Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has bemoaned the loss of “character” at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after it was resurfaced prior to pre-season testing.
Though the cold conditions far from helped, the new tarmac was a factor teams and tyre supplier Pirelli had to consider in the build-up to the first test with the Spanish circuit known as one of the most technical and most tyre hungry venues that F1 visits.
Now, however, the Mercedes driver claims a lot of its difficulty has been erased due to the change in surface despite only a limited number of laps.
“In all honesty, this track has got easier,” he said after setting the fastest time on Thursday. “Driving it today has been the easiest it’s been in the whole 10 years I’ve been driving.”
Also Read:
- New tarmac has “changed the characteristics” of Barcelona track – Hulkenberg
- Mercedes doubt tyre performance will be representative in testing
The reason for the resurfacing was to accommodate MotoGP as the future of the race there was uncertain with riders unhappy at the ripples in the braking zones caused by F1 cars.
However, the Briton sees changing the tarmac as a waste of money and is frustrated when others complain about the bumpiness of a circuit.
“I like a track that is a bit more dated in terms of surface,” he stated. “You’re going through a corner and the car starts moving a bit more, you have to be a bit more responsive. I like that challenge.
“That’s where the character of a circuit is,” Hamilton added. “You flatten it all out and it’s got a bunch of corners but it’s missing something.
“When you smooth it out, you make it easier and you lose a lot of the character that a track like Barcelona has.”
