02/02/2011
NEWS STORY
Mike Gascoyne has echoed the sentiments of millions of F1 fans, complaining that there are a growing number of tracks on the calendar that are about opulence and spectacle rather than racing.
As Bernie Ecclestone continues to fantasise about F1 on the streets of New York, Paris and London, fans (and drivers) are frustrated by street tracks such as Valencia and Abu Dhabi, not to mention the host of last season's opening snorefest, Bahrain.
As the sport seeks ever more ways to increase overtaking, Lotus design guru Gascoyne, like many fans, believes that it is the circuits which are to blame.
"You can make an argument that says, 'we had a cracking season last year and why would you want to change anything?'," the Englishman told Reuters. "Then you could say, 'yes but we had three or four incredibly boring races'.
"If on certain circuits you have cracking races every year then why don't we stop going to boring racing circuits?" he asked. "The shame is that, Monaco apart, a lot of the races now that are really boring are the all purpose designed tracks built in deserts where you could have done absolutely anything that you want.
"Bahrain and Abu Dhabi were the two most boring races," he continued. "It's pretty disappointing that you've got two massively boring races on circuits where you had literally carte blanche to do anything you liked. You could have had elevation change or moved sand wherever you want it."
While Ecclestone and Hermann Tilke are unlikely to listen to the common sense being uttered by Gascoyne, many fans remain confused (appalled?) by the latest gimmick being introduced as an artificial means of spicing up the action, the movable rear wing. Gascoyne is waiting to see how things develop.
"I think the governing body has to be willing to change how it's implemented to ensure that it works in the way it's meant to," he said. "Very often we've done things like this and they've done more harm than good."