Lewis Hamilton launches ‘no filter’ rant over below-par F1 circuits
Hamilton did not hold back with his thoughts
Lewis Hamilton has given his blunt thoughts on some of F1’s current tracks, with echoes of the Madring still ringing in his mind.
F1 tracks have changed massively over the years, but some of the current crop have failed to match expectations.
Lewis Hamilton lets rip at F1 fan event
The Baku City Circuit is widely regarded as one of the better additions to the F1 calendar, with last weekend’s event marking 10 years of visiting Azerbaijan.
However, not all tracks are looked on as kindly. Had it not been for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sochi would potentially still feature on the calendar, while China, Miami, and Abu Dhabi are among those held in high regard for their facilities, but less so for the track layouts.
But none have come in for anywhere close to the level of criticism that befell the Madring, which hosted F1 for the first time in September.
With only four overtakes – all of which were due either to an extreme difference in tyre delta or driver error – and no clear opportunities to even attempt a pass, the track was panned by both drivers and fans.
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Not letting up on this, and without directly naming the Madring, Hamilton did not hide his feelings when talking in the Baku fan zone alongside Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
“They’re making some of these tracks where you just cannot overtake, and it’s frustrating,” he said.
“I don’t know who’s designing them. Does anyone else here want to design a track?
“Yeah. I’m pretty certain there are lots of people here that would be able to do a better job than some of the ones we’ve got at the moment.”
Reacting to the somewhat stunned look of the on-stage host, Hamilton quickly added: “I’m sorry, I don’t have a filter. I don’t know where I’m supposed to get my filter from.”
Putting a lid on the topic and avoiding any further embarrassment for F1, Hamilton was told: “We don’t want you to have a filter, Lewis.
“We want our drivers to tell us how you really feel. That’s what’s so lovely about having you here.”
Hamilton went on to finish sixth in Baku, two positions behind Leclerc.
His title hopes effectively having already faded, Hamilton admitted to PlanetF1.com and others that he was “in no man’s land most of the time” in Baku.
Hamilton remains third in the Drivers’ standings, but heads for the Sepang-hosted Bahrain Grand Prix 103 points behind P1 Kimi Antonelli.
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