Lewis Hamilton has warned Formula 1 drivers are being left in the “danger zone” when negotiating their way through traffic at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
The inaugural running at the Jeddah circuit has exposed a major teething problem after the opening two practice sessions on Friday.
The circuits high-speed nature and blind apexes mean drivers completing hot laps were not aware they were approaching slower cars ahead of them until the last moment.
Due to the severe closing speeds between those on a fast lap and others waiting for a clear bit of track to start their own lap – there is concern it could lead to a big accident.
Hamilton, who was fastest in both practice sessions, was mindful of the difficult situation having encountered several slower cars throughout Friday’s running.
“That’s definitely a lot worse than a lot of places we get to – it’s Monaco-esque,” Hamilton said. “The closing speeds on other cars, is definitely getting to a bit of a danger zone.”
Aside from his concerns over traffic going into Saturday’s qualifying session, Hamilton said was blown away by the speed of the new track.
Asked what his initial impressions of the track were, Hamilton relied: “Rapid. Unbelievably quick. It really is incredibly fast and a lot of grip as well. But really nice. Once you get the rhythm, it is a beautiful track.”
Although Hamilton topped the timesheets in Jeddah, the seven-time world champion admits Mercedes has “work to do” on its single-lap pace.
“We’re not rapid on the single lap, I would say, compared to the others, but the long run is not too bad,” Hamilton said.
“We made some changes between sessions. I’m not sure which one I want to stay with.
“We’ll study through tonight and work with the guys at the factory to try and make sure we come up with the right setup tomorrow. It is definitely not in a bad place.
“I think as I said on a single lap they [Red Bull] are quite quick, so we’ve got a bit of work to do.”
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