Sam Michael calls for F1 circuit changes
Following the result of the recent FIA survey, which said that more than 90 percent of Formula One fans want to see more overtaking, the sport's masterminds are giving this issue some serious thought. Sam Michael, Technical Director of WilliamsF1, regards track layouts as a crucial factor.
“The best two examples are Barcelona, being the worst, and probably Hockenheim being the best," he explains. “If you look at Hockenheim from turn two down to turn three it's an 80 kph corner followed by a 1.2 kilometer long straight and at the end of it is a 60 kph corner with a tarmac run-off. It is just what you want for overtaking. Barcelona by contrast is almost the same length straight but you come on to it at 240 kph and come off it at 130 kph and you don't see any overtaking at all."
“There's definitely a lot that can be done with circuit design, especially if you are designing all these new circuits at the moment. You still have to have special sections like the Esses at Suzuka or Eau Rouge at Spa. However, all circuits should have a section with one or two slow corners followed by a long straight, followed by another slow corner with tarmac runoff. That would help significantly," adds Michael. WilliamsF1