You Can Now Race in Saudi Arabia in F1 2021

You Can Now Race in Saudi Arabia in F1 2021

Nov 15, 2021 4 Min Read Posted by Jacob Hancox

The site of the 2021 and 2022 Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, is now live and available to play in F1 2021.

Photo credit: Codemasters / EA

After the late addition of both the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola, Italy, and before that the Algarve International Circuit at Portimão, Portugal, Codemasters have delivered the third and likely final new circuit expansion to F1 2021: the Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The new track dropped today, 15 November, as part of the patch 1.13 update, and it is most certainly the patch’s headline addition.

A World Premiere

At the time of the release of this new street circuit into F1 2021, no cars have raced on the Corniche Circuit at all. This means that players who load up F1 2021 and get going on the track straight away will be among the first people in the world to experience it. The circuit itself is very long, with the highest corner count on the entire F1 calendar, meaning that it will take quite a while for even the fastest drivers out there to truly master the city streets.

Unlike with Imola and Portimão, both of which were positively received both by the F1 game community and by fans of the real-world sport, Jeddah has been met with reactions ranging from excited positivity to downright hostility. Several twitter users have cited track limits issues with the never-before-raced circuit, while others have voiced their opinions on more worldly matters.

A Race Against Time

There may also be another problem with the race track as far as the real-life Formula 1 calendar is concerned. Recent reports and pictures posted on social media have shown that the track, in its current state, looking distinctly unfinished. As such, concerns have been raised about whether the track will even be ready in time for the penultimate round of the season.

Given that the circuit is intended to be a temporary addition to the F1 calendar while a purpose-built Saudi Arabian race track is constructed, it’s possible that Jeddah will end up like Hanoi; a track that was only ever raced in simulation. However, there’s still 2022 for Jeddah, and Michael Masi, the race director for Formula 1, has stated that he still expects the circuit to ready in time for this year’s event.

Regardless of all that, Jeddah is now available in F1 2021. There is even a special playlist under social play in the online multiplayer section of the game, which allows players to race the circuit on repeat.

Outside of Jeddah, patch 1.13 doesn’t bring a whole lot else to the table. The white Red Bull liveries have been removed, and spectators of online races will now see the start lights extinguish at the same time as the drivers do, which is a godsend for esports broadcasters. To read the full patch notes, take a look here.

Are you excited to drive Jeddah in F1 2021? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!

Tags:
Jacob Hancox
View More Posts
My name is Jacob and I have been writing for OverTake since November of 2020. I come from the UK, but I'm now living in Berlin. I love to watch, write about and sometimes shout about all forms of racing.