Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel believes more Formula 1 circuits need cambered corners, reckoning they make driving and racing “more exciting”, opening up more lines for drivers.
Last time out at Mugello the cambered first corner at the circuit allowed cars to go side by side, with the outside line facilitating multiple overtakes throughout the race weekend.
Vettel praised Mugello’s characteristics and emphasised his support for cambered corners in comparison to some more modern venues that have off-camber turns.
“I think as a driver, you like cambered corners and you hate off-camber,” Vettel said. “This track wasn’t designed by [Hermann] Tilke, so there is not so much off-camber here.
“Normally the design reason for the off-camber is the water drainage, but I think there are other solutions.
“Therefore I will always favour corners that have camber, because they will lead to more grip. It makes it more exciting.”
With little asphalt run-off areas present at Mugello, mistakes during the lap were often costly as gravel and grass defined track limits at most corners.
Vettel supports drivers being punished harshly for a mistake, but highlighted that a balance must be struck between gravel and asphalt for safety reasons.
“I think as a driver you prefer the fact that if you go off, it gets penalised,” Vettel commented. “I think it makes things a lot more straightforward.
“But I think you have to balance also the gravel against the asphalt in terms of if things go wrong.
“Obviously I don’t know, there were a couple of incidents in the weekend, and you know, if you get it wrong, the gravel doesn’t really slow down the car.
“Maybe we can have, I don’t know, an intermediate solution where you have a gravel strip initially, and therefore there is no point to go wide, and after that have asphalt for the benefit of having less run off.
“Bring the spectators closer to the track, and make it safer for us so the cars slow down if you lose control or whatever.
“It’s not an easy one, but for sure with all the asphalt around in some tracks, it does take away the character and make it a bit too easy to do mistakes.”
