It has become the fastest urban track in the world, but also one of the ones that has provoked the most criticism in its two years in Formula 1. The time has come for the Jeddah Corniche circuit for a major renovation before the start of the 2023 academic year. Months away from the Saudi Arabian GP, which will be held from March 17 to 19, the track is already undergoing some necessary works after the many comments from teams and drivers who spoke of a narrow path with poor visibility in certain blind curves.
It is true that the track already underwent changes last March 2022 but, although the intention was to improve those points, They turned out to be rare. Jeddah Corniche immerses itself in some larger works, with the aim of continuing to improve the safety of the drivers, making a wider track, remodeling the curbs and with greater visibility in its curves. In fact, one of the biggest changes will come in the left-right links, located in turns 22 and 23, Known for their high speed. The changes have already made it necessary to drop some 50 km/h in its path, with the placement of a fence and a beveled piano. Turns 14 and 20, two of the fastest blind turns on the track, have also undergone changes: the walls have been moved to improve vision and make the track wider (They have moved 7.5 and 5 meters, respectively). The same in turns 8 and 10, where the movement of the walls has increased visibility.
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Finally, the organization has also decided to add beveled curbs at turns 4, 8, 10, 11, 17 and 23, but also ‘rumble lines’ at turns 3, 14, 19, 20 and 21. It is a sticker on the ground, similar to the one used on highways to warn drivers that they are out of their lane. With these measures, the objective is to warn and prevent the pilots from leaving the track and, in the event that it happens, that they can slow down the march to gain safety.
