A history of spice and dice in Saudi: Perez's maiden pole and track tension between Lewis and Max

The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is here, ready to hook second gear as Formula 1 prepares for Round 2 of the new season.

The race, staged around the streets of Corniche in Jeddah, is the fastest street circuit on the calendar, as well as one of the most dangerous of all the modern circuits.

Having made its debut in 2021, the race in Jeddah has delivered plenty of thrills and spills on the two occasions it formed part of the calendar, and expectations are that it will be the case again in 2023.

We look at a few key moments from past races in Saudi.

Verstappen vs Hamilton, 2021

The 2021 Formula 1 season will be remembered for many controversial reasons. Be it the way Max Verstappen won the Drivers' championship or Lewis Hamilton driving him off the track at 320km/h in Britain. The talking points are endless.

It was in Jeddah that year that the two drivers were again at each other's throats. With the championship on the line and two races to go, including Saudi, it was a tough race as the two heavyweights traded blows throughout the Grand Prix. But on Lap 37/50, the two made contact when Hamilton drove into Verstappen.

READ: Highly technical and extremely fast -Saudi racetrack to test F1 drivers' abilities again

Verstappen was eventually blamed for the incident and served a penalty, with Hamilton picking up the win and his title rival settling for second.

While this could have been avoided, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is designed in such a way that it promotes overtaking. Coming out of the flurry of corners (Turns 22 - 24), drivers have a high-speed DRS-supported run into Turn 27, the final corner. Creating an opportunity for overtaking, it also brings a driver right onto his rival's car as they go down the main straight