F1 News: Spanish GP Changes Leaves Drivers Divided - "Not Looking Forward To It At All"
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has axed its final chicane. So, the Spanish Grand Prix track will be reverted to its initial final-sector layout, introducing a faster finale to the lap. Drivers have been giving their verdict on the change, with it proving to have a mixed response from the grid.
Several drivers were asked of their thoughts on the changes during the post-race interviews in Monaco this weekend. One of those was seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who is welcoming the changes to the iconic track, he explained:
“Oh yes, I never liked that chicane. I never liked it, and now we will come out of Turn 12, and we’ll probably be flat through the last two corners, it’s going to be great for our necks, great for tyre wear and yes, it’s going to be pretty fun.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris on the other hand is not so keen on the news, pointing out that he feels it will be much more "physical on the neck", although he does hope that it will make for better racing. He commented:
“Yeah, even more physical on the neck. So I’m not looking forward to it at all. Whether it’s going to make better racing or not, I hope so!
“It’s a tricky last corner, to be honest, it’s not going to be flat-out.
“Might become more of a management race, even more than what it is, and it’s already a huge management race. We’ll see, maybe it pushes everyone to do more one-stop, two-stop kind of thing.
Williams driver Alex Albon hopes that the change will make it a bit easier to overtake. He explained:
“Get rid of the low-speed corners, and we’ll be good. I think we’ll be OK. I hope the racing is better, we need a circuit where we can overtake.”