F1 drivers voice concerns over changes to “old-school” Monza circuit

A host of drivers have been left unimpressed by the changes to one of Formula 1’s “old-school” tracks, Monza.

While the resurfacing of the circuit will be the most eye-catching feature over the course of the weekend, there have also been changes made to kerbs, with the profile of some being altered and others being installed from scratch.

Even though no F1 cars have run on the altered layout as of yet, Daniel Ricciardo cast his eye over the new-look Monza after arriving at the track on Thursday morning.

“They’ve changed the kerbs. I went around the track this morning. I can’t say I’m that impressed because I think some elements have lost some of the character of the circuit,” said Ricciardo.

“Obviously, a lot of you have been following F1 even longer than me and maybe it’s just as a driver, because we drive it and experience it, so maybe it makes sense to us, I don’t know if it makes sense to the outside.

“But kerbs and things like this…they make a circuit unique, and when you just kind of put some flat kerbs and stuff, like second chicane, so turn five, you get over the kerb and then there was like a thin concrete strip and then gravel.

“[In the past] you’d always just try and run your wheels on that little bit of concrete and use all the track, but not too much.

“It’s quite bumpy as well. I think it was kind of old-school and now that’s gone. We haven’t driven it yet but the resurfacing looks great. The asphalt looks really nice, but the kerbs, I’m a bit disappointed in.”

Changes made to the kerbs include Variante Ascari and, while Ricciardo – who revealed the drivers had not been consulted on the new look – feels the races could potentially improve as a result, he remains unhappy with the tinkering with the fabled chicane.

“It’s very flat now, so ultimately, because we can use so much more kerb probably, it’s going to be wider and easier to be flat than through nine and ten,” he explained.

“I don’t want to be all negative – maybe that means we can follow closer because it’s easier flat and you get a bigger slipstream, but I don’t know. I think they still underrate the kerbs and what it does to a circuit, how it changes the feeling, the character, the approach.

“We’ll see. Obviously, I am going to enjoy driving here but it feels like it’s lost a little bit of that ‘old-schoolness’ that it had.

“We go…