Romain Grosjean has given his backing to the proposed Saudi Grand Prix after visiting the site last month.
The Haas driver was part of a group of current and former drivers and FIA officials at the launch of the Qiddiyah project near Riyadh, which is aiming to host its first Formula 1 race in 2023.
The circuit, rumoured to be longer than Spa-Francorchamps, is part of a much wider plan for the site which will essentially become a city in the desert and Grosjean is certainly excited by what he saw.
“I sincerely hope that the project will go ahead and that it will progress as it should,” he told Motorsport.
“The track [ex-F1 driver] Alex [Wurz] has designed is great. He knows what we like and what we don’t like. He’s lucky to have this close relationship with us, he comes to ask us questions.”
And Grosjean believes that interaction with other drivers can greatly improve the final design, in comparison to the ‘Tilkedromes’ F1 has become accustomed to.
“For example, we drove around in the simulator and there’s a corner he’s not sure about. I said: “About this one, I don’t know!” And he said he didn’t really know what to do with that corner. It’s great to talk about it, to share our opinions,” he added.
“We are the ones who are on the tracks, the ones who know what is good or not for overtaking and for the fun of it.
“When you look at golf, as soon as a new course is built, you go straight to a golf player to get his opinion. That’s not something that’s been done in Formula 1.
“Overall, the project is huge, super beautiful, and the place is extraordinary. I really hope there will be a Grand Prix,” Grosjean concluded.