The organisers of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix have confirmed the changes that will be made to the controversial street circuit following concerns from Formula One drivers over the safety of the track.
Last season’s race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit saw two red flags and a number of high-speed crashes, with drivers highlighting the danger of blind corners and the narrowness of the barriers.
The track was not completed until the week before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was the penultimate race of the 2021 season, but changes will be made as the race moves forward in the calendar ahead of the 2022 campaign.
After the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 20 March, F1 will return to Jeddah the following week and a statement from the event organisers confirmed the changes that will be made to the track.
“It has already been confirmed that some minor tweaks will be made to the circuit to help improve driver sightlines from the cockpit by improving visibility in several of the circuit’s corners including Turns 2, 3, 14 and 21 where the barriers will be moved back between 1.5m and 2m,” organisers confirmed.
“Likewise, the barrier on the right-hand side of Turn 27 will be moved back by around 1.5m to widen the track at this point. In all cases except Turn 27, the track limit/edge will remain the same.
“In addition, further modifications will also be made to Turns 4, 16, 22 and 24 after consultation with the drivers who requested a smoother barrier on the apex so that they can potentially brush it as they pass.
“To accommodate this, [Saudi Motorsport Company] is installing a steel plate which will effectively wrap around the concrete barriers given them the smooth surface they require to favour the lines the drivers take around the record-breaking course.”
Mick Schumacher crashed into the wall in the first of two red flags at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, before Nikita Mazepin collided into the back of George Russell as the Williams driver attempted to avoid hitting Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.
