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Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz believes the Jeddah Corniche circuit needs to be tweaked to improve the safety parameters. The Spaniard revealed that although he enjoyed the adrenaline rush on the circuit, the track can be unforgiving when it comes to shunts.
Speaking to Sportskeeda at the FIA post-qualifying drivers' press conference, Sainz said:
“Yeah, I’m also a bit in two minds now because in one way, I love the adrenaline rush that our qualifying lap gives you around here. But at the same time, you know that here if you crash it probably hurts a bit more than in any other place in the calendar because the walls are closer and the speed is higher.”
Conflicting between safety at the circuit and the adrenaline rush of driving, the Spanish driver believes the Jeddah circuit is the most punishing venue on the calendar in terms of shunts. According to the Ferrari driver, the walls in the narrower high-speed sections are too close, which can lead to a nasty accident in some cases.
Questioning the safety issues and highlighting the reasons for driver confidence around the dangerous street circuit, Carlos Sainz said:
“Probably we are as drivers, we are very confident around here. Just because we know that the safety of the cockpit nowadays is very high and this gives us the, you know when you see an accident like Mick’s, gives us a bit the tranquility that even at those speeds, the car is protecting you 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 can maybe hopefully push the walls a bit more further out and gives us a bit more space to slow down the car if we lose it like Mick lost it today.”
Despite the high safety standards of the cockpit in an F1 car which boosts driver confidence around high-speed circuits, the Ferrari driver believes it only takes a marginal error to cause a big shunt such as Mick Schumacher’s in qualifying. Suggesting that the walls in certain sections could be moved out a bit further, the Spaniard revealed that it will leave room for cars to slow down before they clip the barriers.
Carlos Sainz believes it is important to discuss safety and changes at Jeddah circuit
Although the Jeddah circuit was tweaked ahead of the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP, Ferrari drivers have raised concerns about the safety issues of the circuit. Earlier in the week, Carlos Sainz revealed that the driving line was too close to the wall and there was only a slight improvement in visibility. Speaking post-qualifying, the Spanish driver believed it was imperative to discuss the improvements to be made at the Jeddah circuits for future races.
Highlighting the need for discussion over safety issues at the Saudi circuit, the Ferrari driver said:
“It’s a discussion that we need to have because it’s probably a bit on the limit. And it’s exciting for Formula 1. It’s exciting for us, but it’s also on the limit.”
Along with Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and pole-sitter Sergio Perez, who were present in the post-qualifying conference, shared similar opinions concerning the safety issues of the circuit.
