Paul Ricard F1 venue 'doesn't register' with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is no fan of the Circuit Paul Ricard, the venue that will host the return of the French Grand Prix to the F1 calendar in June 2018.

The Mercedes driver had an opportunity to sample the track's layout back in September, during a Pirelli tyre test with the Silver Arrows outfit, and the four-time world champion was left unimpressed.

"Honestly I don't like it, just to be straight with you," Hamilton told French broadcaster Canal +.

"I loved it when we used to have the Grand Prix in Magny-Cours. [Paul Ricard] is in a beautiful place, but the track, when I say I don't like it, it's not as great as Magny-Cours."

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Hamilton however is happy to see a French GP back on the calendar, and considers the event more important than the venue.

"I think the most important thing is that we do have a Grand Prix back in France because it's an important part of Europe, it's an important part of the European tour," he said.

"It's just, you know, France has so many beautiful, beautiful circuits – Le Mans, for example – and for some reason we don't have it at the most beautiful track.

"It doesn't register for me, I'm a driver and I'm dead straight with you, and I'm not gonna beat around the bush. But maybe we will have the best race of the whole season there."

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