Formula 1 is confident Turkey’s Istanbul circuit will be in better shape as compared to the event which took place in the 2020 Formula One season.
Taking into consideration the new covid era of several race cancellations, Formula 1 is heading back to Turkey next weekend amid memories of the treacherous state of the newly resurfaced track.
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen summed up the unusually slippery nature of the 2020 asphalt with one word: “Sh*t” – while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll added: “The surface was just so much worse than anywhere else we’ve been to all year in terms of grip.”
However, Michael Masi, the FIA Formula One Race Director, Safety Delegate, Permanent Starter and head of the F1 Technical Department, confirms that the situation should not represent an issue this time:
“We have informed the racing teams that we have treated the surface in a special way so that it builds up more grip,” he said, as reported by Speed Week.
Part of that treatment involved blasting the slippery surface with water.
“In Singapore, parts of the circuit were freshly surfaced over and over again and then treated accordingly and there were no problems. In 2020, the timing just wasn’t quite right in Turkey, but this season is very different.” – Michael Masi concluded.
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