F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Masi warns drivers over track position antics in Jeddah qualifying

FIA race director Michael Masi has issued a warning to drivers ahead of Saturday's qualifying in Jeddah, instructing the field to avoid any attempt in the session to create a gap from Turn 23 to Turn 25.

While drivers have praised Saudi Arabia's new venue, many have singled out the complex of corners that precedes the fast left-hand sweep that leads to the track's final Turn 27.

In Friday's practice, several drivers slowed on their approach to Turn 23 in order to create a gap and enjoy a clean run on their following lap.

But the configuration of Turn 22 means that drivers risk catching up with a slower car on the exit of the blind corner, an issue that led to a few dodgy moments on Friday.

On Saturday, Masi published a note to teams warning drivers not to slow in the specific area.

"Any driver intending to create a gap in front of him in order to get a clear lap should not attempt to do this around turn 23 through to turn 25," stated the director's updated event note.

"Any driver seen to have done this will be reported to the stewards as being in breach of article 27.4 of the Sporting Regulations."

After Friday's practice, pacesetter Lewis Hamilton was enthused by Jeddah's track but also warned of potential traffic "danger zones".

"It's Monaco-esque: the speed - the closing distance on other cars - is definitely getting to a bit of a danger zone," said the Mercedes driver who will be gunning for his 103rd career pole in F1 on Saturday evening.

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Michael Delaney

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