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F1 News
Drivers unhappy with Mistral straight chicane
Plenty of drivers have voiced their opinions about the chicane that punctures the Mistral straight, with the consensus being that they would rather it wasn’t there.
There is argument that if the chicane was to be removed, not only would there be more overtaking chances on the straight, but it would force teams into using more downforce, which would in turn create better racing.
Force India’s Sergio Perez said: "We asked Charlie [Whiting] about this to improve the overtaking, to improve the show, and make it more interesting.
"The best race we've had up to now this year has been in Baku, and all the tracks should be taking some direction from that. The circuit is challenging, it pushes the drivers for mistakes."
No changes can be made to the track now, but it is definitely a potential alteration for next year’s race.
Brendon Hartley added: “I've tested and raced without the chicane.
"It makes things interesting because it's less downforce with the long straight line, Turn 10 becomes more of a corner, and so does the last sector with less downforce.
“Maybe it's a discussion point for next year. The good news is here there are plenty of options."