FIA details Jeddah F1 track changes ahead of Saudi GP

F1 made its first visit to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in December last year, and while the track won praise for its thrilling, high-speed layout, some drivers were critical of the safety standards and lack of visibility in places.

GPDA director George Russell told Autosport the track was "lacking a lot from a safety perspective and a racing perspective", while suggestions from the FIA prompted the organisers in Jeddah to make some tweaks for this year.

It had already been confirmed that the sightlines would be opened up in a number of corners to aid visibility, as well as widening the final corner where Max Verstappen crashed at the end of his Q3 lap.

The FIA has now formally detailed what changes have taken place ahead of this weekend's second Saudi Arabian Grand Prix via Wittich's event notes that were issued on Thursday.

In the tight Turn 2-3 complex where a crash in the race led to one of two red flags last year, the barriers on the left-hand side of the track have been moved back, improving visibility.

A similar move has been taken at Turns 14 and 21 to try and make the sightlines better for drivers coming through the kinks at high-speed, while a smooth face has been added to some of the barriers, allowing drivers to brush up against them more.

Wittich's notes also confirmed the track had been widened to 12m at the final corner, up from 10.5m last year.

Jeddah Street Circuit last corner detail

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Changes to the circuit

Turn 2-3: The left hand side barriers have been moved back to improve visibility from Turn 2 to Turn 4
Turn 4 Apex: A smooth face has been added to the concrete barriers
Turn 14 Apex: The barriers have been moved back approximately 1.5m to improve visibility
Turn 16 Apex: A smooth face has been added to the concrete barriers
Turn 21 Apex: The barriers have been moved back approximately 1.5m to improve visibility
Turn 22 Apex: A smooth face has been added to the concrete barriers
Turn 24 Apex: A smooth face has been added to the concrete barriers
Exit of Turn 27: The track has been widened to 12m

Saudi Motorsport Company CEO Martin Whitaker said in Bahrain that the changes could make the fastest street track on the calendar even quicker, with the average speed for pole in qualifying last year coming in at 157 mph.

Not all of the requested changes were able to come into force ahead of this year's race, including an improvement of the sightlines at Turns 23-24, which Whitaker felt would be addressed via instructions to drivers by the race director.

The event notes state that drivers will be informed of the maximum in-lap time after practice, ensuring they do not go too slowly and impede other drivers on hot laps during qualifying.