Mick Schumacher’s horror crash casts doubt on Jeddah’s course

The crash happened completely unexpectedly. In the middle of his fast lap in the second part of qualifying, Mick Schumacher didn’t get turn eleven properly, sped over the curbs and lost traction – at 254 kilometers per hour. They were shocking images that took your breath away. Luckily for the 23-year-old, the Haas car spun and hit the concrete wall sideways rather than head-on. Because Jeddah is a narrow city circuit, there are no run-off areas and the track is narrow on both sides.

“It’s brutal here. Insane. I have a heart rate of 200 all the time. That’s just incredibly fast. You’re just in a concrete tunnel and everything flies past you,” said Nico Hulkenberg, who was the substitute driver for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin was in use.

Mick Schumacher: Redemptive message from the ambulance

For an agonizing time it was not clear whether and how Mick Schumacher had survived the accident. The TV director initially did not show a repetition of the crash. The cameras only transmitted images from a long distance, so that no details could be recognized. The only thing you saw: Schumacher’s car was completely destroyed and partially torn apart. The anxious wait for information was made worse by the fact that the Haas team had lost radio contact. After an accident, it is often the case that pilots report on the radio and give the first all-clear signal that they are at least conscious. That was just silence.

Finally, the redeeming message came from the ambulance: Schumacher was conscious and was driven to the medical center. The first examination did not reveal any external injuries, it was said that he was fine so far. Schumacher has already phoned mother Corinna, reported Haas team boss Günther Steiner. He was then flown by helicopter to a clinic for further testing. The doctors let him go again late on Saturday evening. “I just wanted to say that I’m fine,” the 23-year-old later wrote about a selfie from the hotel room that he published on Instagram.

Nevertheless, Schumacher will miss the second race of the season. His team signed him off, which seems pretty reasonable. Despite the high level of safety and the life-saving monocoque, a crash at a speed of 260 kilometers per hour should not leave a Formula 1 driver unaffected. Team-mate Kevin Magnussen will be alone on the hunt for points on Sunday evening. The race starts at 19:00 CEST.

Pilots want to keep talking about Jeddah

After the accident, a debate about the safety of the course quickly flared up. The organizers and the world motorsport association Fia have to ask themselves again whether the fastest street circuit in Formula 1 is simply too dangerous. At the premiere four months ago, driver spokesman George Russell said the course was unsafe. At that time, Formula 1 raced around the track at an average speed of 254 kilometers per hour. At the same time, the high track limits to which Schumacher fell victim are a thorn in the side of many. The debate is also fueled by rocket attacks. Houthi rebels fired on a nearby oil facility owned by Formula 1 sponsor Aramco on Friday.

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The drivers discussed for more than four hours whether they would even compete in qualifying and the race. Then they allowed themselves to be persuaded by further security guarantees from the authorities. But that’s not the end of the matter.

The drivers signaled further need for speech after the Grand Prix. “What happened in these 24 hours is definitely a reason for discussions and reflections that we have to do with a view to the future,” said Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. Superstar Lewis Hamilton confessed: “I’ll be happy when I’m back home.”