Lando Norris harshly criticized the layout of the Madring after the Spanish Formula 1 GP in Madrid and pointed out changes that could improve the races. For the McLaren driver, some changes would be simple to implement.
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The Briton finished the race in third position, but the event had few overtakes, with only four recorded besides the stronger battles on the first lap. Norris directed his main criticisms at the last sector and advocated changes to the circuit design.
“There are some obvious changes they should make. They should remove turns 18 and 19. Useless! Just have a longer straight to a hairpin,” Norris told the press. The British driver also questioned the choice of the layout during planning: “I don’t know how anyone looks at this design and says: ‘Perfect’,” he said.
Despite the criticisms, Norris sees potential in the circuit. After securing pole on Saturday and finishing on the podium on Sunday, he said that the Madring could become a better place for racing if his suggestions are considered: “There are many opportunities. I think they can turn it into a good racing track, and I’m excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes,” he added.
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Other drivers also pointed out problems in the layout design, especially in the combination of turns 5 and 6. Oliver Bearman and George Russell considered this area a flaw that facilitates defense and makes overtaking difficult, while Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen agreed that the section offers more risk of contact and wall crashes than opportunities for clean battles.
Norris suggested a straight between turns 17 and 20, with a wider entry to a hairpin, comparing the idea to turns 1 or 10 in Austin. He acknowledged that the sequence of turns 5, 6, and 7 would be more complicated to modify, but insisted that other changes would be relatively simple: “There are some simple, easy changes, and maybe others more complicated. I hope they do it,” he concluded.
