Four-times world champion, Lewis Hamilton wants to race in tracks that offer him the driving challenges he faces during his early single-seater career.
The reigning world champion is one of many drivers that call for better tracks, in terms of driving and the overtaking opportunities. The Briton, highlighted the problem in the season finale at Abu Dhabi in 2017. Formula 1 is currently searching for solutions to improve racing with better tracks.
Now Hamilton, calls for circuit characteristics like those he faced early in his career, when the massive run-off areas weren’t a usual phenomenon.
The FIA have done an amazing job, but they’ve really got to stop with these run-off areas – you shouldn’t be able to cut a corner like you see [drivers doing]. What I love about the olden days – of course you don’t want to crash, but if you go wide you’ve got to lose time. Now you can approach a corner knowing that if you go in five percent too much you can go wide and come back on. I don’t love that. I used to love Oulton Park and Donington. Donington, Old Hairpin was a nightmare – you have to come off the brakes and run the speed in, use the downforce. Then up the hill and the second right before the back straight – you can’t even see the white line. There is white line and then gravel and the gravel sucks you off. Oh man! Finding the limit there, that corner is way harder than all the corners in F1. Coppice. That’s the sort of corner F1 is missing. If we had that back in F1, it would bring another level to the challenge.
The new for 2017 cars brought back a lot of excitement for Hamilton, who chose circuits like Spa, CoTA, Silverstone and Suzuka as his favorites with the greater aero performance and grip.
The high-speed corners this year have been, phwoar. Pouhon at Spa; the best corners of the season are generally Austin [Turns] 3-4-5-6-7 – they are awesome. Silverstone, Copse and then Maggotts and Becketts; Suzuka Esses – they are the special ones. For some reason Austin is the best set-up because there are different lines you can take within that. Suzuka it is very hard to have a different line and race. That’s why I love Austin. It’s one of my favourite tracks, actually, and I don’t like new tracks usually.
