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Motorsport Preview: Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix & 6 Hours of Imola

Formula 1 continues its Middle Eastern tour with a stop in Jeddah. This weekend, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley are set to compete in the 6 Hours of Imola.

Formula 1 – Saudi Arabia

Staying in the Middle East after Bahrain, Forumla 1 heads to Jeddah. The 50 lap Grand Prix will be on the 6.174km fast circuit. With the average speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit are around 250km/h – quicker than those at Silverstone, and second on the calendar only to Monza – aka ‘The Temple of Speed’. 

Liam Lawson has had experience at the Jeddah circuit in 2022 while racing in Formula 2, he qualified 5th and won the sprint race but had a DNF in the feature race due to a wheel issue.

Watch all the Formula 1 action on Sky Sport or Formula 1 TV. 

FIA WEC – 6 Hours of Imola

Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley are taking on the 6 Hours of Imola race this weekend. Bamber racing in car #38 for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota and Hartley racing in car #8 for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Both drivers are hoping to turn around from their results in Qatar, both having incidents that took them out of the race running.

“We led the race, so that’s always a positive and we showed good pace in Qatar,” Bamber reflects on Qatar. “It was obviously a shame about what happened, but the car is quick. The people back in Detroit and Charlotte are doing some great work on it as well, constantly pushing the boundaries and developing, and what JOTA brings to the project is really exciting. They’ve got great knowledge of FIA WEC in general, and I think that makes it a stouter effort."

“We had a well-executed race and I had a lot of fun out there,” Hartley notes on the Qatar 1812km race. “My second stint was just like qualifying laps every time. Getting both cars into the top six felt like an achievement after free practice. Even if we didn’t stand on the podium, I’m proud of the team effort. Obviously, we are not happy that we didn’t have the pace in the car, but hopefully we will be back up at the front at Imola.”

Watch via fiawec.tv

Weekend Schedule

Friday, April 18

21:15 – FIA WEC – Practice 1

Saturday, April 19

01:30 – Formula 1 – Practice 1

02:00 – FIA WEC – Practice 2

05:00 - Formula 1 – Practice 2

20:40 – FIA WEC – Practice 3

Sunday, April 20

01:10 – FIA WEC – Qualifying Hypercar

01:30 – FIA WEC – Hyperpole Hypercar

01:30 – Formula 1 – Practice 3

05:00 – Formula 1 – Qualifying

23:00 – FIA WEC – Race Start (6 Hours of Imola)

Monday, April 21

05:00 – FIA WEC – Race End (6 Hours of Imola)

05:00 – Formula 1 – Race (Saudi Arabian Grand Prix)