1996 Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has expressed concern over the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The track will host the very first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, after the gulf nation secured a long-term agreement with F1.
With an expected average speed of 252km/h, the track is on course to be the fastest street circuit on the calendar.
Organisers have expressed that it anticipates cars will peak at 322km/h between the flat-out sections of Turns 25 to 27.
But Hill says that the track poses a high-risk for drivers due to the little run-off area that is present.
“The track, we’re going to discover, it’s going to be a big challenge by the looks of things,” Hill said, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast. “I’m a bit worried about the speed. There’s not much run-off.
“They’ve got the SAFER barrier that they’re using, which is like they do in Indianapolis, but it’s going to be very high speed and not much run-off.
“So high-risk, high jeopardy. That always gets your attention as a racing driver.”
This weekend marks the first opportunity this season for Max Verstappen to claim his maiden F1 title, but momentum appears to be with Mercedes, who has won the last two grands prix.
However, Hill says it is too difficult to know if the circuit will suit Red Bull or Mercedes ahead of the weekend.
“It’s a very difficult one to judge, because it’s such an unusual-looking track,” he stated. “I compared it to possibly like Baku, and I was told off by Ross Brawn who said, ‘No, no, it’s not like that at all. It’s a completely different type of track. It’s got banked corners and stuff’.
“Some of the sweeps look quite long, so I’m racking my brains – I think it could be a cross between something like Singapore and Baku.”
“I think it’s great that nobody knows where they’re going. This is a completely unknown place, an unknown track.
“It’s at that crucial point in the championship. This is going to be so important for the championship, this race coming up.”
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