In the round-up: Sebastian Vettel says he would get more enjoyment from driving some of America’s classic permanent circuits than the Miami International Autodrome.
In brief
“I’d love to go to proper tracks” in the US – Vettel
Vettel, who made his Formula 1 debut at the 2007 US Grand Prix, said the country “has fantastic race circuits with incredible history” that he’d like to sample.
He called attention to the Road America circuit in Wisconsin, which IndyCar races at, as one venue he is keen to try, which he believes would be more exciting than Miami’s track.
“Going to Road America, for certainly the money that was spent to build this could have easily, you know, brought the standard up in great places, like Road America. And from a driving point of view, I think they would be a lot more thrilling.”
However he acknowledged the Miami’s circuit offers “a very different interest” for fans. “Racing in the cities is exciting because people are already there. You don’t need to excite the people, because in the first place, they are already close.”
“From a fan point of view I think that’s difficult for me to judge because the last time I sat on the grandstand to watch the race was in 2001,” he added, “So, a long time ago, and yeah, every fan is different. So it’s more for the fans in a way to decide.
“But certainly from a racing and driving thrill, I’d love to go to proper tracks.”
Pirelli spared effects of global supply disruption
Formula 1’s official tyre supplier Pirelli has not suffered the supply chain problems which have affected some other manufacturers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However the tyre maker’s head of motorsport Mario Isola said they are experiencing high demand at the moment.
“The real issue is that after Covid all the championships started again and a lot of championships increase in the number of entries,” Isola explained. “So we have a very high request of tyres. We produce the tyres…