race - which had a chaotic F1 debut last year - hosts second race of 2022 season as Ferrari look to build on strong start; watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying at 5pm on Saturday and the race at 6pm on Sunday
Sunday 27 March 2022 17:26, UK
Ready for Round Two?
After a scintillating opener, Formula 1 2022 continues at pace - and then some - this weekend with the Saudi Arabian GP, the sport's fastest street circuit on the Jeddah Corniche.
The race enjoyed a dramatic debut on the calendar last year to whet the appetite for this weekend, while Charles Leclerc and Ferrari's flying start to the season ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull only increases anticipation further.
All the action this weekend - from Friday's first practice to Sunday's night race - is live on Sky Sports F1.
The key times are...
F1 looks set for a thrilling three-team battle this year with Mercedes and Red Bull not only joined, but usurped at the front by Ferrari, the Italian giants who appear to have aced the rules overhaul with their new car.
Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two ahead of Carlos Sainz at last weekend's season-opener, ending the second longest win drought in the Scuderia's illustrious history at 45 races.
That feat enforced Ferrari's credentials as title contenders, although their main rivals have plenty of motivation to bounce back this weekend.
In Red Bull's case, car pace was not really the issue - world champion Max Verstappen was second and in the running for the win until the late stages, while Sergio Perez was also contending towards the front - but they do have reliability concerns thanks to an agonising double DNF in the closing stages.
"Last weekend was a tough one for all of us to take, we win and lose as a team and we'll come back stronger this week," said Verstappen. "We have a good package and we were competitive in Bahrain, so there are positives to take from the weekend, and we have a very long season ahead - it's only the first race."
Mercedes, meanwhile, came away with a strong points haul from the opener, although arguably have bigger issues to fight, with F1's champions for the last eight years well adrift of Ferrari and Red Bull in the opener.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished third and fourth, capitalising on Red Bull's woes, but Mercedes hope to have unlocked more speed from their all-new W13 car - although admitting it may take some time.
"For us, we made a step forward in terms of performance compared to the pre-season tests but were clearly third quickest behind Ferrari and Red Bull," stated team boss Toto Wolff on the opening weekend.
"Now we head to Jeddah and a very different track; fast, twisty and much of the lap taken at full throttle. We were there just a few months ago for the first Formula One race in Saudi Arabia, and with a new car and new tyres that we're still learning how to get the most from, it will be a steep learning curve. That's a challenge we're looking forward to."
There was always going to be plenty of anticipation for the second race of the 2022 season, with drivers and teams only having run these all-new cars in for testing and the opening race in Barcelona and Bahrain so far.
The fact the second race is in Jeddah makes it all the more exciting.
The specially-built layout was designed for 2021 to encourage fast wheel-to-wheel racing.
With an average speed of over 160mph, it only falls behind Monza in terms of the fastest on the whole calendar, all while surrounded by barriers and little run-off. Think the challenges and tight walls of Monaco, Singapore and Baku with the speed and flowing corners of Spa.
The track, located on the Corniche - a coastal resort area of Jeddah - alongside the Red Sea, is also the second longest in F1 behind Spa, while it has 27 corners to contend with, most of which are high-speed turns.
Last year it hosted the penultimate race in Verstappen and Hamilton's title battle, and it is fair to say it was a thriller.
In qualifying, Verstappen crashed his Red Bull on the very final lap while the race then played host to two red flags and carnage aplenty. Hamilton won the race, although only after more controversy between himself and Verstappen as the two came together while racing and during a bizarre 'brake test' incident, for which the Dutchman was punished.
Previewing this weekend, Verstappen said: "Looking ahead to Saudi, the track is still very new for us, last year the humidity was challenging and they've made some small adjustments to visibility in sector one so I'm curious to see how it's going to be this time around.
"It's a really quick track with high-speed straights and this year the cars are slightly heavier so it's going to be really interesting to see how they will perform. I'm really looking forward to it, it should be enjoyable!"
Sky Sports F1 is your home for every race this season, and it continues with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
All the action - from Friday's two practice sessions (2pm and 5pm) through to Saturday's final practice (2pm) and qualifying (5pm) and Sunday's Grand Prix (6pm) - is live on the channel, while as always you can also follow the action online on the Sky Sports App.
Jenson Button, Paul Di Resta, Anthony Davidson, Johnny Herbert, David Croft, Simon Lazenby and Natalie Pinkham will all be in Jeddah bringing their expert insight and analysis.
* indicates simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Friday's Drivers Press Conference is only on Main Event.
Friday, March 25
10.30am: F1 Drivers Press Conference (on Sky Sports Main Event)
11.25pm: Formula 2 Practice
1.30pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice One* (session starts 2pm)
3.20pm: Formula 2 Qualifying*
4.45pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice Two (session starts 5pm)
6.10pm: The F1 Show
Saturday, March 26
12.25pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
1.45pm: Saudi Arabian GP Practice Three (session starts 2pm)
4pm: Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying build-up
5pm: SAUDI ARABIAN GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying hits
Sunday, March 27
2.30pm: Formula 2 Feature Race
4.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Saudi Arabia*
6pm: THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX
8pm: Chequered Flag: Saudi Arabia*
9.30pm: Saudi Arabian GP Highlights
The Formula 1 season continues on Friday on Sky Sports F1 with the Saudi Arabian GP. Sunday's race starts at 6pm. Find out more & subscribe.
