1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill has revealed that he is worried about the new race track in Saudi Arabia which will host its first race this weekend. Billed as the fastest street track in the world, with cars achieving speeds in excess of 320 kmph and the average being upwards of 250 kmph, it is set to be the second-fastest track after Monza. The issue here is that it is a street circuit with almost no run-off area and walls like the Indianapolis track with some banked corners to add jeopardy.
"The track we're going to discover, I think it's going be a big challenge, by the looks of things," Hill told the F1 Nation podcast.
"I'm a bit worried about the speed. I mean, 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 gonna be very high speed and not much run-off. So [it's] high-risk, high jeopardy. That always gets your attention as a racing driver," added the former world champion.
Damon Hill is best known for his battles with Michael Schumacher in the mid 90s
The jury is out on who this track will suit as traditionally street circuits have been the specialty of the Red Bull Honda, with both Perez and Verstappen taking wins at Baku and Monaco. Verstappen would've won at Baku had not had the late tyre blowout. But off late after Hamilton's Mercedes received the new engine, he has been prodigious in high-speed tracks like Brazil and Qatar.
"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," Hill added.
Verstappen is just 8 points ahead of Hamilton. If Verstappen wins the race and Hamilton fails to finish in the top 6, the Dutchman will be crowned world champion. On the flip side, if Hamilton wins and Verstappen comes 2nd, then both could be tied for points provided the fastest lap for the Briton, which would make the season finale in Abu Dhabi a humdinger.
