While 21 of this season’s 22 Formula 2 drivers had previously competed at the Albert Park Circuit and the Bahrain International Circuit, just 10 of them have raced around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit before. Feeder Series spoke to F2 rookies Arvid Lindblad and Gabriele Minì, who are facing their first new track on the calendar, about the upcoming challenge. 

By Calla Kra-Caskey

Like several of their fellow rookies, F3 graduates Lindblad and Minì have found early success in the series so far. Minì qualified fastest in Australia before losing pole position to a penalty and has taken points in each race so far. He sits 10th in the standings, while a strong Bahrain round for Lindblad propelled him to ninth after two rounds. 

The first two rounds took place in familiar territory, as F3 raced in Australia and Bahrain last year. F2’s third round in Jeddah is the first circuit this season on which neither Lindblad nor Minì have raced before. Only the drivers who have competed in at least one full season of F2 have experience on the 6.174-kilometre street track.

“From an approach point of view, we do the same as every weekend with the simulator,” Lindblad told Feeder Series. The youngest driver on the grid aged 17, Lindblad is in only his third full year of single-seater racing and, having never done two full seasons in a series, is no stranger to having to catch up to more experienced drivers. 

“I was a rookie last year in F3, and there were quite a few times in FP [when I was] having to crack on and find a way,” he said. “The second-year or third-year drivers will have a bit of an advantage, but I think it will be okay.”

Minì agreed with Lindblad’s statement that ‘the first couple laps in FP will be more challenging’ for new drivers. F2 competitors get 45 minutes of practice time on Friday before the 30-minute qualifying session later in the day.

“It would be up to us to be quickly up to speed,” the Alpine junior said. “For sure we will be at a disadvantage compared to a more experienced driver, but I think the main difference once again would be on those first laps, and then qualifying I’m sure we would be more or less up to speed.” 

Like Lindblad, Minì noted that his preparation hadn’t changed between familiar and unfamiliar circuits. 

“We have done a lot of prep in the simulator and watch a lot of videos from previous years, so [we] more or less have the ideas of what we have to do on track,” the Prema driver added. “We just have to try and apply them well straight away.” 

Kush Maini, who took a podium in the feature last year, and Victor Martins, who took pole and a sprint podium in Jeddah in 2023, are the only current drivers to have stood on the podium at Jeddah.

Last year’s Jeddah winners, Dennis Hauger and Enzo Fittipaldi, were both in their third full seasons of F2, and apart from 2021, the first year the track was on the calendar, no first-year driver has stood on a feature race podium in Jeddah.

Similarly, returning drivers have historically done well in qualifying. Ollie Bearman qualified first in Jeddah in 2024 before he was called up by Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz, handing his pole position to Maini. The top five qualifiers were all returning drivers, with only one rookie, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in the top nine. 

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency