Formula 1 is testing whether video screens can be used to help address the problem drivers have encountered with poor visibility at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Last year several drivers complained the track’s combination of fast corners and barriers made it difficult to see far ahead in place, raising safety concerns. Some barriers have been altered for the second event at the circuit this weekend but drivers suspect this will make little difference.The increased size of front wheels on F1 cars this year has added to the visibility problem. In an effort to address it, video screens have been set up at points around the circuit to relay images of the track ahead to drivers.
Lando Norris is unsure how well the step-up will work. “It’s such a quick section, it’s not like you have a lot of time to look at a TV screen and see what’s going on.
“We’ll see. If it is good, then I’m sure we’ll try to implement it.”
Mercedes driver George Russell said the approach could have applications on other street circuits F1 visits if it proves a success.
“We’ll have to test it and see and we’ll only get the feedback once we get out there,” he said. “Sometimes solutions like this that work really well, sometimes not so well.
“We know the difficulties of visibility of a subject like this, and I think the more the FIA can do to help us is only going to be beneficial. So I can’t comment quite at this moment, but it could be quite intriguing implementation.
“If it works potentially we’ll see it in Baku, Monaco, Singapore. If it reduces the danger, risk and improves safety for all of us then why not?”
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Jere (@jerejj)
25th March 2022, 13:06
Just straight-line certain sections like the 17-22 one among some others (at least 3, 11-12, & 15 if not the entire 13-16 portion) for future Jeddah events.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
25th March 2022, 13:23
@jerejj I think the reason they haven’t & likely won’t is because they seem obsessed with marketing points such as the track been the fastest/longest street circuit with more corners than anything else on the calender.
I think a lot of the promotion goes on about it been a record breaking circuit with 27 corners of action that makes it a greater challenge than anywhere else. Or some such utter nonsense.
Erzen (@xenn1)
25th March 2022, 13:26
@jerejj but then how is Saudi Arabia going to have the circuit with the most corners in the F1 calendar? Because you see, women have curves and the curvier a circuit the more women the country can show because you know, women have so many rights in Saudi Arabia. So the circuit needs to have more corners because we need to know about all the advancements in women’s rights that Saudi Arabia is doing, like for example *check’s notes* allowing women over 21 to go to the doctor’s without needing to ask their male guardian for permission. So you see, corners are important because they show women’s right in Saudi Arabia. Because Saudi Arabia for sure definitely is giving women some rights. You can see that by how many corners the cirucit has.
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
25th March 2022, 13:07
So drivers will be looking at screens rather than the track? Sounds safe.
Erzen (@xenn1)
25th March 2022, 13:21
@gardenfella72 The screen would be placed on the barrier on the inside of the corner entry, right in the driver’s line of sight. I don’t like the fact that we’re racing in Saudi Arabia just as much as the next guy, but maybe it’s impossible to move the barriers any further in on specific corners? So just because they’re coming up with creative solutions it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad idea. *sigh*
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
25th March 2022, 13:32
@xenn1 I’m all for creative solutions but this one is ridiculous
Erzen (@xenn1)
25th March 2022, 13:43
@gardenfella72 then tell me what solution is there that does not involve not racing at the circuit or not building another circuit, i’m all ears
steve
25th March 2022, 14:12
not racing at the circuit sounds like a great solution to me!
or rebuild the barriers.
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
25th March 2022, 14:24
@xenn1 not trying to replicate Suzuka with walls, perhaps. The S-section walls need moving way back, like they were at the ‘Singapore sling’ chicane, like they are at the chicanes in Monaco and Canada, like they are at every other street track.
The problem with screens is that they can break, freeze, show incorrect information, and I don’t want to see a driver going full-speed into what the screen showed as clear only to find a car slowed/stopped on track.
Having a Maggots-Beckets style complex with three blind apexes is a recipe for disaster and it has no place on the calendar.
Erzen (@xenn1)
25th March 2022, 16:55
Yeah that boat sailed the second the circuit design was signed off. There’s literally not enough space to move some of the walls further back and for some of the work that the FIA requested be done there was no time to do it between last year’s race and this year’s event. So, that’s that, we can only hope there’s significant and proper improvements in time for the race next year.
It might happen but it happens rarely enough that it wouldn’t be an issue. Both the sport and tech for it are advanced enough, furthermore, a screen that might fail once in 3 years is better than no screen at all.
MacLeod (@macleod)
25th March 2022, 13:24
@gardenfella72 As driver you see more then the track so then can see both at the same time. As they approad the turn the overview is the screen and the turn and is easy to do BUT if you in the turn and then see the screen that is not going to work as you to close then you have to shift your view to one to the other.
Apophis (@apophisjj)
25th March 2022, 13:08
So many stupid unnecessary things done in order to make this “circuit” look like it’s F1 rated when you could have just chosen a proven classic circuit that everybody loves. But hey, money talks…
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
25th March 2022, 13:16
During F2 practice there were 2 accidents/red flags but something that really stood out to me after the 1st was that you had a driver staying in the car, Not really moving that much with the TV director sticking to wider shots & not showing replays (Usually a sign they don’t know the drivers condition) with it taking minutes before anybody got to the car to check on him.
The medical car has to drive from pit exit so that will obviously take a bit of time to drive to a crash site but the track workers were showing no urgency to come through the barrier to check on the driver, They were all just standing behind it. And even after the 2nd crash later on it was left to the driver to try & find a working fire extinguisher & spray the rear of the car.
I get maybe the track workers have been told not to go onto an active track given the speed & visibility issues, But after the 1st crash the track was red flagged & safe in terms of no cars passing the crash site for a few minutes yet still there was no urgency again despite a driver sitting in the car & not really moving all that much.
It just really stood out to me given how quick to get to cars & how much urgency track workers show elsewhere.
Forrest Gump (@forrestgump)
25th March 2022, 14:48
The 6 or 8 photographers sure didn’t have any trouble getting to the fence about 3 feet away from the 1st F2 crash, with the first photographer on the scene within seconds!
Qeki (@qeki)
25th March 2022, 13:22
If they would put flags there then it might make a difference
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
25th March 2022, 14:28
@qeki are marshals posts (and flags) within sight of each other all around the track. The problem at Jeddah is that they’re all on the outside of the track, which sometimes puts them on the wrong side to be in the driver’s eyeline.
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
25th March 2022, 14:48
*there are
@keithcollantine is there any chance of introducing an “edit post” function?
Olivier
25th March 2022, 14:33
Wouldn’t it be safer to have a screen that is green, blinking red, or orange to indicate that all is safe? Right now, the driver has got to look at live video feed, and interpret the video while keeping an eye on the track itself.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
25th March 2022, 19:28
What a ridiculous non-solution.
David BR (@david-br)
25th March 2022, 23:17
If they stick neon balloons on the cars with long strings, the drivers should be able to spot them above the barriers.