Formula 1 visited the Jeddah Corniche circuit for the first time last December, and while the track won praise for its exciting high-speed layout, some drivers criticized poor safety and lack of visibility at points.
The director of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association) , George Russell, told Motorsport.com that the track was “very lacking from a safety and racing point of view”, so the organizers made changes this year at the suggestion of the FIA.
It has previously been confirmed that sightlines will be opened at various corners to help drivers get a better view of the next area of the circuit, as well as the extension of the final corner where Max Verstappen crashed at the end of his lap. in Q3.
The FIA has now formally detailed the changes that have taken place ahead of this weekend’s second Saudi Arabian Grand Prix via event notes from Wittich , its race director, which were published on Thursday.
In the tight complex of Turn 2-3, where an accident last year caused one of the two red flags for the 2021 race, the barriers on the left-hand side of the track have been moved to the rear, improving visibility.
A similar measure has been taken at Turns 14 and 21 to try to improve sightlines for drivers passing corners at high speed, while a smooth face has been added to some of the barriers to allow competitors to get closer. more to them.
Wittich’s notes also confirm that the track has been widened to 12 meters at the final corner, up from 10.5 meters last year.
The changes in the Jeddah circuit for Formula 1 2022
- Turns 2-3: The barriers on the left side have been moved to the rear to improve visibility from Turns 2 to 4.
- Curve 4 Apex: A smooth surface has been added to the concrete barriers.
- Turn 14 Apex: The barriers were set back approximately 1.5m to improve visibility
- Curve 16 Apex: A smooth surface has been added to the concrete barriers.
- Turn 21 Apex: The barriers have been moved back approximately 1.5m to improve visibility
- Curve 22 Apex: A smooth surface has been added to the concrete barriers.
- Curve 24 Apex: A smooth face has been added to the concrete barriers.
- Turn 27 exit: the track was widened to 12m.
Saudi Motorsport Company CEO Martin Whitaker said at the Bahrain GP that the changes could make the fastest street circuit on the calendar allow for even more speed, having averaged for pole position in 2021 qualifying at 251 km/h
Not all of the requested changes have been able to go into effect before this year’s race, including improving sight lines at Turns 23-24, which Whitaker said will be addressed through instructions to drivers from the director of race.
The event notes state that drivers will be informed of the maximum lap time they can take after practice, to ensure they don’t go too slow and hinder other drivers on installation laps during qualifying.
This was the incredible Saudi Arabian GP 2021
