F1 poll finds 94.53% back drivers speaking up on circuit design

Of the 274 votes in a RacingNews365 poll asking whether F1 drivers should speak up more about circuit design, 94.53% chose the option saying their knowledge of good overtaking circuits should be heard. The opposing option, that drivers should simply race what they are given, received 3.65%; 1.82% were unsure.

The poll followed renewed debate over circuit layouts after the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, where multiple drivers criticised the lack of realistic passing opportunities. Lewis Hamilton said some tracks left drivers unable to overtake and voiced frustration with the people who designed them. George Russell argued that every circuit should offer an overtaking opportunity after a straight.

When F1 returned to Sepang for the one-off 2026 Bahrain GP in Malaysia, Williams driver Alex Albon urged drivers returning from Madrid to speak up more about circuit design. He praised Sepang's camber, elevation and distinctive corners, but said he did not consider it primarily a great overtaking track; high tyre degradation, he said, could still produce fights.