Max Verstappen has praised the renovations carried out at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit ahead of the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.
The reigning World Champion believes the alterations make it much more “old-school” for the drivers.
Run-off areas have been extended at certain parts of the track as a safety measure, but there has also been an injection of gravel traps around the venue.
In recent years, drivers have been critical of tarmac run-off areas, as it often leaves them unpunished for a mistake.
Pirelli’s Head of F1 Mario Isola says the changes at Spa mean that drivers “will need to pay more attention to track limits” or risk a major loss of lap time.
Verstappen asserts that he’s a fan of the changes as it is set to pose a bigger challenge to the competitors.
“I’m feeling ready to race again after a good break,” he said. “I definitely got the itch to get back to it.
“It will be a busy triple header but it will be okay to manage as we’ve all had a rest. The upgrades to the track have made it a little more old school with the gravel traps which I think is a good idea.
“It’s my favourite track so I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend.
“It looks like there might be rain around which will make it more tricky, but luckily as a team we like a challenge.”
Verstappen enters the 14th round of the season at Spa with an 80-point margin over Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Dutchman won the shortened Belgian Grand Prix in 2021, with just a handful of laps occurring behind the Safety Car due to torrential rain.
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