Max wants old-school tracks back on calendar

Max Verstappen has said he would like to see some of the “old-school” circuits replace some of the current Formula 1 tracks.

Due to the global health pandemic, Formula 1 had to adapt with a revised, shortened calendar for 2020 which included some surprise venues such as Mugello, the Nurburgring, Portimao, Imola and Istanbul.

All five of those tracks have been very warmly welcomed by drivers and fans alike but sadly none, as of yet, are on the 23-race schedule for 2021.

There is a chance one of those hosts may stay on the calendar in 2021 due to the cancellation of the Vietnam race, creating an open date, but Verstappen would like to see many of these proper race tracks keep their place in Formula 1.

“We have had a few good races. Portimao was cool, I just hope we have a bit more grip if we would ever come back there,” Verstappen told reporters in Istanbul.

“Imola was nice, I think the track was very old-school.

“Nurburgring I also enjoyed so there are actually a few which could replace some grands prix we have on the calendar.

“I would go for Imola. It’s a bit more old-school, you are running with some corners all the way up to the gravel so if you would go too wide you’re off. Mugello was nice as well.

“But like I said it’s better to remove maybe a few of the ones we have now and then add these back in.”

Istanbul Park looks like a fast, enjoyable and interesting track. Let’s go find out! 🦁 #UnleashTheLion #KeepPushing #TurkishGP 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/gipCXvuIiN

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 13, 2020

Get your hands on the official Red Bull 2020 collection via the Formula 1 store

The thought of a record-breaking 23-race calendar in 2021 is not something that is appealing to many, especially to the teams who have to put themselves through the gruelling schedule.

Sebastian Vettel brought this particular point up when discussing next year’s plans and also wondered if Formula 1 is running the risk of becoming over-saturated.

“We have a large following, not just on track, but also on on the screens,” Vettel said.

“And at some point, obviously, you saturate and people probably don’t want to see another Formula 1 race on the weekend.

“But that’s not for me really to think about. I think far more important is whether the teams will be able to make 23 races because it’s quite a bit of an effort.

“It’s not just the one and a half hours you see on the Sunday, it’s a lot more work behind the scenes.”

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1, like our Facebook page and join us on Instagram!