GEOMOTORSPORT.ID – The Formula 1 official YouTube channel has claimed that their newest addition, Jeddah Street Circuit, will become the world's fastest street circuit[1]. However, Geomotorsport questioned this claim and launched an investigation towards the claim.
To determine circuit's speed, we used the average speed, which is calculated from dividing the track's length by its laptime record. Based on simulation data, Jeddah Street Circuit would have a astonishing average speed of 252.8 km/h, or 15.6 km/h faster than current F1 fastest street circuit, Albert Park[2].
We then decided to look at street circuits from other series which still in use recently, but none of them have an outright average speed exceeding Jeddah’s. However, two circuits came to the attention are Dundrod Circuit at Lisburn, Northern Ireland and Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans, France.
Dundrod Circuit is claiming to be the world's fastest road race. It has a laptime record of 3:17.928, set by Dean Harrison in a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R[3]. With the length of 11.910 km, the circuit's average speed was 216.62 km/h, still short of Jeddah's simulated average speed.
It is difficult to estimate the circuit's relative average speed if F1 cars were racing there, but the bike's World Superbike Championship counterpart, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, was lapping Portimao's slightly shorter motorcycle layout with average speed of 164.70 km/h in 2019[4], or 75.18% of F1's average speed of 219.06 km/h when it raced the car layout in 2020[5].
Assuming that the current Dundrod's record was only 75.18% of F1 car's average speed, which is very optimistic considering the bike's variant and rider ability, F1 car would have lapped around this circuit at a staggering average speed of 288.14 km/h.
Another candidate for the world's fastest street circuit was Circuit de la Sarthe, located in Le Mans, France. In 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, Kamui Kobayashi sets the circuit's track record during a hyperpole session at 3:15.267[6] using an LMP1 Toyota TS050. With a track length of 13.626 km, the circuit had an average speed of 251.21 km/h, just 1.6 km/h slower than Jeddah.
We can compare the LMP1's relative pace with F1 more easily, since they raced at the same tracks during the year. Due to LMP1's lack of cornering speed compared to F1's, we decided to do a comparison lap at the WEC's second-fastest venue after Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps.
At Spa-Francorchamps, the Toyota TS050 lapped at average speed of 221.84 km/h in 2017[7]. Meanwhile, F1’s record was set by Lewis Hamilton who put his Mercedes W11 on pole at average speed of 249.03 km/h[8], or 112.25% faster than LMP1.
Assuming that F1 cars were also 112.25% faster than LMP1 at Le Mans (although actual figures here might be lower, since LMP1 were losing less time in straights when compared to an F1 car), one can estimate that F1 would have lapped here at average speed of 281,98 km/h, also much faster than Jeddah's.
In conclusion, while F1's claim of Jeddah as the world's fastest street circuit were statistically true, there are still other street circuits which theoretically can be much faster than Jeddah Street Circuit. So, we rated this claim as MOSTLY TRUE. (Geomotorsport.id/Muhammad Daffa Suryanindra)
Source:
- FIRST LOOK: Onboard Lap At The Brand New Jeddah Street Circuit, YouTube. 18 March 2021, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- 6 key facts about the ultra-fast Jeddah Street Circuit, F1 official website. 18 March 2021, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- fonaCAB ULSTER GRAND PRIX SUPERSPORT Second Qualifying Thursday, 08 August 2019, Ulster GP official website. 8 August 2019, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- SBK Motul Acerbis Portuguese Round, 6-8 September 2019 Results Tissot Superpole, WSBK official website. 7 September 2019, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- FORMULA ONE GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL 2020 – QUALIFYING, F1 official website. 24 October 2020, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- 2020 Le Mans results, FIA WEC official website. 17 September 2020, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- 2017 Spa-Francorchamps results, FIA WEC official website. 3 May 2019, retrieved 24 March 2021.
- FORMULA ONE ROLEX BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2020 – QUALIFYING, F1 official website. 29 August 2020, retrieved 24 March 2021.
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