Hamilton: 'I prefer historic circuits'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
No F1 driver won at as many different tracks as Lewis Hamilton. At no fewer than 31 different tracks, the Briton managed to finish on the top spot of the podium. So the seven-time world champion can draw comparisons between the diverse tracks around the world like no other.
With Las Vegas, another new circuit will enter the calendar this season, as more new tracks have been added in recent years. Therefore, space has to be made, and well-known circuits are disappearing from the Formula 1 calendar instead. It is possible that Spa-Francorchamps, for instance, will follow, of which it is unclear whether another Grand Prix will be held after this season.
'Likes change'
Lewis Hamilton likes the fact that Formula 1 is spreading its wings around the world. That means driving on new tracks, including often street circuits. "I like the change that we’re seeing. It’s exciting coming to different parts of the world and different circuits", Hamilton revealed to several media outlets, including France's AutoHebdo.
It is no secret that Hamilton would like to see a Grand Prix in Africa added to the F1 calendar. Possibly that will happen, as there is still hope in Kyalami that the right conditions will be met to join F1 as early as next season. At Kyalami, Formula 1 last operated in the 1990s. A circuit with history, then.
If it is up to Hamilton, such tracks will remain part of Formula 1. "Of course, I love all the older circuits and I will always prefer the older circuits. Maybe in 20 years, 30 years time, some kid will see [Miami] as a historic circuit but this is new for us. But all the old classics like Hungary and Silverstone and the Zandvoort circuit and Monza, they will always be special," Hamilton said.