George Russell Frustrated Over FIA Inaction on Saudi GP Visibility Issue
George Russell has voiced his growing frustration with the FIA after another year of what he believes is a safety issue being overlooked at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver, who had a difficult race in Jeddah, finishing in fifth place after being overtaken late by McLaren’s Lando Norris, highlighted a track-related problem he says he’s brought up multiple times—only to be ignored.
While tyre degradation was a notable issue during the race, it wasn’t Russell’s primary concern post-race. Speaking during a segment on Sky Sports F1 with analyst Karun Chandhok, the British driver drew attention to a poorly lit section of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Using the SkyPad, Russell pointed out a corner where the lighting is significantly uneven, leaving the right-hand side of the track in near-total darkness.
“As you come into the corner, it gets really dark on the right-hand side,” Russell explained, using on-screen footage to make his point. “You can see how bright it is on the left. The lights are shining, but there’s nothing illuminating the other side. It’s just pitch black against the wall.”
This, according to Russell, creates a potentially dangerous situation for drivers. Given that Formula 1 cars travel at extremely high speeds and drivers rely on consistent visibility—especially in street circuits lined with walls and tight corners—any inadequacy in lighting could increase the risk of errors or even accidents.
What’s most frustrating for Russell is not just the existence of the issue, but how long it’s been neglected. When asked whether he planned to report the problem to the FIA once again, Russell revealed that he already had—repeatedly.
“I’ve mentioned it for about three years now,” he said bluntly. “Nothing’s really changed.”
His comments hint at a deeper frustration some drivers occasionally feel with the sport’s governing body, especially when safety or track design concerns aren’t addressed promptly. While the FIA does conduct inspections and receives feedback from teams and drivers, changes to track infrastructure often require coordination with local organizers, which can delay solutions.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit, first introduced to the calendar in 2021, has frequently drawn mixed feedback from the drivers. While praised for its high-speed layout and dramatic visuals, it has also been criticized for limited run-off areas and visibility issues due to its street circuit nature. Russell’s complaint about inconsistent lighting adds to the growing list of concerns associated with the venue.
Despite his frustrations, Russell is still having a relatively solid season. He currently sits fourth in the drivers’ championship standings—straddling the gap between those competing for podiums and those just trying to stay within the top ten. Although not yet mounting a serious title challenge, he’s consistently scored points and remains competitive, just as close to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri ahead as he is to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc behind.
However, it’s incidents like this that show how even the best drivers can feel powerless when off-track concerns are left unaddressed. Russell is not known for complaining without reason—he’s one of the more articulate and technically aware drivers on the grid, and his concerns tend to carry weight among peers. That makes it all the more disappointing, from his perspective, that the issue hasn’t been acted upon.
FIA regulations stipulate certain minimum lighting standards for night races and street circuits, but Russell’s observations suggest that what meets technical requirements on paper may not be sufficient in practice. It also raises the broader question of how responsive the FIA should be to repeated concerns from drivers—especially when the feedback is so specific and well-documented.
With Formula 1’s focus increasingly turning toward safety, sustainability, and long-term calendar planning, incidents like this could pressure race organizers and the FIA to reassess circuit lighting layouts. Whether or not Russell’s three-year campaign will finally lead to improvements in Jeddah remains to be seen.
For now, the Mercedes driver will shift focus to the upcoming races, hoping to build on his solid points tally and push closer to the frontrunners. But if nothing else, his comments have shone a light—ironically—on one of the darker corners of the F1 calendar.
