F1 drivers have called for improvements to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix circuit amid Mick Schumacher’s horrific smash in qualifying.
Saturday’s qualifying was heavily delayed on a red flag after the Haas driver span off the curb at Turn 10 and crashed into a concrete barrier at around 170mph.
Schumacher was taken to hospital for precautionary checks and was released shortly after without any injuries but that crash, along with Nicholas Latifi crashing into the barriers at Turn 13 in Q1, has prompted plenty of concerns from drivers ahead of tonight’s race.
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who starts on pole, described the street circuit in Jeddah as ‘the most dangerous in the racing calendar’ while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz called for urgent discussions with F1 officials.
‘I think it’s definitely the most dangerous place in the calendar, that’s no secret about it,’ said Perez.
‘It really demands a lot from the drivers, from the cars, from the teams. If you get it wrong, it can be a huge accident.
‘I don’t know if there’s something we can do into Turn 22/23 because it’s a really high-speed section.
‘It’s more [dangerous] in the race, but I think it’s the same, after qualifying the last thing I want to think about is the track.’
Sainz added: ‘Here if you crash it hurts a bit more than in other places in the calendar because the walls are closer and the speed is higher.
‘As drivers, we’re very confident here, because we know the safety of the cockpit is very high and when you see incidents like Mick’s, gives us a bit of tranquillity that at those speeds the car is protected because the FIA has done a great job in giving us very safe cockpits.
‘But at the same time, is it really worth it having that huge accident when you could maybe hopefully push the walls a bit further out and it would give us a bit more space to slow down the car if we lose it?
‘It’s a discussion that we need to have because it’s probably a bit on the limit.’
As for Schumacher, who has withdrawn from tonight’s race, he feels discussions are needed over the safety of the track which only made its debut last season.
‘I think there are things we have to have a look at. If so, we need a serious discussion,’ the German said.
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