| Motorsport can be dangerous, as it says on the entrance ticket, but advances in safety systems have done an amazing job in keeping everyone as safe as possible. Following the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola in 1994, Formula 1 focused on better car and circuit safety. As a direct result, cornering speeds were reduced dramatically. Over time the cars have become faster again, the current breed being smothered in downforce. Exhilarating to watch, yet downright scary to see at, say, the first element of the Swimming Pool complex at Monaco. Blind entry, 100% commitment required – just pray nothing goes wrong there. Saudi Arabia’s new Jeddah Corniche Circuit reminds me of that. Not just one section, but entire swathes of the track. Which is fine – and F2 qualifying was a perfect example – when everyone is going fast. But in F1 qualifying, you don’t go fast all the time – if you’re doing two runs on a set of tyres, you must complete a slow lap to cool the tyres and recharge the batteries. With average lap speeds of almost 250kph between its walls, the speed differentials we saw between cars on fast laps in qualifying simulations and those touring on Friday were downright dangerous. And it’s only going to take one misstep to risk a huge consequence… The drivers and teams need to get on the same page ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session. By: Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief
Motorsport.com | 