Damon Hill expresses concerns about Formula 1’s current trajectory and the increasing use of twisty street circuits, advocating for traditional tracks to maintain the sport’s essence and performance standards.
Hill is not sure Formula 1 is heading in the right direction, especially with the proliferation of street circuits. The 1996 World Champion believes tracks should be less twisty to provide an ideal environment for the cars.
“I enjoy watching the sport. I like to follow the developments,” Hill stated. “What I would add to the Madrid announcement is that we have new engine regulations coming into effect and there’s talk about the difficulties they’ll have in extracting consistent performance from the cars.”
“This shift towards a tighter, more twisty circuit is therefore in line with Formula E, which has opted to run its races in city centers and on very restricted circuits, it must be said.”
“I hope then that this isn’t an indication of some concessions made on the fact that these cars will be less performant than they are today. With the Vegas race, we had a very annoyed Max Verstappen talking about the nature of the circuits and the type of circuits drivers like to race on.”
“But the fact is that Formula 1 must adapt to new requirements imposed on it from the point of view of car manufacturing, as well as governance that imposes correct environmental questions.”
“I hope it will be an exciting circuit and the most important thing is that the race is exciting and that the cars can race there, and then we will be happy.”
“We must keep Spa and others”
The Brit hopes Formula 1 won’t stray too far from traditional circuits, which he sees as the ideal playgrounds for the premier class of motorsport. While not against street circuits, he calls for well-thought-out layouts.
“You want variety and I think, all things considered, having a circuit near a major urban center is a good thing. Because it enhances the experience one can have at a Grand Prix. But we also need to keep Spa and others.”
“I mentioned Spa, of course, Spa was actually a city circuit. Roads that connected cities in the Ardennes. That’s how races originally took place and, in fact, many Formula 1 or motorsport races started on roads, which is not new.”
“Indeed, it’s a sort of tailor-made circuit within a city, but that’s how motor racing started and the specialized closed-loop circuits like Barcelona were actually a fairly recent invention.”
Hill Critiques F1 Direction: Twisty Street Circuits Explored. Hill Critiques F1 Direction: Twisty Street Circuits Explored
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