F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in 2023: Watch the Racers Compete in Jeddah’s Street Circuit

Despite only being part of the Formula One World Championship for two short years, the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix has made headlines for a number of reasons. These included the retirement of no less than 5 major drivers after the race in 2021 and security threats following a missile strike in 2022. 

Now getting into its 3rd year, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is bound to see its share of excitement again —  and not just because of the challenging track.

As relations strain between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes mix with security fears unsettling drivers ahead of the second round, this year’s race is already shaping up for plenty of drama of its own. Let’s take a look at the history of the F1 Saudi Arabia GP and what you should expect going into the 2023 race.

Where to Watch the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023

The F1 Saudi Arabian 2023 Grand Prix takes place between 17 and 19 March 2023, and is the second race of the season. If you’re looking to catch the event live or see the highlights, whether from home or on the go, here’s where it’s being aired this year:

F1 Saudi Arabia FP1 Broadcasting Schedule
Country	Channel	Time
US	ESPN2/fuboTV	08:30 (ET) | Fri, Mar 17
UK	Sky Sports F1	13:00 (GMT) | Fri, Mar 17
AUS	FoxTel/Kayo	00:00 (AEST) | Sat, Mar 18

F1 Saudi Arabia FP2 Broadcasting Schedule
Country	Channel	Time
US	ESPNEWS/fuboTV	12:00 (ET) | Fri, Mar 17
UK	Sky Sports F1	16:45 (GMT) | Fri, Mar 17
AUS	FoxTel/Kayo	04:00 (AEST) | Sat, Mar 18

F1 Saudi Arabia FP3 Broadcasting Schedule
Country	Channel	Time
US	ESPN3/fuboTV	08:30 (ET) | Sat, Mar 18
UK	Sky Sports F1	13:15 (GMT) | Sat, Mar 18
AUS	FoxTel/Kayo	00:30 (AEST) | Sun, Mar 19

F1 Saudi Arabia Qualifying Broadcasting Schedule
Country	Channel	Time
US	ESPNEWS/fuboTV	12:00 (ET) | Sat, Mar 18
UK	Sky Sports F1	16:00 (GMT) | Sat, Mar 18
AUS	FoxTel/Kayo	04:00 (AEST) | Sun, Mar 19

F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix Broadcasting Schedule
Country	Channel	Time
US	ESPN/fuboTV	12:00 (ET) | Sun, Mar 19
UK	Sky Sports F1	15:30 (GMT) | Sun, Mar 19
AUS	FoxTel/Kayo	03:55 (AEST) | Mon, Mar 20

The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix made its debut on what was supposed to be a temporary circuit in the city of Jeddah. The original plan involved moving the track to Qiddiya in 2023 before being stationed permanently in the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. This is also the 5th Formula One venue to host a night race.

The decision to host F1 in Saudi Arabia was met with some criticism from human rights groups. Human Rights Watch has called the choice to host the event in the country a “blatant attempt at sportswashing to distract from Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.” These comments put pressure on the event organizers to respond, but responses all seemed centered around the opinion that the event could help “modernize the country” further.

2021: The Start of F1 in Saudi Arabia

The first race took place on December 5 due to a postponement caused by the pandemic. The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw several incidents break out, many of which centered around Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The tightly-packed circuit saw these two Formula 1 giants go wheel-to-wheel on several occasions, leading to high tensions. This eventually led to the two drivers coming to blows, resulting in two penalties and plenty of fallout.

Despite a damaged front wing caused by the incidents with Verstappen, Hamilton set the fastest lap and eventually went on to win the race in Saudi Arabia. Verstappen, who came in second, lost a lot of time due to penalties.

Mick Schumacher also got into a serious crash during the qualifying round for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, resulting in a hospital stay. He collided with the wall at turn 23 and red flagged the race, but walked away without serious injury. Tsunoda and Kimi Räikkönen were also involved in crashes during the race.

One way or another, this charged race saw the sudden retirements of Mick Schumacher, Sergio Pérez, George Russell, Nikita Mazepin, and Sebastian Vettel. Overall, this served as an exciting start to what would become a notoriously dramatic round of the Formula 1 World Championship.

2022: F1 Saudi Arabia’s Infamous Year

If 2021 was a controversial year for the Grand Prix in Saudi, nothing could prepare anyone for the drama to come the following year. On Friday 25 March during the first practice session,  Yemen’s Houthi movement rebels attacked an Aramco oil depot near Jeddah, approximately 16 km (10 mi) from the circuit. While nothing happened at the track, the drivers and their squads saw black smoke nearby causing panic.

This led to some delays later that weekend as drivers engaged in lengthy talks with the organizers. In the end, Formula One and the organizers announced the event would continue as planned, despite security grievances raised by the drivers. After a 4.5-hour meeting with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association on Saturday, every driver agreed to participate for the remainder of the event “after being warned of the consequences of not racing.” 

It’s unclear what these consequences would be. Although some reports claimed drivers were warned they might be denied an exit visa to leave the country if they decided to not race. Organizers and Saudi officials also assured everyone of the safety measures in place. 

Despite everything, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went ahead to win the race as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came in second. Leclerc also managed to set the fastest lap time for the race.

2023 F1 Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia: What to Expect

The Formula 1 Saudi Arabia 2023 Grand Prix is scheduled for 19 March 2023 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Last year’s winner, Max Verstappen, is looking to hold on to his title and is off to a strong start with a lead in Bahrain. Given how chaotic this racecourse has been in the past, though, anything can happen. 

Mercedes got off to a rough start in the first round, resulting in an upset between Lewis Hamilton and his team. Hamilton made his feelings clear about the squad’s performance in Sakhir, blaming the Silver Arrows bosses for ignoring his ideas and staying with last season’s concept. This led to some speculation Hamilton might quit, but ended with bosses handing Mercedes technical director an ultimatum to fix Hamilton’s car after lengthy meetings.

As Mercedes gears up to gain on Verstappen’s minute lead, the rest of the field could be also looking to make a change here, especially around the midfield battle. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is famous for its difficult wheel-to-wheel racing with a thrilling layout. It consists of notable high-speed corners bound to cause some tense moments and even collisions. 

If that isn’t enough, last year’s missile threats are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Drivers have voiced their concerns but organizers have assured everyone’s safety will be guaranteed after several meetings last year. Despite assurances, drivers are still likely on edge in this year’s Saudi F1 Grand Prix.

Can You Watch the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix with CyberGhost VPN?

Yes, you can use CyberGhost VPN to safely watch the F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on any network without ISP content-based throttling. The F1 Saudi Arabia 2023 race is only being aired on a select few channels and streaming platforms. This might make it harder for you to follow along if you’re traveling or using restricted networks like at work or school. 

CyberGhost VPN gets around these issues by encrypting your traffic and giving you fast connections to our nearby servers. Encrypting your connection is also a great idea if you plan on watching via public Wi-Fi as these hotspots are notorious targets for malicious actors who might try to hijack your connection.

If you have a Sky Sports F1 subscription, you can watch the races live from inside the cars of racers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton this year, thanks to its new onboard streams feature. Unfortunately, Sky Sports isn’t making its service available in every country, so if you’re traveling abroad you can still safely get in on the gut-churning action with a VPN.

You can watch this on your phone with the Sky Sports App or on your TV via Sky Q and Sky Glass. CyberGhost VPN has dedicated apps for your iOS and Android phone, as well as your Smart TV. Just pick a VPN server in the region of your choice and get back to the races. CyberGhost has thousands of VPN servers globally, as well as streaming-optimized servers for some of the platforms streaming Formula 1.

Don’t Get Left at the Starting Line

Regardless of what happens at the F1 Saudi Arabia GP in 2023, this year should prove an exciting circuit for all involved. Chances are good we’ll see at least one red flag again and some dramatic dueling between the dedicated drivers, but let’s just hope everyone stays safe during the race.

Unfortunately for you, missile launches aren’t the only thing delaying your watch time. Plenty of things can trip up your stream, from pesky network blocks to frustrating ISP throttling causing constant buffering. You should be able to enjoy the Formula One races without all these hindrances holding you back. 

Whether you’re trying to fit in a race during your lunch break, or looking to watch the game from your hotel Wi-Fi, CyberGhost VPN can make the process easier. Our dedicated apps are revved up with the latest features, like automatic Wi-Fi protection, lightning-fast 10 Gb servers, a Kill Switch, DNS leak protection, and 24/7 Customer Support to keep you going long past the starting line.

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