Lewis Hamilton has voiced his frustration with modern Formula 1 circuit design, arguing that some tracks are being created in a way that makes overtaking almost impossible. The seven-time world champion addressed the subject during a live stage appearance at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, where his comments quickly turned into a wider criticism of the direction taken by some recent venues.
Hamilton did not identify a particular circuit, but he made clear that he finds it frustrating when drivers arrive at layouts where passing opportunities are severely restricted. The Ferrari driver also questioned the quality of some recent designs, joking that people in the Baku audience might be capable of producing better circuits than some of those Formula 1 has introduced.
Lewis Hamilton raises the issue of overtaking in modern F1
The timing of the Briton’s remarks inevitably brought Madrid’s new Madring circuit into focus. The venue made its Formula 1 debut with the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix after being presented as a major new hybrid street circuit, but its first race produced significant concerns over overtaking.
The project carried a reported construction cost of €83.2 million, yet the 57-lap Spanish Grand Prix produced only nine on-track overtakes. According to the figures cited in the original account, Monaco was the only race on the 2026 calendar with fewer, producing three passes.
The problem was not simply the number of overtakes. Drivers also struggled to convert major tyre advantages into successful moves. Oscar Piastri spent several laps behind Franco Colapinto despite running medium tyres that were 28 laps fresher, illustrating how difficult it could be to make progress even with a substantial performance advantage.
Madring layout comes under scrutiny after Spanish GP
Particular attention fell on the chicane sequence at Turns 5 and 6, where the geometry made it extremely difficult for two Formula 1 cars to negotiate the section side by side without risking contact. The issue has already prompted discussion about changes for the following season, with plans being considered to widen parts of the chicane for 2027.
The difficulty of creating passing opportunities at the Madrid venue has become a wider talking point. A separate examination of how one Madring corner failed to deliver the overtaking opportunity originally intended highlighted the challenge of translating an ambitious circuit concept into effective wheel-to-wheel racing.
Further questions also surround how much the layout can realistically be modified. Madring’s original designer has explained that physical restrictions around the venue limited some of the ideas considered during development, while major changes to the circuit for 2027 may therefore remain restricted.
Hamilton embraces a more outspoken approach
Back in Baku, the reaction from the crowd encouraged Lewis Hamilton to continue with his candid assessment. After recognising how blunt his comments had become, the Ferrari driver acknowledged that he was speaking without much of a filter.
The stage host responded positively to that openness, indicating that Formula 1 fans wanted drivers to express what they genuinely thought rather than soften their views. Hamilton’s comments therefore went beyond one particular circuit, raising a broader question about how Formula 1 balances visually distinctive city venues with layouts capable of producing close racing and genuine overtaking opportunities.
Madrid provided the most recent example of that debate. After a race in which even large tyre offsets did not always create realistic passing chances, Hamilton’s criticism in Baku placed renewed attention on whether future Formula 1 circuit projects are giving enough priority to the racing itself.
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