Max Verstappen has been proclaimed world champion for the second time and consecutively in 2022a year that has had a new urban circuit, something that is not to the liking of the Dutchman despite his good results.
The Red Bull driver, in statements to his country’s ‘Formule 1’, has made his position very clear regarding the grand prix dispute in so many urban circuits: “There should be fewer races on urban circuitsThey were still acceptable with the old cars, but now, with Formula 1 cars they’re not really made for those places. I don’t like these circuits anymore“.
“In Monaco and Singapore I was very disappointed for how the new F1 cars behaved with the layout. They are too heavy and stiff. Cars just aren’t made for that,” he added.
Precisely, the two circuits that the Dutchman mentions are the two urban tracks in which he could not take victory, being the first position in both races for his teammate Sergio Perez. He did win in the remaining urban ones (Jeddah, Miami and Baku), but that does not change his opinion: “Street courses are fun for photographers, not for racing”.
2023, the year with the most urban circuits
Despite the opinion of the winner of the last two World Cups, the direction of Formula 1 goes in the opposite direction. For many years, Monaco has been the urban circuit par excellence and the only representative of this type of layout in the ‘Grand Circus’. As of 2008, Singapore accompanied him, but over the years they have ended up being more.
What were unique and strange circuits that appeared on the calendar have gradually become commonplace. To those already mentioned Monaco and Singapore, joined by Baku, Jeddah and Miami. And this year a new urban race will arrive in the United States, specifically in Las Vegas, to add a total of 6 urban circuitsthe year that more in the history of Formula 1.
And in the future, more are expected
Formula 1’s search for new layouts focuses on these street circuit models. Since the entry of Baku in 2016, four of the seven grands prix that have appeared on the Formula 1 calendar are urban (those used in substitutions during the pandemic do not count).
Only Losail, Imola and Zandvoort are saved from the new trend in the ‘Great Circus’. And the countries that yearn to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix want to bet on this model. Madrid plans to make an urban circuit in IFEMA and Morocco is also working on entering as a race with the Marrakech circuitalso urban and which has already hosted Formula E races.
Formula 1 is expanding and the new circuits that are appearing are urban, which are already the future of Formula 1, although Max Verstappen doesn’t like that.